Life & Work with Cori Grenier of Apex, Wake County

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cori Grenier.

Hi Cori, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Design and being creative has always been a passion of mine. I just hadn’t realized it until later on in life. I’ve always had interests in the Arts and enjoyed being creative. Thinking about a space and all of its possibilities has always appealed to me.  I often envision the feeling a space can offer, the interior paint colors, furnishings, textiles, or artwork. I look at a space and think of all its elements and the story I want the space to tell. Interior Design and Home Staging tells a story, shares a feeling, and cultivates a sense of belonging.

Once I was married and had a home of my own, that’s when I knew it was time to follow this passion. I created a story by using design for my own family. A place that we loved and felt safe in, our home told our story. It was then, I knew I wanted to follow this passion for assisting other families and even Real Estate Agents by helping share a home’s story. A home not only needs to look great, but it needs to function and feel great as well. My goal is always to highlight the home’s beauty and repair its flaws, so it functions and feels great for the family who enjoys it.

Three years ago, I launched House on Hope Design on hopes and dreams. I truly was nervous, and I thought of every what-if possible. What if I fail? What if I’m not good enough? What if no one likes my work? Well, all those negative What If’s quickly disappeared with each photo I posted of my design and staging work. Referrals came in, positive reviews on social media took over, and three years later, I am happy I never listened to all those What if’s.

With the pandemic now in place during my new, fairly launched business, I was worried about how this would now impact my small business. But, with everyone being home, work and school took on a whole new meaning, and my design business was busier than ever. People were now home more and realizing that their home was a reflection of them. More and more clients asked for assistance with designing, renovating, and creating functional spaces in their homes. Home office spaces, virtual learning, homeschooling areas were needed, and transforming unused family areas into more functional spaces were highly called for during this unprecedented time.

I believe a successful Interior Designer and Home Stager can identify all the possibilities but also listens and talks through the flaws or the problem areas of a home. It’s looking at the flaws with a creative eye and attention to detail. Often, it comes down to being a great problem solver with a creative approach and not being afraid to be bold with colors and patterns, mixing metals, and embracing antiques with new pieces to give a home a curated design and story.

In a short and busy three years of business, I assist several Real Estate Agents throughout North Carolina, in Wake, Harnett, Johnston, Durham, and Chatham County with our Home Staging Services. House on Hope Design continues to assist clients with new build designs, home renovations, wallpaper installation, design mood boards, paint consultations, light fixtures selections, and more throughout the Triangle Region.

When a client reaches out for design assistance, I am thankful and find great joy in our design journey together. It’s always an honor getting to know my clients, hearing their stories, and assisting them with a home they are now happy to come home to. Your home should be a reflection of you. It should share your journey and interests and tell your family’s story.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
With any business, there are always struggles, challenges, and concerns. Pricing our market and inventory quickly became a concern as the home staging aspect of House on Hope Design continued to grow, and the real estate market in North Carolina was in high demand. As I took on assisting more Real Estate Agents and staging more homes, the lack of storage and inventory weighed on me and the business. I decided to start small, with no additional cost to my business and utilized my home garage as a storage unit.

I quickly learned that was not a solution, and the inventory was outgrowing my garage space. In less than one year after investing in our first unit, I now have several units with inventory to continue to expand the home staging side of House on Hope Design. Our staging services offer furnishings, artwork, lighting, textiles, decor, and more to help sellers and agents sell a home. Our team also grew from just me to an amazing team of 3. With hopes that my business continues to expand, I hope to bring on interns and more staff in the future.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
House on Hope Design specializes in Interior Design and Home Staging. Our goal is formed by a love of your home’s history, character, and style. We love keeping as many of the bones of a structure as we can. Marrying in your personality is what brings a home together. With our approach, communication is key. We’re here for whatever you need. We’ll help you solidify your vision and keep in constant contact until your dream is realized. House on Hope Design is all about creating spaces for better living. In our Staging, we work with a collective group of agents and provide them and their clients with a detailed plan, incorporating decor and furniture to get their home sold with multiple offers above the asking price. We’ve got every step of the process covered! Our design work is organic, textured, and provides warmth to any home. We are proud of our design work featured on several retailer websites, blogs, and online magazines.

What would you say has been one of your most important lessons?
The most important lesson I have learned through all this is that not everything will be or has to be perfect. You can still be successful with bumps in the road. Running a business has highs and lows. It’s a learning process. You have to be strong enough to hold on for the ride. If you find great passion in something, pursue it. Many successful people are successful because they aren’t afraid of failure. Many are self-taught, driven, and ready for a new start. This was something that I told myself over and over again as doubt entered my head. One aspect that made me doubt myself when deciding on whether I should move forward with an Interior Design and Home Staging business was my children. My three daughters are instrumental in the decisions I make in my life. I didn’t want them to feel secondary, as I was a stay-at-home Mom for many years. All they ever knew was me in the role of being a caregiver and running our household. This decision wasn’t only going to impact me, but it would also impact them. With the incredible support of my husband, my daughters, and my parents, we all went in with excitement and launched House on Hope Design. It was important to show my daughters that you can have a career, family, and dreams. Regardless of age, if you want something in life, you should go for it. My daughters, who are now 14, 12, and 9 are so proud of their Mom that they even help with inventory and Staging. They enjoy seeing all the before and after photos of each project I work on. Looking back, I wasted all that worrying time, and my family is such an incredible support system. They are the true foundation of House on Hope Design and its success.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/houseonhopedesign/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/houseonhopedesign/