Meet Duke

Chief Barking Officer (CBO) & Head of Security at Elephant in the Room. Duke was the inspiration behind our House Trained Workshops.

House Trained Workshops began in 2017 through Elephant in the Room Interior Design and have since evolved into educational experiences for sellers and investors who want to prepare their properties strategically.

100% of the proceeds from our House Trained Workshops are donated to Happy Labs Rescue, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization dedicated to the health and well being of the Labrador Retriever breed.

We offer a few different types of House Trained Workshops, outlined below.

Contact us for more information.

  • This workshop is designed for homeowners and real estate Investors who want to better understand how home staging supports the selling process and influences buyer decisions.

    Topics may include how staging impacts the sale of a home, such as:

    • Home staging statistics and pricing considerations

    • Buyer psychology and decision-making

    • What home staging is - and what it is not

    • What to expect when working with professional home stagers.

    Each participant receives practical resources to help prepare a home for sale, including:

    • Complimentary Paint Color Cheat Sheet

    • Complimentary Showing Checklist

    • Complimentary Moving Schedule & Checklist,

    • Complimentary How to Live in a Staged Home Checklist

  • This workshop is designed for homeowners, sellers, and investors who want to understand current design trends and how they influence buyer perception, lifestyle, and home presentation.

    Topics may include insights into design trends that shape how homes are experienced and evaluated, such as:

    • Overview of key design markets and trend cycles throughout the year

    • Current color trends and effective color combinations

    • On-trend patterns and materials

    • Guidelines for hanging and arranging key items to enhance flow and scale

    • Considerations for upholstered furnishings and placement

    For sellers, understanding design trends can help inform preparation decisions before listing a home.

  • This workshop is designed for real estate investors who are preparing properties for sale. It focuses on the same staging, design, and presentation principles used with homeowner sellers — applied through an investor lens.

    Topics are tailored to the property type, target buyer, and market strategy, drawing from real-world investment experience.

    The goal is the same in every case: prepare the property to be understood quickly and valued correctly by buyers.