For over 15 years we have helped Houston-area realtors, homeowners, architects, and builders transform houses into homes.
By listening to our clients and gaining a crucial understanding of how space is used, we bring out the best qualities of a house and increase the overall value of a property. We work across all styles of design in order to create spaces that make sense to buyers and appeal to the sensibilities and goals of listing agents.
By using a common sense (we call it “house sense”) approach, coupled with a broad range of experience, we bring a unique perspective to every job. Our approach is consultative and holistic in nature, and our execution is flawless. The end results are sublime.
Results by the Numbers
From 77001 to 77299
We know what it takes to make a house stand out and sell in the Houston real estate market.
1 of a Kind Inventory
The pieces we use to stage are found in antique and home fashion hubs like Round Top, Texas. Much of what you see in our portfolio is for sale from our warehouse.
30+ Listing Agents
Our network of amazing realtors trust us to deliver time and again.
200+ Stage, Style and Renewals
To date we have successfully transformed over 200 homes for satisfied realtors and homeowners.
Spend ¢ to Make $
Homes we stage typically result in multiple offers, and often sell above asking price.
$46M+ in Property Staged
The properties we have staged represent over $46 million in sales in the Houston market.
About Starr
I’m fairly sure I was destined to be a designer from birth. I was an only daughter to my late mother, Nancy Starr Alvarez, who was one of the greatest creative forces imaginable. Our house was constantly in flux–rearranging furniture, recovering sofas and chairs, painting rooms–and my mother always encouraged me to do the same to my own bedroom. I was the only person I know who had a turn of the century chandelier as the main light source in my room, paired with a massive antique four-poster bed. All of my early adventures in decorating centered around these two items.
My mom was also a prolific artist, painting works on canvas and on paper, and organizing other artists into the Garden Artists of Houston society in the 1970s. She was well-known for her signature style of splatter painted clothing and fabrics. Several Houston newspapers and magazines featured my mother’s decorating and artwork in my childhood home in articles depicting life in an artist’s home.
I am proud to be a native Houstonian. I spent my college years in Norman, Oklahoma at the University of Oklahoma, where I took a job at the original Harold’s clothing store. My manager recognized my talent for staging and gave me the responsibility of keeping the store windows and interior displays decorated. After graduation, I married my husband, Billy, and we moved to Dallas where I worked in sales for a technology firm. Even though my day job was sales, my free time was spent renovating spaces for my friends and family. It soon became evident that while I enjoyed sales, my passion was decorating and design.
My husband and I moved back to Houston after 10 years in Dallas, and we began our family. While raising our children, I continued to work as time permitted for friends and family to help them decorate their homes. In 2010, corporate officers from Anthropologie noticed my work. I spent 14 months on a consulting team giving feedback on their brand’s aesthetic, including merchandise selections, online shopping experience, and the overall visual design of their space. I was honored to be part of such a group, and it helped me to realize that there was the potential to create a business around the artistic gifts that came naturally to me.
“My passion for decorating and design is evident in my work, and I feel truly fortunate to be able to help others to love their homes. I welcome the opportunity to meet with new clients and explore ideas in decorating and design together.” – Starr Zaleski
I initially started with remodels of existing spaces, including working with contractors on reconstructions, and soon added staging for real estate professionals into my business. “Staging” soon became my most requested service, and in 2013, Designs by Starr was born. I also provide services to help my clients imagine their spaces in a different configuration–I call this “Renewal.” “Styling” is a hybrid of the two–I use my own objects in addition to the clients’ to emphasize their living spaces.
All of my clients find me through word of mouth–I do not advertise–and I have a great appreciation for the good words spoken about me and my work. I have been busy non-stop since I started my business just through these referrals.
My passion for decorating and design is evident in my work, and I feel truly fortunate to be able to help others to love their homes. I welcome the opportunity to meet with new clients and explore ideas in decorating and design together.