Rooms in Bloom Home Staging & Design's Weblog

Rooms in Bloom Home Staging & Design Inc. is an award winning company based out of Kitchener-Waterloo. We handle all aspects of getting properties ready for sale so that every home we stage portrays the model home lifestyle buyers are searching for.

Founded in early 2008 by Heather Cook & Alana Merritt, Rooms in Bloom has developed a sterling reputation within the tri-cities real estate community. Both Heather & Alana are graduates of the Staging Diva Program and they continue to keep their education current by taking both home staging and design courses so that they can continue giving their clients current and relevant recommendations. Between the two women, they have a combined eight years of home staging experience and they also draw upon a combination of visual merchandising and Interior Decorating experience when working with their clients. Members of the North American Real Estate Staging Association (RESA), they are also founding members of their local RESA Chapter which provides ongoing support and educational opportunities to their local staging community.

Heather Cook & Alana Merritt of Rooms in Bloom

Recognized on a national level, Rooms in Bloom has been selected as the 2012 Canadian Home Staging Company of the Year. In 2011, Heather Cook accepted the award for the Canadian Professional Stager of the Year on behalf of Rooms in Bloom at the RESA Convention in Las Vegas. These prestigious awards recognize extraordinary Home Staging talent as well as professional excellence in a company’s marketing, social media and business ethics.

90% of the homes we stage sell in the first 30 days on the market, many of them getting offers within 10 days of being listed!

Rooms in Bloom knows that over 95% of buyers shop online first, before even setting foot in a property. We work with our clients to ensure that a buyer’s experience with a house is a positive one – from their first online impression to previewing the home in person. Both Heather & Alana are very real estate savvy and they ensure that the homes they professionally showcase have the elusive WOW factor which will positively enhance a buyer’s perception and overall feel of the property.

Beautifully Staged Modern Loft

Home staging is not about decorating a home to live in. The recommendations that Heather & Alana make are real estate based – not decorating based – so that their clients make improvements and investments only in upgrades which will give them the best return on investment (ROI). They will never make recommendations for unnecessary renovations when it comes to selling a property and most of the time they work with the client’s own furnishings to make the property look great. When the home is vacant or needs their professional touch, they bring in beautiful modern furnishings and accents to create gorgeous spaces which buyers can’t help but fall in love with.

Professionally showcased living room

In addition to staging properties to sell, Rooms in Bloom offers a wide variety of design services. From color consultations to complete redesign options, they work with clients to customize a design which will reflect both the function and style aesthetic the client is looking for.

3D Rendering of a Client's Newly Designed Kitchen

Rooms in Bloom also offers builders a wide variety of Model Home Design Services. From staging Model Units to working with the builder to design and decorate stunning Model Homes, Rooms in Bloom offers the builders they work with customizable options which result in stunning spaces that buyers love. Builders interested in viewing their work can visit either the Westmount Grand Model Condos or the Reflections at Laurelwood Model Condo and Sales Center. In October 2011, the Reflections at Laurelwood Model Condo designed and decorated by Rooms in Bloom was honored with the ‘Best Interior Design’ Award from the Waterloo Home Builders Association.

Reflections at Laurelwood Model Condo

Have you seen our designs in the news lately? Rooms in Bloom’s staging designs have been featured in the K-W Record, the Cambridge Times and the Ideal Home magazine. Additionally, we write a monthly staging & design column for the Homes & Land Magazine which features tips and advice on decorating or staging issues that home owners have.

Rooms in Bloom writes a monthly column for this local real estate magazine!