If you’ve ever thought, “I wish my home could look like that,” sit tight. Hannah Royer and Monica Ceresini of Lancaster-based staging company Urban Ave are showing people it’s possible to transform your home into a livable—and sellable—space.
With a focus on furniture and decor staging for vacant and occupied homes, Hannah and Monica have built a business that’s raising the bar for the real estate and design markets.
“It really helps people visualize what their place could look like,” Hannah says about the staging process.
Hannah and Monica are both realtors who met while working for the same real estate team. They launched Urban Ave right at the start of the pandemic. Despite the fact much of the industry was shut down, the duo found quick success simply by sharing their work on social media. Much of their style is centered around mid-century modern, farmhouse, and boho inspirations, something a lot of homeowners in the area are drawn to.
Staging has been a part of the real estate world for decades, but for younger folks in the industry, it’s a more ingrained part of the process. As millennials, Hannah and Monica have always understood the importance of a digital presence. In a time when shopping for homes online is more prevalent than
ever, being able to imagine a room’s potential is everything. When you’re not physically in a space, it can be difficult to envision how you’d transform an empty room. “Having it staged really makes a difference for people who shop for homes online,” says Hannah.
Another millennial trait Monica and Hannah carry is their aptitude for side hustles, which is how Urban Ave first got started. Their staging services became popular in what felt like a snap, and their moonlighting soon turned into something more akin to a full-time job despite their ongoing realtor commitments. Even as Hannah started her family and had her first child, the two remained dedicated to the young company.
Urban Ave does a lot of work with investors looking to flip vacant homes. Monica says this type of project is fun, because they’re not tied to a resident’s style and can design in a way that works best with the bones of the property. The pair also designs specialty spaces, like a nail salon project they completed last year. Then there’s business accommodation, like a recently completed corporate condo.
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With their bubbly personalities and passion for design work, Hannah and Monica are reminiscent of the female home organization duo The Home Edit, who gained popularity after releasing a Netflix reality show last year. One of the big differences, of course, is Urban Ave’s focus on the Susquehanna region, a place where investors are continuously revitalizing downtown and rural spaces.
You’ll find Urban Ave working on properties in Lancaster, Dauphin, Chester, and York Counties—just to name a few. The in-demand business owners are gaining traction for their clean, elevated appeal, no matter the style of the home.
As for what’s next, the pair hopes to expand their palate into more of a holistic interior design offering, helping owners with nuances like backsplash, flooring, and paint colors. One of their favorite activities is shopping on a budget, and they always want to show people the beauty they can create without spending out of bounds.
Like many small business owners, Monica and Hannah may not have expected to become entrepreneurs—but they always fulfilled the role with grace. Plus, they have each other to lean on, both self-described hard workers who are always on the go. “I think Monica is a natural entrepreneur,” Hannah says about her co-founder. “I think we both are,” Monica retorts, quickly propping up her friend.
In between all their staging projects, it’s only natural that the Urban Ave creators bring home some of that inspiration. Their constant exposure to the coolest design trends impacts their own homes, too. “It’s this revolving door,” says Monica, who finds herself redecorating parts of her own home just in time for the next design obsession to strike.
Despite the saturated industry of real estate, Hannah and Monica stand out because of their adaptability. Their style is flexible, and they’re confident in a digital-first industry that’s always evolving.
What does Urban Ave really look for in a project? Monica puts it best: “We want to help people like their spaces as much as we like creating spaces for them.”
Check out the latest projects from Urban Ave:
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