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October 2023 by Renee C.
Napoleon at Home is THE MOST TALENTED TEAM in all of The Bay Area. Robert, Tammy and crew have an eye for turning dull into exquisite. I have hired them 3 different times for three very different houses and they delighted me beyond my expectations each time. If you want quality, this is the company to hire.
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November 2022 by Laura L.
We worked with Robert Graves, the creative genius behind Napoleon at Home, to stage a high-end Marina home and ADU placed on the market for the first time in more than 20 years, with the added complications of an out of area seller resistant to the value of staging. To say that he delivered is an understatement! The house looked better than I hoped it could: inviting, comfortable, graciously exquisite. The cues I gave him included "a mix of masculine textures and colors: wood, leather, velvet, nailhead, canvas, black, blue, sepia" and he ran with it. He dressed some bookcases most realtors felt were problematic and should be removed so beautifully they became one of the most remarked features in an already gorgeous living room. I am fairly confident in my interior design skills, but even I was stunned by how he staged the ADU: he managed to get everything one would need into this small space in an elegant, efficient footprint. Fantastic work - I recommend him without reservation.
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May 2021 by Steve S.
Beware using this business. We found them uncooperative, snobby, arrogant and totally out of touch with the style and theme needed to best showcase our family home. When asked what theme they were thinking they responded, "I don't know. Whatever we have in the warehouse that day." I wish we had listened to our intuition that was warning us to change staging firms then. Our house looked like a New York high end penthouse instead of a welcoming family home. They would NOT stage children's rooms so as families enetered our home instead of feeling warm and welcome they felt as if they couldn't touch or break anything. We had very few interested buyers and no offers. We had to de-list our home and at our own expense re-stage the house creating a boys and girls themed room and also had to remove a huge amount of useless furniture, knick knacks and swag that did nothing more then fill up the house. They actually made the house look smaller and more cramped instead of roomier in the photos. We also had to re-photograph the house after we re-staged it. By the way, we had enormous success gaining traffic after we re-staged and re-photographed the house. Beware....You'll also need to provide a budget to re-paint all the scratches, dings and dents they left after removing the staging. Only a fool would use Napoleon.
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August 2017 by Mary N.
I should have listened to my instincts about giving this Maria Caldwell a check for over $10K for my order at a dusty park and ride in Palo Alto ... where she was over 15 minutes late. Watch out for this business outfit. In my experience, her business practices are suspect. I asked for an order form to the manufacturer, a receipt of the money I had just given her .. but was told that is not their business practices. She claimed that her "sales order" is what is a valid receipt... this was not signed by her nor me. We have been talking to a lawyer who says we have grounds for litigation. We are still waiting on pieces of furniture from Oly and it has been over a year since we put in the order. Basically there has been a problem with every piece of furniture we order. It appears to me that she takes pieces of furniture in her "staged" furniture business and reupholsters them and charges full price for her "design" business. This happened with my Sophie chair from Oly...for which I am still waiting on. She actually delivered the chair I saw in her studio with the finish that I did not like. And then tried to deny it when I called her on it. This happened to my Jonathon Round table. The finish that came was different from finish I agreed on. I believe she did this with my Frederico chairs from Cisco also. First it was .. the fabric you choose is no longer available. Then when it came, it was unfinished without tubing and nail heads. When I look under the chair the finishing looks like it was reupholstered. This fabric thing also happened to another client of hers. Prices were not adjusted for the lower grade fabrics in either case. My $5K chairs look like a flea market make over. Maybe she thinks her clients have no eye for design and quality? She squeezes every penny where possible. When it would be time to make another payment, she would inevitably give a higher, sometimes double of what she had said before that was owed. So if you weren't keeping track, there is another few hundred bucks in her pocket. So watch out and make sure you get sales orders to the manufacturers, don't assume she will send you an email of the things you picked out with the options you had in mind. Get EVERYTHING in writing. 6//2/15 I do think that Maria is a talented designer and has an eye for staging. However, I believe she sold used furniture from her staging business and have confirmation from a professional that the furniture she sold me was reworked. I would be happy to meet with anyone to show you the 2 wing chairs that I am stuck with that were reupolstered. Weeks after the chairs were paid for ... paid=ordered ... she tells me the fabric is not avail. She should have known this when it was ordered and paid for? It is illegal to collect funds for product not delivered. Second she WILL NOT produce an order form for the 2 chairs. What does she have to hide? Third, underneath the seat of the chars are staples with cardboard to hold the fabric in place around the edges. I can see cut fabric fraying. This is not the craftsmanship of this higher end manufacturer or is it for furniture bought at Ikea. Happy to answer any inquiries.
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April 2016 by Adrian Morales
The most beautiful stages of the bay area!!
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July 2015 by Eileen O.
Earlier this year, my realtor brought in Robert from Napoleon at Home to help stage my mother's condo in Menlo Park. His work was stunning! Robert and Adrian selected the wall colors, the furniture, rugs and all accessories in an elegant, yet warm and inviting style. I'm convinced we got top dollar based on his work. The buyers asked about buying it 'as is', with all furniture and decorations! My realtor said it's not the first time that's happened to him. I highly recommend Robert and his team - and will use them again!
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December 2014 by Josh F.
I am a Realtor with Alain Pinel Realtors in Palo Alto. We used Napolean At Home to stage a very contemporary home in Menlo Oaks. Robert and his team are consummate professionals. We needed the home staged last minute, the team at NAH "nailed it" on the head. The home was completely transformed and I believe ultimately helped us get a price well over asking. They were very easy and pleasant to work with. If you want the best of the best I recommend having them stage your next listing!
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September 2014 by Samia C.
I am a real estate with Alain Pinel Realtors in Palo Alto. Napoleon at Home have staged many of my listings and I am always impressed by the outcome. I love working with Maria. She is a true professional with refined taste and an elegant style. She knows what buyers are looking for and she can transform a home and showcase it at its best. The quality furniture that she uses for staging helps me sell my listings at the highest price possible. I highly recommend Napoleon At Home- You will never be disappointed!
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October 2013 by Colleen F.
I have used Napoleon At Home to stage a number of my listings over the last few years. Maria Caldwell has a great eye and a good sense for how to bring out the best in each home she stages. She knows that first impressions are critical and has knocked it out of the ball park for me a number of times! There is no question that my clients have received higher prices and multiple offers because of how great Maria and her team at Napoleon at Home have made their home look and feel. There are a number of stagers in the market today who have used a "Copy Cat" approach to try to capture the elegant understated style that Maria has created--her signature look. As they say, imitation is one of the highest forms of flattery! Maria and her team at Napoleon at Home are on my short list of Must Use providers :-)
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August 2013 by Alan S.
We used Napoleon at Home to stage our condo when it was up for sale. Our real estate agent recommended Maria (the owner), and she did not disappoint. She surveyed the property and immediately had a plan for creating an inviting, dramatic, yet neutral space. The whole concept of staging is to create an environment that will appeal to a wide variety of people and allow them to project their lifestyle onto it. Anything too personal or "specific" is avoided. Maria recommended that the condo be repainted and named the exact colors and paint brand that should be used for each room. These colors worked perfectly with the furniture and decor she provided. During the open houses that we held, nearly all the visitors commented on how beautiful the place looked. We had a contract on the condo 10 days after it was placed on the market. Maria's services are highly recommended.
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June 2013 by Stacy P.
Maria is absolutely FANTASTIC and I would recommend her over and over again. She is truly the best at what she does. We've been working with Maria for over 3 years and most recently she did all the interior design for our home remodel. She did an amazing job. She worked closely with our architect and contractor to create a vision and plan to best use the space and get the most out of our remodel. She also worked with me to select and order all the finishes: fixtures, furniture, color palette for each room, paint, fabrics, artwork...everything. Now when people come into our house...the first question they ask is "Who was your designer?". Highly recommend Maria and Napoleon at Home.
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June 2013 by Lori B.
I've worked with Maria and Napoleon at Home for over 8 years. I was introduced to her when she had a store in Mountain View. Her shop had the most unique and beautiful items and I was excited when she started to offer design services. Since that time I have worked with Maria on a number of projects throughout my home. Maria has always been extremely professional, and the results have been amazing. Maria has represented several vendors for me (Oly, Cisco, Chelsea Designs, Tara Shaw..etc). These pieces are not always stocked like items at a Restoration Hardware or Pottery Barn. However, Maria always sets accurate expectations on when the pieces will arrive and works directly with the vendors to insure everything goes smoothly. More than 50% of my pieces came almost immediately and pieces that took longer were always worth the wait for their unique finishes. If we ever had a problem with a vendors piece, Maria worked with them to resolve the issue immediately. Maria and her team are extremely professional. When she is in your home, she is focused and dedicated to getting every project perfect. She has a wonderful eye for design and can accomplish amazing things with varied budgets. She leverages an excellent network of local resources (upholstery people, painters, window covering etc), and the results speak for themselves. I'm happy every time I walk through the door. I have recommended Maria with great success to other friends and know she is one of the top designers in the Bay Area.
