I have hired 1st Stage for multiple properties over the years. In the past, they generally did…read moregreat work and I was impressed with their staging style, professionalism, availability, and pricing. That said, my most recent experience was disappointing. I had them stage a modern townhouse in Costa Mesa near the beach. Unfortunately, the staging style they chose did not match the aesthetic of the property at all. I am not a designer, so I typically trust their vision and let them take the lead. This time, I reached out to their team and simply asked if we could swap out a few items to make the space feel more modern or beachy. I was told I would need to pay a restocking fee. That response was frustrating. I had referred them many jobs and clients in the past, and while the fee itself was not a large amount, it felt unnecessary and left a bad impression. They did eventually waive the fee, which I appreciated, but the situation already felt mishandled. Fast forward a bit. The property did not sell, and I requested that it be de-staged. Their team came out a few days later and removed the furniture. A few months after that, they emailed both me and my client, who was the actual party to the staging contract, claiming there was a prorated balance due for a few extra days the furniture remained in the home. The amount was under $400. The contract was between my client and 1st Stage, not me, so I was confused as to why I was included. Shortly after, Mark Sutton emailed me directly asking if I could take care of the payment by the next day. I found that extremely unprofessional. Agents are the ones who bring them business, and asking me to personally pay an invoice that had nothing to do with me showed a real lack of business judgment. I expressed my disappointment with their customer service, and the only response I received was a payment link. If you are looking for a stager who truly feels like a partner and values long-term relationships, I would think twice before using this company. In my experience, once an issue arises, you are treated like just another number, and preserving relationships does not seem to be a priority.

What an amazing experience we had with Janice and the entire team! Not only are they creative, hard…read moreworking, and professional, but they have the most beautiful and quality items! You can put your complete trust that they will stage your house to perfection so that it will look great for the photos and the tours!! Our home went into escrow 4 days after listing and we received $100,000 over asking price! The 1st stage service is a great value and will pay off tremendously in the end.

Love Elyssa and her amazing team! Oh my goodness, they saved me so much time from having to guess…read moreon what do or what I needed. Elyssa Contardo did a full redesign. I especially love my new living room. Will add photos soon! Great communication with her and the builders and they stayed in our budget. Highly recommend.

I worked with Elyssa Contardo recently. She did a remodel of our older home in Palm Desert. She was…read morevery organized and the job was beautifully done in a timely manner. She and Kelsey were always professional and very helpful! Absolutely love the results. My kitchen is gorgeous. She also helped me with furniture for our renovated house. Elyssa is easy and fun to work with. Cathie Skinner

Evelin came by personally to review the walls and took the time to explain the process clearly…read morebefore giving a final price, which I really appreciated. The pricing felt fair and transparent once everything was assessed properly. Her crew was extremely professional, knew exactly what they were doing, and completed the entire job in one day. The final product looks fantastic. I'm extremely happy with the results and would definitely recommend them.

I can't recommend this business enough. The selection is amazing, there is lots to choose from…read more They do wallpaper and upholstery and even offer drapery. The owner is a delight to work with and she is beyond creative, she has such a great eye. I'm in love with my walls!!

Cindi is excellent - she has a wonderful design "eye" - and offers reasonable suggestions. She can…read morework with any level of budget. In addition, she has wonderful workmen so you don't have to find the contractor yourself. Her rates are reasonable. She is very well organized and stays on top of all the details throughout the project. I recommend her without hesitation. Cindy G.

Cindi Unger of Desert Life Design worked with us on the interior design of our recently completed…read morecondo renovation project in La Quinta. Working with Cindi was an absolute pleasure and the final design came together beautifully. She was a valuable sounding board as we considered different design ideas and always responsive to our needs throughout the process. With great pleasure, we highly recommend engaging Cindi and Desert Life Design for design and renovation projects of any size and scope...you'll be glad you did!

Trying to find an upholsterer that you think will do an amazing job is tough…read more You read the reviews and many will have many 5 star reviews and then a few terrible reviews. Those terrible reviews scare me away. i found Marla, Cathy, Edgar and his mother and father here at trims & more. I decided to go with them and trusted them with super crazy expensive fabric that was purchased in Italy and could not be replaced should something go wrong. Everyone who works there seemed really nice, they said they could handle re upholstering my sofa impeccably and that's exactly what the finished product was. Edgar, his mother and father are the upholsters and they did an amazing job. If you're searching for a place you can trust to not mess up and beyond that do an impeccable job, that would be this place. I can't say enough great things about them. Thank you!

Fantastic store. Will make you anything you need or want. We needed a new cushion for a custom made…read morelove seat for medical purposes. They provided the material and fabric. They designed it and made good on their promise of complete customer service. We enjoy our new cushion. It's part of my recovery to be able to walk and sit properly. We appreciate the owners team of skilled craftsmen. Thank you for all your help. Best wishes Michael and Susan Small

I needed a kitchen design for what had to be the ugliest and most unfunctional kitchen in our…read moresecond home in Palm Springs. I waited four years to remodel until I simply couldn't stand it anymore. The previous owner had done the last remodel himself and it was horrific. I'm smart enough to know that I can choose color, countertops, faucets, appliances, etc... but without a fabulous design (in any space) you've got nothing. Every single time in my life I've used a designer has been worth every cent. Patricia and her team are the VERY BEST designers I've ever worked with. I've had several homes and many projects over the years. They did an amazing job for me. I took advantage of her "30 Days of Design" because it sounded like my kind of timeframe and I'm not in Palm Springs for lengthy stays. It was the perfect solution for me. Of course I had some ideas of my own so it was a bit difficult when Patricia's design didn't include anything that I would have done. :-) I showed her layout/design ideas to friends and neighbors and even my contractor and they were amazed. She also had several suggestions regarding tile, counter tops, etc... Some I really loved and others not so much. But that's OK. I ran my ideas by her and absolutely loved her honesty. Sometimes she even loved my ideas!!! The end result is absolutely stunning and so far beyond what I thought it was going to be that it quite simply takes my breath away. I am horrified when I think of what would have happened if I hadn't engaged her firm. She is obviously a true professional who knows what she's doing. I can't thank her enough for doing exactly what she said she would do. I put a lot of faith in her and it was well deserved. You cannot go wrong working with Design Vision Studio. I feel blessed that I had the pleasure of working with her and would be happy to do it again.

We really enjoyed our design experience with Design Vision Studio. Patricia and Kelli are…read moreabsolutely amazing and lovely to work. They had THE vision to transform our house to HOME and went above and beyond to make it happen and make sure we love the final design. They took the time to understand our style and expectations and proposed the changes that suits our life style and young/growing family very well. Vey happy with the service.

Troy is absolutely fabulous. Creative and talented, easy to…read morework and always beaming with positivity.

You will never go wrong leaving the design of your home and garden in the very talented hands of…read moreTroy Bankord.

Sadie designed our Airbnb in Joshua Tree. We absolutely loved her aesthetic and was so happy she…read morebrought it to life in our home. Our guests constantly compliment the VIBE!

Sadie is a rock star. As first time home buyers and investors we were very nervous about turning…read moreour massive new property in yucca valley into an Airbnb and she killed it - it's epic! We get so many compliments. Sadie is a wizard with mock ups, responds quickly, always wanted to make sure my husband, our biz partner and I were happy - and quickly came up with a compromises as needed. She's very budget flexible (key) and has a great eye! On top of the design, she recommended amenities, ways to make our Airbnb more functional and even hooked us up with a photographer in the area. She has a bright future and we look forward to working with Sadie on many future projects.