Meet Ashely Tapley

 

We were lucky to catch up with Ashely Tapley recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ashely, thanks for sharing your insights with our community today. Part of your success, no doubt, is due to your work ethic and so we’d love if you could open up about where you got your work ethic from?

I inherited my strong work ethic from my family—they led by example. Coming from a blended family, I was lucky to have parents and stepparents who all worked incredibly hard to support us. Even now, at almost 80, my mom is returning to a part-time sales job. Growing up, my dad would wake me up on weekends with a loud hum of taps and ask, *“What’s your plan for today?”*

Before becoming a home stager and designer, I spent 25 years working in my family’s thrift store business, founded by my uncle and his brother-in-law. I worked side by side with my cousins and their families, learning the value of hard work firsthand. Running a thrift store was no easy task, but it prepared me for the dedication and effort required in home staging and interior design.

 

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I’ve always been passionate about homemaking, interior design, and home renovations. After leaving my marketing position in the thrift business, I started my home staging company with a simple goal: to make a difference for just one client who felt I had done a great job. I was eager to work in the design field, and home staging became my way in—without having to go back to school for a formal interior design degree.

In 2018, I completed my home staging training and launched *House Candy Home Staging*. Staging quickly became a hands-on crash course in decorating, design, and helping homes sell quickly for top dollar. I fell in love with the people, the challenges, and the fast-paced transformations. The before-and-afters were incredibly rewarding. Over the years, I’ve staged more than **$200 million in real estate**, helping homeowners maximize their sale price with beautifully styled spaces.

Before long, the phone started ringing for design services. Clients who had seen my staging work wanted my help in their own homes. To refine my skills, I continued my training and studied interior design at the *Uploft Academy*. Seven years later, I’ve worked with hundreds of staging and design clients and have received numerous industry awards for my work. *Apartment Therapy* even named us the best home staging company on the West Coast!

My career has taken me to incredible places—I’ve been hired for design projects in Hawaii and Palm Springs, and I’m currently loving the creative freedom of designing vacation rentals. There’s something so fun about making guests feel delighted and special. To deepen my expertise, I recently earned a certification in short-term rental design, and I can’t wait to bring that knowledge to future projects!

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Education and Training: I”m a huge fan of learning. My academic background in Business and Public Relations from San Jose State University, complemented by studies in graphic design, fashion, marketing, advertising, and photography, has provided a solid foundation for my interior design and home staging career. Specialized training at Staged4More, Staging Diva, Staging Studio and the Uploft Academy in New York have honed my expertise in staging and design.

Creative Professional Experience: My diverse roles, include event planning at an exclusive athletic club and art direction for a chain of thrift stores—where I earned the nickname “Martha Stewart of Thrift”. These careers have enriched my creative skill set, along with my hobbies of interior design, home making and photography.. This varied experience has been instrumental in developing my unique approach to my business.

Commitment to Excellence and Client Satisfaction: I love people and making them happy. My high bar of pleasing people probably comes from my shoe sales days at Nordstrorm during college. I am so honored to have received numerous industry awards, such as the Staging Excellence and Client Care awards from the International Home Staging Professionals Association, and recognition for Best Transformation in the International Home Staging Awards. Being named the Best Home Staging Company on the West Coast by Apartment Therapy was such an honor.

Before we go, maybe you can tell us a bit about your parents and what you feel was the most impactful thing they did for you?

This answer is twofold.

My mom, an incredible homemaker and self-taught designer, was the one who sparked my love for design. My dad, an engineer, instilled in me a passion for problem-solving, while my stepmom, who was also an amazing homemaker and worked in real estate, had a profound influence on my journey. Together, they shaped who I am today.

Sadly, my dad and stepmom both passed away just six months apart from cancer. When they passed, I inherited a nest egg, which gave me the freedom, at 50 years old, to pursue training and start my own business. I gave myself one year to determine whether I could make it as a home stager and designer or if I needed to return to a corporate job. Because of my dad and stepmom, I was able to take that leap. I just wish they were here to see it—they would be so proud and happy for me.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Photos by: Maven Photography, Clear Story Visuals, Dream Home Images, Ashley Tapley

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