Let's jump into a time machine and take a look at the origin story of Everything Creative Designs, and how one woman's vision for a higher quality home staging experience blossomed into creating something entirely unique. ECD's success has been no accident; it’s taken dedication, innovation, and hard work across every corner of the business to make sure that each project met and exceeded client expectations but also ECD’s commitment to impeccable service and luxurious designs. Discover what sets ECD apart from other staging companies, find out why top industry names choose them time after time as their partner of choice for their staging projects, and get to know this dynamic mother daughter team.

With a family history rooted in South Africa, this mother and daughter team brings a unique global perspective to their design approach. Inspired by the stunning aesthetics of Cape Town, they seamlessly translate those design elements into luxurious properties in San Diego. Their travels around the world, which continue to this day, provide them with a wealth of inspiration that they incorporate into their work, creating spaces that are both sophisticated and unique. The Kaplan family arrived in Toronto in 1988, they brought their passion for design to several cities, and ultimately settled in San Diego in 1998. With a commitment to exceptional quality and unmatched professionalism, this team is dedicated to delivering an exceptional client experience with every project they take on.

Everything Creative Designs (ECD) is the premier, luxury staging company of Southern California based in San Diego. They service San Diego, Los Angeles and are expanding actively into Utah. The idea for the company was born in 2006, when Carol Kaplan, the founder, was working in a recruiting company that didn't quite feel like her true calling. She had a degree in interior design and stumbled upon the term "staging" while browsing the internet. Historically, staging wasn’t something that was widespread until after 2000. Intrigued, she offered to help a colleague who was working in the newly deemed field at the time and found that she loved it. Not only did she love it, she had a natural talent for it and her work spoke for itself.

Carol Kaplan, Founder & Owner of Everything Creative Designs

Carol's first customer came through that same colleague, however she also knew that a large part of this industry is reliant on building strong, personal relationships, so she joined the Real Estate Brokers Association (REBA) in La Jolla, CA to expand her network. Carol quickly became well known within the San Diego Real Estate circles and gained new clients through referrals without the need for any advertising or marketing.

Initially, Carol wanted to offer her clients one-day makeovers for their rooms. However, she realized that there was a much larger need for luxury home staging in San Diego, and there weren't many companies offering it at the time. Carol started like most, relentlessly hunting for great deals, repurposing slightly loved furniture and breathing new life into it, and eventually investing in inventory to expand the company's capability.

During the first year, Carol hired two young interior designers, and Everything Creative Designs was beginning to pick up speed, much faster than expected. From there, the team only expanded as demand increased. “The growth was almost comical”, states Carol Kaplan, she continues, “we started with a 1,600-square-foot space thinking this would last us a few years. Boy, were we wrong. We outgrew it within the year. Then we thought 2,600-square-feet should be plenty. Wrong again. We outgrew that in 6 months. Finally, we took the plunge and moved into a 9,000-square-foot warehouse. Thank goodness, this space lasted us a few years.” During the COVID-19 pandemic, the team moved into a 15,000-square-foot space, where they currently operate and they are looking to expand again in the near future.

ECD's success is closely tied to the real estate market in San Diego, and Carol says that the company's growth reflects the city's market trends. ECD typically has between 70 to 100 fully staged homes on the market, at any given time. What’s more incredible is that they can stage up to two to three homes a day thanks to the innovative technology stack that Danni Kaplan, Chief Operating Officer, implemented about 6 years ago.

Danni Kaplan, Carol’s daughter, joined the team officially in 2017. Danni has a bachelors in Psychology and holds a dual masters degree in business, marketing and management. With 15 plus years of operational excellence and application through her previous positions, Danni brought a new perspective to Everything Creative Designs. Carol states, “Danni single-handedly drove our digital transformation, and our lives, at ECD. Visibility is clearer, operations are easier, and customers are happier.” Danni implemented automated funnel processes and RFID chipping of all of ECD’s inventory. “We know what inventory is out, what inventory is in our warehouse, and even how many active clients we have as well as how many new clients we could schedule within the click of a button”, states Danni Kaplan. Danni shared that transparency is one of the key metrics that Everything Creative Designs prides itself on. This empowers ECD to price competitively and fairly, understanding their capacity for new and existing clients, which gives their team the building block for success.

Danni Kaplan, Chief Operating Officer of Everything Creative Designs adds, “After coming from a corporate environment with technology leading the day to day, I wanted to integrate that same data practices and provide analytical insights that would change the face of the business.” Danni successfully implemented processes and supporting systems with a goal of operational transparency and visibility, increased communication, improving sales accuracy and speed. Danni goes on to state, “Everything Creative Designs is a customer focused luxury staging company dedicated to customer satisfaction. We provide estimates that allow us to customize each quote to fit the house instead of just supplying ballpark quotes.” The tech stack that Danni implemented allows ECD to gain efficiency around mundane tasks that she transformed through automation, freeing up valuable labor time. Danni works side-by-side with her staff and her programmer on a regular basis to continue to improve inventory management, schedule planning, internal communication and productivity.

Despite the challenges of the real estate market today, ECD's customer base continues to grow because their reputation precedes them. The company remains fully booked and is in constant demand. Carol, Danni and their team of professionals have succeeded in providing excellent service, leveraging technology to empower the businesses operations, and delivering a unique approach to home staging that prioritizes service, speed and quality. No wonder they have staged over 6000 homes year-to-date and helped Realtors and agents close more than 1.3 billion dollars in sales.

The Birth of Everything Creative Designs: A Journey of Innovation, Dedication and Hard Work