The home builder became the home buyer when Courtney Pitman and her husband, Jimmy Pitman, decided to build and design their own home. The couple owns Pitman Custom Homes, and while Courtney usually does design for the homes they build, when it came to her own home, she knew she needed help from friend and designer Marci Kuver. Marci owns The Stage, a home staging and design company Pitman Custom Homes uses to stage their new homes for sale or Parade of Homes™.
“Typically my role is helping others make decisions and pull selections, but having the shoe on the other foot, I was starting to feel overwhelmed,” says Courtney. “I thought I knew exactly what I wanted but there were a lot of things I liked, and it was nice to be able to pull somebody else in as a consultant on the house to get fresh ideas or look at things a little differently. I knew Marci was the right person for that and I feel like we work really well together, so that was fun.”
The Pitmans and Marci’s team started working together August of 2018, and the Pitmans moved into their new home in May. The process involved taking Courtney’s ideas with Marci’s suggestions and shopping together, deciding what could be repurposed from the old house, and sifting through what colors and furniture made the Pitman family happy.
“We’re still continuing to work with them as they finish each room,” says Marci. “As soon as you get stuff in, you realize you need more. ... It’s an ongoing project.”
When move-in day came around, the Pitmans were able to move into a home that was decorated and furnished, thanks to their collaboration. Both women agree they were so successful in the endeavor because they worked well together, and Marci and her team understood the Pitmans’ style, which she describes as “mostly traditional with a little modern and a few rustic moments.”
Both Marci and Courtney picked the kitchen and parlor as their favorite rooms in the new house.
“It’s so absolutely, breathtakingly beautiful,” says Marci of the Pitmans’ kitchen and living area. “Their selections for hardware, fixtures, and lighting blend well with the neutral palate they chose with a few pops of color.”
Courtney loves all the spaces for entertaining friends and family in her new house but stresses that redesigning or updating your own home doesn’t have to be expensive.
“I think things can come together just through color if you want to repaint to a neutral, or pull cool elements like a lamp, pillow, or throw,” Courtney says. “In town we have some really great items at really great price, like at At Home. Or we’ve come so far with greenery so adding any, whether real or thoughtfully placed not real, can look great. An element like that brings a lot to a space.”
It helps to have a second opinion to confirm something looks good or help you sort through your options. Marci says you can start to figure out your personal style just by looking in your closet because style translates across all areas of life.
“Determine your budget,” says Marci. “You can spend all the money in the world in your head and then can disappoint yourself when you can’t do everything you wanted to. Be realistic about your budget. Contact a professional interior decorator and ask for help. Our consultations are free. Find someone who is willing to adapt their style to work with you, someone who you trust, and be willing to be open to their suggestions.”
Another way to get design inspiration is by checking out the Parade of Homes™ Oct. 5 and 6.
“I think Parade is such a fun way for people to come out and see local things come to life,” says Courtney. “You don’t have to be looking for houses. The cool thing about staged homes is that they bring current trends in furniture and design, so even if you’re just looking for decorating ideas, Parade is a good time to do that. It’s one thing to see houses on TV — they may be a different region or price point, but here you get a real idea of finishes, furnishings, square footage, and what things really cost locally.”
The Pitman home project reinforced to both Marci and Courtney that they are in a profession they love. Courtney got to experience the joy on the buyer’s side of the process, and Marci got even closer with her friends by helping them decorate their house.
“I got to see the kids fall in love with their bedrooms,” Marci says. “Sydney, their daughter, beamed when she saw her room finished. It’s truly heartwarming. It’s a fun job, every single day. I’m grateful for clients like the Pitmans.”
