At Dekora, our mission is to turn home browsers into home buyers.

Barbara Rae is a co-founder of Dekora, and a well-known B.C. business figure. She joined Office Assistance, (now ADECCO. NYSE.ADO) a Vancouver start-up company, in 1952, then as CEO developed it into a national, employee-owned, Canadian temporary help company (then a new field of business, as Dekora was in 2003), and finally sold it in 1992. She was elected Chancellor of Simon Fraser University and was Campaign Chair for United Way and for Salvation Army's Red Shield Appeal. She held corporate directorships throughout her career with B.C. Telephone (Telus), CIBC, Seaboard Life Insurance, Noranda Inc., Xerox Canada and Grosvenor Americas.

Ron Sowden co-founder and CEO of Dekora, is a veteran of the British Columbia film industry with fifteen years experience in set decorating, which gives him an understanding of how interior design affects an audience, and how it tells the stories of the people who live in and use the space. Ron has held senior crew positions on feature film productions for most major studios, as well as years in the trenches of TV series production, so he understands how to design with both big and small budgets across a wide variety of styles and stories.

John Carter co-founder and CEO of Dekora, brings over a decade of experience in entrepreneurship, marketing and management consulting in both Canada and the US, which, among other things, gives him an expert understanding of how to merchandise and market a product. John has founded several successful companies including Newbrook Services, Inc., and HotLogic Software. He has also held marketing and consulting roles with HigherMarkets, Inc. and SciQuest, Inc. in San Francisco.

Matt Vanderwerff brings over 20 years of experience in various aspects of the industry to his work with Dekora in Vancouver. His independent design practice (Matt Vanderwerff Design) encompasses projects in Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver, and his work has been published in regional, national and international magazines. His diverse design history affords him flexibility, and serves as a focus for his creative vision.

Tracey Mills began her career in design as a regional supervisor for the international fashion house, Mondi. Tracey made the transition to interior design through the BCIT Interior Design Program, where she graduated with honours. Upon completing the BCIT Design Program she established Tracey Mills Design, and in 2003, began working with Dekora. Tracey is capable of working in any style and with any budget, and has staged homes ranging in value from $500,000 to $8,000,000. She has been responsible for projects in both Vancouver and Calgary, has made guest appearances as a design expert on Breakfast TV in both cities and appeared on HGTV's, The Stagers. Her work has been published in numerous lifestyle and design magazines.

Jeff Goth is Dekora's Calgary manager. Before that, he was an accomplished teacher for about twenty years, and if you ask anyone, they'll tell you he still is teaching - with the School of Staging. Jeff initially branched out into the design field through working with Pottery Barn, and even they made him teach - decorating workshops of course. And has studied interior decorating at Mount Royal University.

Hannah O'Neill has had a lifelong interest in interior design and decorating projects. Her love of this work has provided her with an extended and successful career in buying, renovating and selling houses, and in purchasing land and building houses of her own designs that have sold profitably. Hannah was also a successful real estate associate in Alberta for four years, so understands every side of the industry.

Brent Melnychuk has two decades of experience as stylist and an interior decorator in Vancouver, which enables him to use design to create a sense of lifestyle that's sophisticated, chic and inviting. Because of his aptitude at working within multiple budgets and various design styles, home staging was a natural addition to his work as a freelance designer (Brent Melnychuk Design). From slick, modern, space-conscious lofts and pieds a terre in downtown Vancouver, to the sprawling floor-plans of multi-million dollar ocean view properties on the cliffs of West Vancouver, his work can be seen throughout the Lower Mainland.

Margie Smith-Jones is a Calgary-based interior designer with twenty years of experience including corporate, commercial and residential projects. This has given her the ability to create an atmosphere that allows buyers to imagine themselves right into Dekora created spaces. She finds it especially rewarding to work with families, helping them to maximize their homes' fullest potential.

Maureen Powers has been a pioneer in the world of sustainable thinking and design throughout her 30-year career as a professional interior designer. She created her first environmental design firm in 1992 in Oregon, where she was the recipient of the Women of Vision in Architecture Award and the prestigious US President Sustainability Award in Education and Youth. Maureen learned Feng Shui under a Chinese Master and works as a Feng Shui designer and consultant. She also holds a diploma as a Sustainable Building Advisor.

Dina Holmes is a stager and designer in Vancouver, with over 15 years of experience. She has worked as a visual merchandiser for retail, and spent 11 years as a decorator and production designer for film and television. As a film and TV designer she was expert in getting inside the mind of the character, a skill that now allows Dina to anticipate what will appeal to potential buyers and tailor the home directly to them.

Jen Eves is a stager with Dekora in Vancouver. She holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre Design from UBC, and has been working as a designer of costumes, sets, events and homes for 11 years. When working in events, Jen helped to decorate ballrooms and homes for weddings and other celebrations. For two years she was the behind-the-scenes designer for the HGTV series, Makeover Wish. Her approach to design usually involves drawing and a lot of list making: skills she used when co-ordinating an entire renovation and home makeover in 48 hours on Makeover Wish.

Sandy Arthur is an interior decorator in Vancouver, and one of the founders of Dekora. As such, she has been everything from a truck driver, marketing agent, to thief -- that is, in Dekora's early days, she had to borrow last minute personal accessories from her neighbours. She is a graduate from the Vancouver School of Art (now Emily Carr University) and the Portland Art Museum School. Before Dekora, Sandy worked in set design in the film industry for 35 years, as well as keeping up her own artistic pursuits. Film sets mimic the art of home staging, but while a film requires more layers to depict a character's personality, in staging, she strips away layers of personality to allow the viewer scope for interpretation.

Bridget Savereux is a Vancouver-based interior designer with over eight years of experience, and has interior design certification from BCIT. She went to business school, and opened a restaurant, then discovered that she liked designing the restaurant more than running it, so went into the design business with her mother, Maureen Powers. Together they own BALANCE3 Living Design, and were featured on the HGTV show The Stagers. Her business skills help in the strategy, organization and good communication that staging requires.

Shirley Wiebe is a designer with Dekora in Vancouver. She is also a visual artist who makes use of innovative materials in her sculptures and installations, and she has received public and private commissions locally and internationally. Shirley also spent over a decade as part of a set decoration team in Vancouver's feature film industry. The diverse environments she has created provide her with a unique sensibility as a stager, where each interior presents an opportunity for transformation.

Alicja Rudolf is a stager for Dekora in Calgary. A graduate of the University of Alberta's Faculty of Science, she has long been interested in design, and has designed both the interior and exterior architecture of her own house. She grew up in Europe, and is well-traveled, experiences which not only influenced her approach to staging, but also given her a love of art and design.

Tina Nixdorf is a stager and accessories inventory manager for Dekora in Calgary. She works both on the front lines of staging houses, and behind-the-scenes in the warehouse, helping purchase new inventory and putting systems in place to organize and maintain the inventory for stagers to use. She has worked for many years in furniture and high end fabric retail.

Debbie Rubert is a stager with Dekora's Calgary team. She found staging after twelve years in fashion merchandising, moving seven times across Canada and the US with her husband, and raising three children. Moving so often gave her a sense of the importance of preparing a home before selling. This background also helps her understand the stress of moving, so she works to make it a positive experience for families.

Elaine Davis is a stager with Dekora in Calgary. She grew up in Scotland, and worked for Young and Rubicam Advertising, plus WMGO advertising in London, England before traveling and working overseas. Her previous experience gives her communication skills that are vital for working with clients, who need to feel confidence in the stagers they let into their homes.

Kevin Castanheiro is a stager with Dekora in Calgary. He has a passion for real estate, having owned, staged and sold many homes with impressive results. And he has over 25 years of experience as an executive in fashion and visual merchandising in Canada and Europe. This combined background gives him both a strong business sense and an eye for aesthetics: a perfect balance in the world of home staging.

Leanna Thompson is a Calgary-based stager with 20 years of experience in the world of design and art. A graduate from the Alberta College of Art and Design, she has been a member of the set decorating department for over ten years with the IATSE 212 film union, where her work on Brokeback Mountain remains a career highlight. She also runs her own company that installs drapery and blinds for interior designers. Her education has trained her in colour and composition, while her professional experience gives her the technical skills to transform any space.

PJ Shields has been an interior decorator since 2005, when he graduated with an interior decorating certificate from Bow Valley College in Calgary. He has run his own company since 2006, which provides interior decorating services for residential and small commercial properties. When PJ approaches a home, he imagines a family and their lifestyle, and decorates the space to complete the vision.

Gail Taylor is a stager with Dekora in Vancouver. She has more than 25 years of experience as a designer, and a lifetime as a visual artist. She began working in the film industry in London, England, moved to Los Angeles to work as a make-up artist, then moved on to directing and art direction. As an event planner, she designed the Academy Awards Governor's Ball, the Grammys and the Superbowl, among others. Gail has appeared on HGTV's The Stagers. After years of such a variety of clients and styles, Gail has become chameleon-like as a stager: she recognizes the unique style of a space and enhances that style.

Matthew Finlason is a stager with Dekora in Vancouver. He was the host of The Stagers on HGTV, for which he won a Leo for Best Host in a Lifestyle Series. His background in interior design runs deep: his mother is a decorator and his father an architect. And at a young age, Matthew began staging homes for his family's property development company. Matthew also has experience in landscaping, construction, and set and production design for film and television. For him, home staging is the business of first impressions, and his talent for this is why he's been dubbed the "furniture whisperer."

Tai Newsome is a stager with six years of experience. As a graphic designer he co-owned his own agency. Later, his artistic background met real estate, when he began buying and selling investment properties, honing a knack for interior design. Having staged and successfully sold his own properties, he understands what makes a space appealing, and how important and challenging it is for homeowners to reduce clutter. He has a bachelor's in visual arts from Windsor University, a diploma in graphic arts/advertising from St. Clair College and Home Staging Accreditation from The Haverhill Institute.

Lori Sahlen is DEKORA's Vancouver manager. After finishing a degree at the University of Victoria Lori took off to Central America, but her love of film brought her back to Vancouver and the film industry where she worked as a set dresser and a the food & beverage coordinator for the Vancouver International Film Festival. Prior to joining DEKORA, Lori spent eight years working at the largest catering company in Vancouver as their Event Manager organizing everything from small intimate events to large scale productions. Lori is a big believer in supporting organizations that are essential to the community and has volunteered at Canuck Place Children's Hospice and for the Dalai Lama 2009 Peace Conference. Having bought, renovated and moved twice in the last five years Lori has recently found a place to hang her hat.