Monica took a well-loved, nearly 70-year-old house into a chic, modern, comfortable, and beautiful home! Her taste is exquisite! But more importantly, she knows how to make a house shine so it will sell. The emotions of selling a house are complicated. Monica has the patience and grace to make you realize your home will be in great hands and will turn out beautifully! Ours was so beautiful we were tempted to take it off the market and live it as she had designed it! The response to her work in our home was universally positive. She did her job of making the most of our house for the market, and the market responded very positively! Thank you! We were impressed and are grateful. read more

Wow -- from a dated look of the 1980's to a picture-perfect face of the 21st century! Where do I begin? I was getting ready to relocate, and my condo would be going on the market before long. The building in which I lived was 30+ years old and condos, like mine, that had not been updated carried with them the styles of years gone by. That look had worked well for me because I've never been interested in fashion so I haven't tried to keep up with the trends, but a dated appearance wasn't going to be attractive to buyers, and I had known for quite a while that my abode was going to need some work. My realtor and I talked about updates that might be needed, and she then recommended that we bring in Monica Stubblefield, the owner stager/designer of Marissa Designs Home Staging in San Carlos, to do the upgrades. I knew nothing about staging - much less anything about Marissa Designs - but my realtor, whose opinions I trusted, was so in favor of our working with Monica that I felt we couldn't go wrong. And we didn't! I moved out of the condo and into a nearby town in early spring, after the movers had packed up and loaded onto their truck everything I was taking to my new home and the junk removal company had hauled away everything else. That left Monica with an empty canvas with which to perform her magic. And magic it was! I didn't see the condo from the time I moved out until it was ready to show, but one of my neighbors peeked through the windows every now and then and kept me posted on the changes, which she described as very impressive. Monica painted the walls; replaced the flooring in the kitchen, dining area, living room, entryway, and hall with luxury vinyl; and installed plush carpeting in the bedrooms. Her workers painted the cabinets in the kitchen, removed the tile countertops and replaced them with quartz, and put in up-to-date stainless steel appliances (including a five-burner gas cooktop and a beverage refrigerator). Monica changed most of the lighting throughout the condo and staged each of the rooms with beautiful, stylish furniture and accessories. The transformation was incredible, and Monica completed the work within a time frame of only a couple of weeks! Finally, the day before the property went on the market, my realtor and her associate gave me a "walk through" to see what Monica had done. I couldn't believe it. I thought my condo was presentable before the "overhaul," but it couldn't compare to what I was seeing. Thanks to my realtor's sharp marketing skills and Monica's fabulous staging abilities, we received an offer the morning after the property went on the market, which was even before the realtor could hold an Open House. I had read that staging makes a huge difference in the marketability of a home, and while I'm sure a lot of that depends upon the abilities of the stager, I know it made a big difference for me. I am SO glad my realtor recommended that Monica, the owner of Marissa Designs, be the one to update and refresh my condo! It was worth every penny I spent to have the work done and it really paid off in the end. It isn't every day that one needs a home stager, but when one does, it's critical that the right person be hired to do the job. I see, from Monica's reviews, that she is highly regarded by her clients, and I join with all of them in recommending Marissa Designs for your staging needs. Monica does beautiful work, and she easily deserves 5-star reviews she continually gets! read more

Monica did a wonderful job staging our home in San Carlos. I did see a prior Yelp review that gave me pause... I'm glad took that I hired her anyway bc her furniture and decor really helped sell our place. We had multiple offers and sold in 6 days, at over $150k over asking. Marissa Designs is worth every penny. I would also add that the transaction was completely seamless. My home was not damaged in anyway, they cleaned up after staging and after picking up the staging, andI did not have any issues with extra charges. read more

Marissa Designs Staging - Home Staging Near Me - Redwood City, California

Summary: * Stole a family heirloom and tried to blame our house cleaners (which she eventually returned) * Charged us a $400 pet deposit under false pretenses * Damaged our home in the move and only properly fixed it on the second attempt, after we pursued her. * Did a pathetic job of hanging a light, which she insisted on doing. * Our real estate agent said that she will never work with her again, because of her unethical business practices At the recommendation of our Real Estate agent, we engaged Marissa Designs to stage our home for sale. Since we have a dog, Monica insisted on a $400 per deposit in case our dog soiled her furniture. She used our couch and living room rug, so we didn't expect any issues. Also, our dog is a Cavapoo, which has hair, not fur, and doesn't shed. At the end of the staging, Monica kept the $400, providing two pieces of evidence for why: (1) hair in her vacuum, (2) a picture of poo outside on the ground. However, (a) Monica arrived just after our cleaners vacuumed the whole house, so no way there was hair. (b) our dog doesn't shed, (c) the fur didn't match our dogs hair. You can brush our dog and you will not get a single hair in the brush. Regarding the poo, it was outside on the ground, how does that affect her staging? Monica also took a family heirloom when she moved out. We asked about that and she tried to blame our regular house cleaners (who worked for us for about 7 years). After checking with the cleaners we pressed Monica, and then she returned the item. We also replaced a light in the dining room at Monica's suggestion. She said that she would center the hang over the table she was putting under it. So we left it for her to center. This is the pathetic job she did of hanging it (see pic). If that wasn't enough, her movers knocked our door knob lose (see pic), bending it and knocking out a screw. We pointed that out and she had them screw it in. She didn't straighten it and it barely turned. Only after I complained repeatedly, did she send someone to truly fix it. Then, when we complained about her keeping the pet deposit, she claimed that we broke her chair (see pic). It was in a room that we didn't even use during staging. Did someone sit in the chair and cause it to break? More likely it happened when her movers (who already broke a door handle) moved it to the truck where this picture was taken. Monica ended up keeping the full deposit under false pretenses, despite our generous offer to split it with her. Our real estate agent said that she would never again use Marissa Designs to stage her homes. Monica is simply not trustworthy, her movers are not respectful of your home, and she will keep any pet deposit no matter what. read more

See all

My fiance and I decided to put his house up for sale and after doing all the fun stuff - painting, packing up everything and moving into my place - his house was empty and too boring to be put on the market like that. I called Marissa Designs Staging when we first were going thru what needed to be done and Monica was AWESOME. She took the time to explain what staging did, what to expect and roughly what it would cost for his place. While we couldn't commit then, I definitely filed her name in the back of my head. When we got to the part where we needed a stager, while the realtor had suggested someone else - his previous recommendations on a painter and house cleaner were less than stellar performances and I was wary. While his person quoted low, so did the painter and house cleaner and we got exactly what we paid for. However, even though Monica's prices were higher, I felt she was forthcoming about everything and would deliver a high quality staging. We were not wrong in making that decision. We lucked out on being able to book her on very short notice, she and her team did an amazing job transforming the rooms from empty and boring to homey and warm. She worked her magic and made the house look amazing. If you need a staging for your house - I cannot recommend her enough. read more

See all

I have 3 simple words of advise for you. If you are selling your house, USE THIS SERVICE!!! You will thank me. Simply put, deciding to use Marissa Designs Staging before listing our house was the best decision we ever made. Monica and team were professional, gave great advice, on time with their work, within budget, and was AMAZING to work with throughout. Responding to my texts morning, noon, and night. She was super professional with us every step of the way, responsive whenever we needed her, and updated us every day throughout the 4 week process of improvements to our home including electrical, appliances, flooring, lighting and painting along with staging before our listing was posted. House was from the 1960's and very cluttered. She turned a pumpkin into a princess. Thanks in huge part to their great work, our house ended up selling in 3 days, had 14 offers, and sold over 15% of the listing price-for a 400% return on what we spent on staging. Well done! read more

Marissa Designs Staging - our dining room. Turning a pumpkin into a princess - Home Staging Near Me - Redwood City, California

See all

I can't recommend Monica at Marissa Designs highly enough. She and her team did a wonderful job updating and staging my Mom's 1975 house to 2021. It looked so much better that we hardly recognized the house when we first walked in. The house went from an outdated combination of 1975/1999 to contemporary, open, airy and modern. She worked within our budget and extremely tight schedule, doing literal magic, to get the house completed, including new flooring, paint and light fixtures. If you are selling your house, make sure you use Marissa Designs and Staging! read more

Dear Monica, We like to thank you for your "magic touch" for transforming a 40 years old townhouse to a chic, sophisticated, modern home. Your selection of the light fixtures, furnitures, art work, the various textures of the accent rugs and pillows, and the play with mirrors to enhance the light and space, is amazing. Wishing you and your family a Happy Thanksgiving! Much appreciated, Ann read more

Monica at Marissa designs did an amazing job staging our home. She was also able to squeeze us in on a day she had a cancellation and move incredibly quickly to stage our home just a week after we first contacted her! She did everything from bringing in beautiful furniture and details to installing new light fixtures. The transformation made our home look modern and inviting. Our home sold quickly and for the price point we'd hoped for. Highly recommend working with Monica. read more

This was the first time we ever used a property staging services for a home we were selling. We were very happy with the result as well as Monica lifting the burden of preparing a home for sale. This is especially true due to the Covid pandemic. Once we moved our furniture out we never had to deal with the property or any of the vendors. Monica had excellent suggestions and staged the home with lovely furniture and art which we feel best represented it. I believe we profited from her experience and the investment in her services was well worth it. read more

We had Monica stage our home recently and we loved everything she did! She took care of everything and scheduled everything out so we didn't have to lift a finger. Her design taste is impeccable and she's always up with the latest trends. I absolutely love how she staged our home which was a mix of farmhouse, contemporary, chic. She makes everything flow effortlessly and it was because of her staging that our home sold within a week. She also had the house repainted, refinished the fireplace and changed outdated light fixtures which just added that extra pop the home needed and didn't have before. Her team did everything within 4 days which was super impressive. I would recommend Monica and her team to anyone in the bay area looking for a great staging/painting company to get their home sold quickly! read more

o Highly recommend. The work was started promptly, finished on schedule and on budget, looked fresh and comfortable. o Monica had a great vision for our house in San Jose. She and her workers handled everything from changing flooring to painting to staging. She knew what needed to be updated and was able to fit in our specific requests. Also let us know what could stay as is, saving us money. o Monica supervised work every day and was very detailed. Because we were out of town, she sent pictures and video to update us on progress. o Our house looked great and sold for much more than we thought it could. Thanks Monica at Marissa Design! read more

Monica just finished staging our home in Redwood Shores. While it has great bones, I never could have envisioned anything so magical. She completely transformed it on time and on budget. Her creativity puts anything you see on HGTV to shame! Why anyone would try to sell a home without staging it, and why anyone would work with anyone but Monica to stage it is beyond me. read more

Monica is like the "Fairy Godmother" of Real Estate! She will take your home and transform it into a showpiece!! Absolutely Amazing! Monica is so talented and her crew is stellar!! She knows her stuff and gets the job done quickly and efficiently -- Love Her -- Yes 5 STARS -- because she really is "Woohoo! As good as it gets!" Tip: If you are thinking about selling your home... hire Monica Stubblefield to stage & prepare your home + your Realtor to get it on the market = successful win/win for everyone. read more

Not sure how she did it but Monica nailed the staging in our little tiny home. She made each room look so large and beautiful! I would've never thought that I could have such large prints on the walls and her rugs made our 70 year floors look stunning! When we didn't have the right lighting in the house, she went right out and bought new ones and installed them. Start to finish, she was done with our entire home in less than 5 hours. She followed up with instructions as well! Monica and her team are very professional! read more

Marissa Designs Staging - the living room! - Home Staging Near Me - Redwood City, California

Monica's staging work on my San Carlos house was beyond my wildest dreams. I would and will recommend Marissa Designs to anyone who asks. She came into my home and had a vision for what she wanted to do within minutes, and then carried out the vision. I just stood back and watched. Monica's creativity was matched only by her passionate devotion to the job in front of her. She is focused, has a great crew of workers and, to top it off, has a big, kind heart. I am convinced without doubt that the work she put into my house resulted in the multiple offers I received from prospective buyers. What I paid for her work, I got back many times over. If you are planning to sell, by all means talk to Marissa Designs. I did and couldn't be happier. read more

Monica snd her team did some light renovation, painting & extensive staging for us. All the work was performed well and on schedule. She has a great eye for design and good judgement about what will help position homes well for the current market. Strong recommend. read more

We are so grateful for Monica from Marissa Designs. She did a beautiful job staging our home. Her team was so quick and efficient in both setting up the staging and moving the furniture out after we sold. I literally cried when I saw the house after it'd been staged. I was amazed by how contemporary but warm and inviting the house looked. Every little detail came together just beautifully. Her suggestion to paint our kitchen cabinets completely changed and rejuvenated the entire space. I know this played a major role and contributed to our quick sale, well over what we had hoped for price-wise, as well. We are eternally grateful to Monica and highly recommend working with her. read more

If I didn't personally witness her creative efforts and the hard work that was put into staging our home I would probably believe it if you told me Monica had magical powers. She did an absolutely stunning and amazing job. Monica staged our home and we were very pleased with the final outcome and the value she brought to our sale. She and her honest, hardworking and dedicated crew did it all for us. From minor repair work, painting, cleaning and junk disposal to furnishing our home for the open house, the final transformation was amazing. She even resurrected our dying...okay let's be honest, dead front lawn. Her staging is elegant, tasteful and surprisingly simple without being overdone. What really separates her from all else is how she only recommends what really needs to be addressed. And after all is said and done, her rates are surprisingly reasonable considering everything that is done to your home. read more

Well, this review is long overdue. We hired Marissa Design Staging to stage our single family home in San Mateo for sale in June of this year. I knew that I was going to be a hard sell. I am VERY interested in interior design and am VERY particular about how I wanted the house staged. That being said, when it was time to see the house fully staged, I was sure that there were going to be elements that I wanted to change. When the day came to view the house, I was floored (in the best possible way). In fact, I looked around and wondered why I hadn't designed the house that way while we were living in it! It was perfection . . . Monica is a master. She has an incredible eye and the house was staged in a way that was warm, cozy and inviting. Our house sold in three days ... at a price that was well beyond our expectations. I know for a fact that Monica's staging had a great deal to do with our success. Do not hesitate to use Marissa design to stage your home for sale . . . she turned a cynic into a true believer. She will do the same for you! read more

Monica is amazing! Awhile back I asked her to do what I thought might be impossible. I had a home badly in need of just about everything. It was tired and look neglected. I asked her if she could possibly get this home ready for a holiday gathering. She had about three weeks to accomplish this. Her response was "No Problem". She and her crew proceeded to paint, refloor, carpet, replace light fixtures and even build a fence among other things. She then staged the home complete with art work, plants and even wreaths on the front doors. THe house sparkled and everyone enjoyed our holiday gathering. As I said she is truly amazing.................. Marianne Zanone Rush read more

I found Monica through Yelp, and now that I've experienced her services I'm here to add my 5-star review to the bunch! My review is a little different from the others, because I asked her to do something that's not quite traditional staging, and I think it shows how versatile and enterprising she is that she pulled it off with such aplomb. My husband and I lived out-of-state when we rented a cute little furnished home near Stanford. A quick visit to the house before we moved showed that it needed more tender loving care than the photos had revealed. In a panic, I contacted Monica, thinking her staging skills would mean she had access to all the right contractors (power washers, cleaning crew, gardeners, repairmen), and hoping that she'd agree to be a long-distance surrogate for me to make the changes. She exceeded that role, understanding exactly what I needed, and making valuable suggestions, always keeping in close contact. Here's a partial list of what she did for us: she met the cable guy, received Tempurpedic mattresses, received linens (washed them and made the beds for us), powerwashed the exterior of the house, applied new mulch and stones to the front and back yards, put three large flower pots on the patio (tying them in to the drip irrigation system), rearranged the furniture, added attractive area rugs, purchased and assembled a propane grill (also a propane tank), purchased garden umbrellas, epoxy-coated the garage floor (because our daughter is using it as a painting studio), and cleaned the house top to bottom (literally spotless, including windows and the recessed lighting cans). I've never seen a house "detailed" so completely. There were even small extras when we arrived: welcome mats, a pretty plant in the family room, apples in a bowl, water bottles in the fridge, toilet paper, paper towels, and laundry detergent. Monica's help made moving such a pleasant experience for us. And if you've moved often, you know how valuable that is. read more

Monica, owner of Marissa Designs is absolutely FABULOUS! She can transform a dull, out dated property into a piece of art. Many times seller's are skeptical of the staging process, but once they see Monica's finished product they are always truly amazed. In fact, more often than not, they ask if they can hire Monica to help decorate their new place. The end result of this process is that the sellers home sells very quickly, and for a higher dollar than it would have if Monica had transformed these homes. Thanks for all you do Monica! read more

Monica is beyond amazing! We are selling my 95 year old Mother's home. Monica transformed this home from Grandma's house to a modern updated version in no time at all. The transformation was truly unbelievable. To see the look on my Mother's face seeing her home of 57 years transformed into this beautiful tastefully done home was a memory I will never forget! If you are in need of a stager, Monica is the one. She's fast, comes with a great crew, has an extensive inventory and is extremely talented. Thank you Monica! read more

Marissa's design has the best sale of the year! Monica puts her staging furniture out for purchase at a price you cannot resist. Monica has a wide variety of furniture to chose from. If you are looking for tables, sofas, end tables, or pillows Monica has it! I have been going to Monica's sales for several years now and it's like Christmas for me! I drove 2.5 hours in traffic just to make it to her sale on time to get the best of her sale! Totally worth every minute in traffic! If you are selling your home or business and need staging services Monica has the creative mind to set the tone that will sell your home or business in no time! Marissa's design definitely deserves more than 5 stars!!! read more

WOW, fabulous staging. We were stranded due to another staging company double booking and was so glad that we found Monica on Yelp. She is professional, creative and very reasonable. Our house looks like a 5 star hotel. I highly recommend Monica and her company. read more

Monica has honed her skills to such perfection that she is able to create a look and feel for a home that fits modern style in her mind and within minutes make it a reality. I think of her talent in the same way I envision an artist or musician who is constantly striving for perfection. There is no job too big that she won't tackle. Her crew are a really nice and hard working group as well. Monica has very high standards and expects her crew to maintain them. Her team can make ANYTHING happen. The bottom line is you should feel very confident when you hire Marissa Designs Staging because they have a warehouse full of up to date furniture and decor, an exceptional staff and the best creative mind in the business. read more

Monica of Marissa Designs did an amazing job of transforming my mother's "1970's" style home into a modern masterpiece. Her crew removed the carpeting, wallpaper and a mirrored wall, refinished the hardwood floors, painted the entire interior, installed recessed lighting and professionally landscaped the front yard with lovely tropical foliage. The staging enhanced the flow of the rooms and showcased the house beautifully. So beautifully, in fact, that we received 17 offers within 4 days of its' listing and the house sold for $307,000 over asking price! We received a quality job which was completed as promised, within 10 days. It was a pleasure doing business with Monica, owner of Marissa Designs! read more

Wow. I would work with Monica again in a heartbeat. She is a creative genius. If you want an HGTV level designer to help you sell your house for top dollar than look no further than Monica. Despite being in a high noise area, with her magic in place we were able to sell in 12 days, at 16% above asking price. Wowzers, she definitely exceeded my expectations. She was super easy to work with and was able to accept payment on our credit card. Her furniture is gorgeous and she works quickly. She transformed our house in one day! She visited once to scope out the house then arrived with all the perfect accessories to highlight the best features of the space. She was even super cool when my kid accidentally broke a bathroom decoration and didn't make us pay. Thanks! Thanks again Monica, we really appreciate everything you did for us! read more

Monica staged our home in Belmont. WOW!! Sophisticated and warm at the same time...a perfect balance. She is truly an artist. I highly recommend. read more

Monica's designs are truly amazing. Her attention to detail and colors work so well together. Our home sold in 1 week! Her staging transformed our home. Thank you Monica! read more

Monica is just amazing! We had a beautiful house and when the time came to sell it, I was very cautious and did not want to trust the staging to anyone without my supervision. Not with Monica! She does miracles! She is an artist! She has a talent, no doubt! She is expensive, but no doubt is worth every dollar she charges. Go for Monica, you won't be sorry! read more

After comparing some stager's offers in the same area I went with Monica and her team truly showed price meets quality. Her work was so impressive we believed she actually may have added value to our house. 1 week later offers were coming left and right at 50~70k above our already high listing price. She transformed our house into a dream home. Talk about the most expensive $$ per sq ft in our area, couldn't have done it without her! read more

We want to echo all the 5 star reviews. We had a full remodel of our place back in 2009. We thought well it's a sellers market so why bother staging are place was pretty updated and was kept in great condition. That would have been a huge mistake. Thanks to our awesome realtor Holly Noto at Coldwell Banker she put us in touch with Marissa Designs and Monica and team. The minute Monica came into the house she walked over to our 2009 pottery barn round dining room light fixture pulled the sconces off and said there that looks much better. Right there was the start of transforming our house into a hip country modern or whatever you want to call it home. Monica also noticed how the 2nd tier of our backyard was blocked from deck view below. She had her crew come in and remove the large plants/shrubs above the retaining wall and replaced them with flowers. It immediately opened up the whole upper backyard and made it more inviting for interested buyers. We ended up having Monica and crew refresh all our paint inside house, add updated fixtures and of course the amazing staging of the house. Marissa Designs does it all and we highly recommend you take advantage of all they have to offer. The result was 13 offers all over ask and a closing price 28% over asking price on our June 2021 sale. We will use Marissa Designs in the future and we highly recommend that you do as well! read more

I am a realtor and have been working with Monica Subblefield/Marissa Designs for 7 years. She is a master of her craft with an unbelievable intuitive vision for each and every home she stages. The transformations are incredible...and she does it so quickly and makes it look so easy! She is very budget conscious which my clients and I love, and makes every home, large or small, look amazing. My clients love working with her because she helps them get top dollar for their homes. I love her work so much that I've often asked her for help in fluffing up my own home. She is great to work with. Always available by phone, email or text. Her team is fantastic (you gotta love Manny!). Her warm personality and infectious positivity make working with her so fun and such a pleasure. I cannot recommend Monica/Marissa Designs enough. read more

Monica has staged two of my houses during the sales process, and did a fantastic job both times. It's a strange feeling to walk into your own house and realize how much better it looks with a few changes. I'm fully convinced that her staging adding several thousand dollars to our selling price. read more

greatttttt job!!!! thanks marissa design!! sarah,janet,ginger,chris!!!! read more

Remeber Harvey Keitel from Pulp Fiction (The Wolf. The guy who takes charge of cleaning op). Well, Monica is THE WOLF when it comes to staging (except she does not make you work :))) We had to stage our house on a last minutes notice (we decided to stage on Wednesday for a Saturday open house). Monica not only accommodated us knowing our situation, but also gave us tips on what we can do as a prep work before her crew takes over. It was a highly professional job. She was on time to start and on time to finish the work. When we returned, we were awestruck and could not believe that it was the same house we left!! In the end, the result for us was very positive. I think Monica made a huge difference for us in getting a buyer to getting buyers to compete on the offer. We highly recommend her. Two thumbs up!! Thank you Monica. read more

Monica of Marissa Designs is truly a master and design and decor. Talk about your "Design on a Dime Makeover". We recently finished a major house remodeling project. And it's always hard because you finally get to the end, the contractors leave, the rooms are bare, the walls are bare, and you just want to move back in and have the house feel like home again. Monica did just that!!! She took all of our existing furniture, mixed in a lot of new pieces, and was able to pull everything together in a way that I could not have imagined. It was really perfect. The perfect blend of style and elegance was amazing. It felt like a whole new furniture makeover, but it really wasn't. Just a lot of "Design on a Dime" ideas that goes a long ways. It feels like a new home now. Her eye for detail is amazing. We want to thank you so much for making our home feel special. What would have taken us months to complete, and dozens of trips to the furniture stores, you did in a day!! Wow, is all I can say. Thank you Monica, you rock!!! read more

Monica came to our house and she immediately sensed the vibes. She loved the house and I could tell that she already envisioned her designs. She asked that we leave the house while she sets up and when my wife and I came back, we were so impressed. Every detail, every color and every piece were perfect!! read more