Melanie Serra

“My greatest pleasure is entering someone’s home to discover who they are, where they’ve come from, and what their vision is and doing my best to make that a reality.”

• Original founder and instructor of SDG, teaching and mentoring students from the USA and abroad since 2006.
• Principal of ‘Interior Revivals Inc.,” an interior design and staging company founded in 1998.
• Recognized as one of the most sought-after designers and stagers in the country, having staged and designed thousands of homes in Atlanta GA, Philadelphia PA, and Dallas TX.
• Instructor at Emory University’s  Continuing Education  “Intro to Home Staging Course”
• Local color consultant for PPG Paints
• 2017 Designer for Roswell Christmas Show of Homes
• Television appearances on Atlanta’s 11 Alive News
• Professional speaker on the topics of color trends, interior design, home staging.
• Decorating author featured in many editorials such as the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Atlanta Home Improvement Magazine, Philadelphia Times Herald and CNN.
• Developer and trainer-CEU accredited realtor course and color consultation course
• Certified Design Instructor- I.R.I.S and  Dewey Color System
• 5-time winner at national industry conferences.
• Duron Paint Color Consultant
• Design & Product Consultant to residential and commercial architects and interior designers
• Photo Stylist & Production Coordinator for JC Penny’s Home Furnishings Catalog.

Karla C. Urbizo

“You get things done by doing them.” Karla Urbizo

• Originally from Honduras where she owned and operated a Day Spa and Bath and Body Shop for 15 years.
• Moved to the USA as part of the Diplomatic Corps in 2009 where she served as Vice Consul for the Consulate General of Honduras in Atlanta, GA for two years.  
• Decided to leave the desk job to explore her creative side and became a Certified Floral Designer in 2012. Her experience as a Floral Designer and Flower Shop owner opened the door for her to discover her true passion: Staging and Decorating.
• In 2015, after several years of empirically decorating and transforming homes as a hobby, she became a certified Stager, Decorator and Color Consultant.  She was expertly trained and mentored by Melanie Serra, one of the leading Staging instructors in the country.
• Worked with Melanie for 1 year (2015/2016) as her apprentice, loving every second of it.

In 2017, after working together in complete synergy for more than a year (and having a blast in the process), Melanie and Karla became partners and renamed the school the Staging and Decorating Guild.  They both had a goal: inspiring and training others to create lucrative and fulfilling careers in the field.

She has enjoyed teaching and mentoring students as part of the SDG’s expansion in Florida, helping women find their passion and pursue their careers in the staging and decorating arena. 

• Moved to Orlando, FL in 2017.  That same year, she founded Decorate to Show, a Staging and Design Firm, serving the greater Orlando area.
• In 2020, she became Design and Color Consultant for NHance Kitchen Refinishing Orlando, helping homeowners create the kitchen of their dreams.

Tracy Fredrychowski

 “Marketing isn’t about selling what you do; it’s about sharing your passion for why you do it.”

Tracy Fredrychowski is a Digital Marketing Consultant with over 25 years of marketing experience in the staging and decorating field. Tracy has spent most of her career as a small business owner, so she knows the challenges that come along with being an entrepreneur. Specializing in helping small businesses move their company to the next level, she has a keen understanding of how to successfully market a business in the digital realm.

Tracy brings her expertise to this class as she digs deep into marketing strategies, social media, email marketing, and traditional advertising methods to help your business succeed.

• Award Winning Web Developer, Speaker, Motivator, Published Author, Blogger, and Digital Marketing Guru

Irma Urbizo

Irma L Urbizo received her B.S. in Accounting and Business from the University of Miami and her master’s in taxation from Georgia University.

Irma has over 25 years of experience working for Big 4 Accounting Firms and for various large and medium sized companies. During her years working for these companies, she worked extensively with taxes of all types, budgeting, profit planning and training.

Irma has owned eight H&R Block Offices where she not only worked with clients but also ran the business.  As an H&R Block Consultant, she specialized in advising small business clients. She is passionate about helping clients start and grow new businesses while remaining compliant with all Federal and State Regulations.

Now that her children have left home, Irma is discovering other interests and as a recent graduate from the Staging & Decorating Guild, she has decided to help our students. She wants to train and consult with individuals who have decided to start a business in staging and decorating, so she has partnered with us to be a resource to you.

Atlanta, GA
404-943-0779