I got started in home staging by accident, and the accident has turned out pretty good for all involved.  Now 18 years later, we have an AMAZING staff, multiple locations an am very proud to say that we offer our employees health and retirement benefits.  I believe much of our success was not giving up in the beginning, empowering our team to make decisions, taking risks and continuing to change and evolve in how you run the business and how you do things.  This has been a learning journey, and the learning continues every day. 

Before home staging, I had an interesting work background.  I first worked for a comic book publisher, I then transitioned over to managing the production of over 300 books and the components of each book.  After about 9 years, I then transitioned into visual merchandising for Nordstrom. I feel as though this job is what really got me thinking about how important visual presentation is, which later translated into home staging. 

Like many other stagers, I have literally staged thousands of properties.  Many times, the furniture was nicer than the house it was going into, but it was my job to make the home look its very best.  I have met many interesting people over the years and seen a lot of crazy things, but I think it’s been the crazy that has kept me going.  For myself, the most rewarding jobs are the modest homes of first-time sellers.  They are very self-conscious about their home and that it is not the biggest or most beautiful.  When they see the end product, they are the most appreciative and never realized that their home could look this nice.  And to get the call that it went over asking is just icing on the cake.

With my passion for the Home Staging, I am committed to pushing new and innovative initiatives that influence the growth and advancement of the industry as a whole. Owning a business in an space that is still in its infancy has allowed me to develop and collaborate with other industry leaders to lay the groundwork and provide leadership to the entire community of home staging professionals.

With an undergraduate degree in Business Administration emphasizing Finance and an MBA, I have developed an ever-evolving business model representing sustainability and efficiency, making strategic decisions utilizing capital budgeting, statistical analysis, and other finance degree functions to make predictions and plan accordingly for the growth of the company.

Working in every position within OnStage has enhanced my understanding of the challenges associated with running a successful home staging company. With this hands-on experience, I can refine our supply chain while acknowledging the challenges presented to my team members through the integration and execution of the process. We have successfully integrated a chain of command through this process, including an extended corporate structure that is responsible for evaluating and executing technical advancements for each of our 2 locations (Portland, Seattle). This was deemed our greatest challenge and success as we had to build a structure within an industry with no structure or entry barriers.

Kevin Somerscales has had the pleasure of living in the Pacific NW  on and off for the past 17 years. Raised in St. Louis, made his trek across the country and landed in the beautiful city of Portland. Upon completing his bachelor’s degree in Business from PSU he decided that owning/working at a small business was the direction he wanted to take. After being a full time real estate broker for 5 years, the pivot to being the Sales Manager at OnStage was seamless.

Kevin comes to the table with a “How can I be of service” attitude. He understands how staging and design can not only paint a picture for a buyer but ultimately maximize the financial potential.

In his free time, he can be found surfing the Oregon coast, white water kayaking the many rivers of the PNW, playing mediocre music with his dad friends, and enjoying time with his wife, kids, and 2 gassy dogs.