Having met over 18 years ago in corporate media and maintaining an enduring friendship in the fields of interior and graphic design, the passion to create our own business led to the evolution of The Styling Project. For Amanda Smythe and Sue Roche, the combination of real estate insight, interior styling prowess and a refusal to follow stereotyped looks or saturated trends sets us apart from the crowd.
How long have you been in the industry?
We started our own Property Styling business in 2015. We were both ready to do something new and our children were getting older so it seemed like the perfect time.
Do you run your own business? If so for how long?
Yes we do run our own business. We met working in corporate media nearly 20 years ago, and two marriages and six children later we are still close. Sue was running her own graphic design company and Amanda had been studying interior design so pooling our resources and launching The Styling Project just made sense.
What made you get into the industry?
A shared passion for business and interiors, and an obsession with inspirational design. Amanda’s passion for interiors goes back to when she had just finished school and both of us had been told many times over the years that we should get into styling. With both knowledge of design and business knowhow it seemed crazy not to. We both have several renovations under our belt and our favourite past time is sending each other pictures of interiors and critiquing them, both good and bad!
What is your favourite part of working in home staging?
Seeing a job that we have worked really hard on, come together. We love the variation that our job provides, there are just so many different facets. Some days we might be in our warehouse, others meeting clients and providing quotes, whilst others are spent sourcing beautiful pieces and of course styling days are our favourite. We both have personalities that enjoy a good makeover and Property Styling is the ultimate makeover! Seeing the before and after photos of a job we have completed is always extremely satisfying.
What advice would you give someone wanting to enter the industry?
Home Staging isn’t as easy as it looks. There is a lot of technical knowledge required as well as being a very physical job. It is, however, extremely fulfilling so start small and learn as much as you can as you go along. Dealing with clients is also another aspect to consider. We have encountered the full rainbow of personalities and situations which can be both wonderful and challenging at times. Business knowledge is also vital so put in place policies and procedures very early on, and outsource wherever knowledge is lacking. Finances are not our strong point so we have had a book keeper from the outset. At the end of the day if styling is your passion, make it happen.
Staged by The Styling Project
Make sure you check out Amanda and Sue’s work over at www.thestylingproject.com.au
