ABOUT CARLA GENTLE, MSMOB, CPHS, CRS
Budget-Conscious Interior Styling with a Designer Look ...
Hello. I am a Chicago-based Certified Professional Home Stager, Certified Redesign Specialist, and Interior Stylist providing an array of interior design services to clients in the Chicagoland area. I launched Design Realign, Inc. in 2010, stemmed from my lifelong passion for everything home interiors.
Fast forward to 2014, I leaned on my home staging and marketing expertise to help sell homes when I became a Licensed Illinois Real Estate Broker, working in conjunction with my design work. I continued as a licensed Realtor until 2018 and was quite successful in selling my clients' homes, and for other Realtors, through my home staging.
COMMUNITY: I am passionate about giving back and during COVID school lockdowns, I developed and taught an online design class to teens and tweens called 'How to Design and Decorate a Super Cool Bedroom'. (See the 'Reviews' webpage).
I am a huge advocate for supporting children and currently sponsor a boy from Guatemala (since July 2017). I was also a Big Sister in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program in Florida.
Certified Professional
Home Stager
Certified
Redesign Specialist
Budget Decorator
Color Consultant
Former
Licensed Realtor
Former Interior
Design Instructor
Marketer
MY WHY -- Interior Styling on a Budget
“I was raised by parents who were both teachers, and my dad painted houses during the summer breaks to make ends meet. We weren’t poor, but we also didn’t have extra money lying around. We lived on a budget.
My mom was raised on a farm deep in the country; my dad in a small rural town of 1,500; and me on the edge of a small town with cornfields on the north and west sides of my home. My dad taught me to appreciate the small things in life and to be thankful for what I have.
When I moved out on my own, I became a frequent visitor to garage sales and clearance aisles in stores. Why? I learned as a child to shop for sales and bargains. But choosing to live this way IS a choice and is one I embrace. In fact, I get excited every time I find a great deal and can’t wait to share with others what little I spent. I have received many eye rolls for the ‘cheap’ stores I've shopped. I don’t care. I ONLY buy beautiful things and save money doing it.”
FORMER ONLINE INTERIOR DESIGN INSTRUCTOR ...
During the pandemic in 2020 and 2021, I took on the role of teaching an online design class to teens and tweens through Outschool. The class was entitled, 'How to Design and Decorate a Super Cool Bedroom'. I created design style boards of suggestions for each child's bedroom based on six pictures that were sent prior to class, their chosen colors, and needs. I also sent a written plan to the parents on where to move furniture and purchase items, if desired. I taught a total of 96 learners and received 25 raving testimonials from parents (see sample below).
Carla Teaching Class
Virtual Design
STYLE BOARD
Design Instructor Testimonial
(For This Design)
"Carla was fantastic! Really thorough and detailed information and wanted to make sure every child had a great experience. We got some really great ideas for my son's room."
~~ Alison C. ~~
EDUCATION / LIFELONG LEARNER
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MSMOB with Double Major in Organization Development and Human Resource Management from Benedictine University
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BA in Business Administration from Governor's State University
CERTIFICATIONS AND LICENSES
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Certified Professional Home Stager -- The Decorating & Staging Academy
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Certified Redesign Specialist -- Midwest Staging Redesign Institute (now called Redesign Staging Group)
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Former Licensed Realtor (Illinois) -- Your House Real Estate Academy
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Content Marketing Certified -- HubSpot Academy
I received additional training and education on color / color palettes / the color system and in marketing and copywriting.
"Your talent is God's gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God."
- Leo Buscaglia
COMMUNITY -- GET INVOLVED ... MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
TEACHER | CHILD SPONSOR | BIG SISTER: I happen to love kids and feel the greatest gift you can ever give is love to a child. I currently sponsor a 12-yr.-old boy from Guatemala (since he was 5) through Compassion International. I encourage you to consider sponsoring a child by visiting www.compassion.com. In addition to my (past) teaching an on-line design class at www.outschool.com to kids ages 10-14 yrs. old, I am also a former Big Sister in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program and ask you to consider becoming a big brother or sister by visiting www.bbbs.org.
