Rising Stars: Meet Shatesha Holder

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shatesha Holder.

Hi Shatesha, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Since I can remember, I’ve always had a love for details and home decor. Growing up, my mom was big on having a “cute home”. I can remember her having custom wallpaper border installed all around our apartment. When guests came over, they’d always compliment on how nicely decorated the place was. Oh and Christmas decor?? My mom would go all out just for me! At age nine, I took over the holiday decorating for our home. Each year my mom would take me shopping to select new pieces of decor for the holiday season. To this day, it’s still “our thing”. While mom has hung up her decorating hat, she loves to come along with me during client installs and home decor shopping. I’m a woman of strong faith and believe we were all placed here for a greater purpose than what most of us could visualize. For me, interior design is my ministry. It’s a way of connecting with others and bringing happiness to their lives through adding comfort to their personal spaces. Home is a personal sanctuary. When all else is done in your daily life, home is where you return. It should be the place you love most.

I currently work as an Associate Director of Clinical Trials for one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies. Surprise! Many are always shocked when I reveal my day job. In 2016 I decided to take my true passion to the next level and become certified in home staging and redesign. I took on a few clients here and there to get my feet wet. In 2018, I became a mom to the most beautiful baby girl. My business took a backseat as I navigated being a new mom and now wife. In the last year, my business took off, and I began servicing clients in various states. There’s a perfect time for everything and I’m so happy to be able to do what I love!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Smooth road? Ha! Absolutely not! I consider myself a forever student because there’s always so much to learn. The biggest struggle I’ve faced is dealing with bad contractors. I’m slowly in the process of building my team, but I don’t expect my clients to wait on my personal business aspirations. Work still needs to get done! Often times my clients will vet their own contractors, and I work with them to bring my vision to life. Sometimes this works well… sometimes it doesn’t. Even me bringing a contractor to the project can be a sticky situation. If I’m outsourcing work, there are certain expectations that are a given. Contractors don’t always understand that or respect client timelines. It all turns out well in the end, but boy can having the wrong contractor turn into a huge headache!

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As 2022 was my busiest year as the lead designer of Staging Spaces, I was allowed to branch out into various areas within my business. I kicked the year off by designing an absolutely beautiful children’s hair salon. That was my first break into designing commercial spaces, and now I’ve completed projects such as dental offices, barber shops and restaurants. I’d like to say my specialty is curating beautiful, functional spaces. Of course, we want things to look nice for photos, but what’s most important to me is that each space is actually functional. My clients seem to really love that about me. It’s gonna look good, but it’s also gonna make sense!

I think that my ability to work with various design styles is what sets me apart from others. I never want all of my projects to look the exact same. Clients come to me because they know I’ll transform a space! I always say, “I’ll make you a believer!”. I’m known for creating unique looks and giving my clients a wow factor on reveal day.

Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
Atlanta has always been like a second home to me, and I must admit, the nightlife is favorite! I also love the structure of neighborhoods and the styles of homes. My least favorite thing about ATL is hands down the traffic!!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.stagingspaces.net
• Instagram: @staging.spaces

Image Credits
Shatesha Holder