Testimonials

“Sharon — Thank you for assisting Don and I with our efforts to give the Driftwood Inn a fresh new look at minimal cost. The restaurant and inn guests comment daily on the new seaside theme with its crisp decor, which have made the lobby and restaurant more attractive and inviting. Even the staff have enjoyed the transitions.
Your initial consult provided us with a working document we could follow in implementing the necessary changes: your assistance in sourcing out materials & contractors ensured we were able to make changes within our budget. You not only have a keen eye for design & price: your services provided exceptional value, despite the budget. With your assistance we were able to stretch each dollar for maximum return.
Our experience working with you was superior to any of our prior experiences with design professionals.”
—Heather & Don Bilodeau, Managers of the Driftwood Inn, Sechelt, BC (See photos)

“Sharon — You did a fantastic job staging my client's apartment. I was a bit apprehensive about the whole thing at first, but the feedback we are getting after showings tells me people are wowed by it. Definitely high-impact! I'm confident that your efforts increase our chances of getting offers. Thank you.”
— Sandy Bellamy, Prudential Sussex Realty, Gibsons

“We recently had Sharon Charboneau of UPSTAGING YOUR HOMES help us maximise the appeal of our home, which we recently put on the market. Sharon worked really well with us, in rearranging our rooms and adding subtle but effective accents that gave the overall appearance great appeal and pizzazz. We have had nothing but great comments on how our home looks. Many of the tips and ideas will certainly be used in our new home.
Thank you Sharon!”
— David & Linda Chodzko, Secret Cove, BC

“Thanks for all your hard and effective work of "upstaging" my apartment. I think that is exactly what it will be doing from now on — upstaging whatever else people look at.”
— Mary Kenny, owner of Gibsons, BC apartment/condo

“As a realtor I've had a chance to work with several home stagers. While I have nothing bad to say about others, my experience with Sharon has been consistently above average. Whether it's a simple consultation with one of my selling clients or a full on redo of the interior of a home Sharon has been able to bring things together in a timely manner. I must say too, the difference between "before and after" is sometimes beyond words. Simply amazing! Whether you are selling your home or simply want a redesign then I would recommend you contact Sharon! You'll be doing yourself a great favour.”
— Russ Qureshi, Re/Max Gibsons (now with Prudential Sussex)

“We had a good plan for the basic changes we'd be making to our 1970s style modular, but needed an expert's eye to take it to the next level and really attract buyers. Sharon had great ideas for each room, including further de-cluttering, furniture rearranging and new paint colours. (In fact, we love Sharon's colour suggestions so much we are using them again in our new house!) While we were busy with all the renos, Sharon went shopping for light fixtures, tiles, fabrics, small furniture, accessories and artwork, finding one-of-a-kind beautiful items — all at fantastic prices. She also bought garden plantings and spent a couple of days digging in the dirt with us to get them installed. When all was completed, our house was completely transformed beyond our wildest imaginings! It looked like a show home. The potential buyers were all impressed too, and we got the sale in the middle of winter. Sharon's services more than paid for themselves with the higher selling price we were able to get — plus we paid less for many of the reno supplies than we would have on our own.
Working with Sharon was fun because it was a two-way process: she listened to our ideas and took into account our time limitations — working together to achieve a great end result.”
— Teresa & Larry Nightingale, Halfmoon Bay (See photos)

“I had the opportunity of working with Sharon on re-design projects on two separate occasions — in our river home in Guerneville, Sonoma CA, and in our Oakland, CA home. Both occasions were pleasant experiences and fun. Sharon is naturally gifted and instinctively creative: she has an impressive eye for colour, placement of furniture, decor and artwork. In both instances, Sharon used my belongings and created more unique and comfortable settings for our rooms that my husband & I were pleased with. I haven't moved anything in either location. I have recommended her services to others and would not hesitate to continue to do so.”
— Sue & Marty Tierney, California (See photos)

“Sharon was recommended to me and I am glad I contacted her while she was still in my area. She did a wonderful job finding my treasures that were hidden and placing them in the right places. She had great suggestions for de-cluttering and the type and placement of furniture, which would help me entertain the grandchildren and not be left with a mess. In less than a day, she re-arranged the mantel piece, furniture and artwork in my family room, hallways, powder room and living room: creating less cluttered and more inviting rooms. She was fun to work with. She listened to what I wanted and needed in decorating and left with me with a list of further recommendations and ideas to enhance our home. I would love to have her return and work with me again.”
— Judi Hurabiell, San Francisco, CA

“When a seller recently vacated her property, I quickly realized that the empty rooms [despite Gibsons' finest view] lacked life. It was clear that we needed to infuse the property with energy & excitement! This included asking Sharon of UPSTAGING YOUR HOMES to partially furnish & stage the home, which allowed me to re-introduce the listing with new colour, style & verve! Sharon's staging was successful in doing just that; the home has been re-positioned in the marketplace and looks warm & inviting. Working with Sharon was an important factor in revamping the marketing of this property. I can recommend Sharon's services.”
— Patricia Hetherington, Prudential Sussex Realty

“Dear Sharon,
I think your words will forever ring in my ears "It's not for you Jan, it's for the buyer, I'm only trying to help you, trust me." In the end I never did paint the bathroom blue. The house sold before the painter could get it painted, so I left it at that. Thank you so much for helping. I feel your efforts greatly contributed to the successful sale of my home at a price with which I am happy.”
— Jan Collins, Gibsons, BC (now residing in Armstrong, BC)

“My husband and I decided to renovate our kitchen and hired a local kitchen designer, paid our down-payment and waited and waited. Months later, we were still waiting and Sharon came to our rescue. She referred us to one of her dependable kitchen contractors, BRUADAIR KITCHENS, and provided advice on how to proceed with our dream renovation. She also referred us to some of her sources for wholesale plumbing fixtures, tiles and counter materials.
We cannot thank her enough for assisting us in realizing our dream kitchen.”
— Linda & John Duff, Sechelt

“Moving into my new condo, I wanted a special sectional sofa for reading and enjoying my waterview. I called the person I knew would help me find the right one. Sharon and I went shopping together and found not only the exact right sofa but also the right bed. She has great instincts for shopping deals and relentlessly sources the deals out with excellent results.”
— A satisfied client, Campbell River, BC