Meet Gemma Hobbs: Designer and Owner, Modern Design Staging & Styling

We had the good fortune of connecting with Gemma Hobbs and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Gemma, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I have never made progress without taking a risk. When I started my staging business ten years ago the seller’s market was ramping up. I had no idea how staging would play out in a seller’s market (typically staging excels in a buyer’s market) but I wanted to give it a shot. I started small and took a risk by offering to stage a one bedroom condo for free. It was labor intensive and I had no inventory so I spent about $1500 buying an assortment of used furniture, art and accessories. I needed to build a portfolio and I was tired of waiting for my phone to ring. My husband and I provided the labor, staged the condo and in six weeks it was sold. The agent was super grateful and sent me my first paying gig a month later in the same complex. I was able to use the items we bought for the first stage and move them to the second. From then we were on our way! The first staging purchases were a risk, but a calculated one. I believe without that first leap of faith I may have waited months longer to begin my business. 

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I believe my use of art and color are what sets me apart in the staging and styling world. I have always been an artist and creative at heart. After I get the architectural feel of a space, I will often select the art I want to use next and let that color palette play throughout the house. Even though the homes we stage are vacant, I want the buyer to feel at home walking in. I use color and art to tell stories and make people feel comfortable and at ease in a space. If I can’t find the right art I will make it myself. I use a lot of abstract art and I have even created about a dozen pieces of my own for styling jobs the last few years.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love the vibe off Magnolia and S Main near downtown Fort Worth. Magnolia is a great street to take a walk down on a pretty day. There are several coffee shops (Avoca and Craftwork are two) and a plant shop out of an airstream called Grow that is fun to check out. You can get a pizza at Cane Russo, a hamburger at Shaw’s, BBQ at Heim or ice cream at Melt. Salsa Limon has amazing Tex Mex and delicious hibiscus tea! A few blocks away on S Main there is a great little gift shop called Winton and Waits where i have picked up jewelry for myself and some lovely candles for friends.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My Shoutout is to two people, Karen Otto who owns Home Star Staging and Michelle Lynne, owner of ML Interiors Group. Both of these women were an enormous help when I was a fledgling stager. Michelle Lynne led the week-long home staging course I attended in Dallas and was an excellent source of information and encouragement to me as I navigated the staging waters. She encouraged me to join RESA (the Real Estate Staging Association) which has a local staging chapter in Dallas. Karen Otto was the president of RESA at the time and she made everyone feel welcome and included. She fostered an atmosphere of cooperation among the members and I was able to meet many new friends that would later share leads and insights that helped me grow my business. Both women were instrumental in helping me succeed and I am very grateful for them.

Website: www.moderndesignstaging.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/moderndesignstaging/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gemma-hobbs-b734ba19/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/agentgem
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwDV0sUvXaa2Wzz2MsYe7-w

Image Credits
Leif Nelson