REAL ESTATE
52
HOME & DESIGN
“It was a complete change of look,” says
Sorensen, “and the house went under contract
in about 30 days.”
EXPANDING
Their business now includes large, newlybuilt
spec projects on the Treasure Coast. An
oceanfront estate that they staged on Rocky
Point Drive in Vero sold for $6.4 million in 2018.
And they’ve just completed staging on another
oceanfront home on Surf Lane with modern interiors,
on the market for just under $5 million.
The staging business is a complete package
and can go beyond interiors. Aiello Landscape
helps transform exteriors. And Hazel House
maintains a list of contractors on-call and ready
to paint, repair and update any aspect of a
home.
Although neither Buckley nor Kennedy are
technically interior designers, both have a natural
design sense. “I think we’re both artistic and
have spatial awareness and creative abilities,”
says Kennedy.
That talent seemed to come naturally. “I
bought my first house when I was 25, fixed it up
and sold it,” says Buckley. And Kennedy says
design has been her passion since childhood.
“I’d be invited to friends’ houses and I’d rearrange
their furniture. Or re-do their bookcases.”
Their staging business model is not only
smart but crafty. “When we stage a house,” >>
MARY ANN KOENIG PHOTOS
Buckley among the many fabrics and accessories options available at Hazel House. She
and Kennedy work directly with clients in the retail space where customers can see exactly
Kennedy at work in the shop
that began attracting clients
even before Hazel House
opened. An additional 12,000
square feet of warehouse space
helps maintain a fresh inventory
for retail and staging.
the look Hazel House will produce.