We love to celebrate the realtors, developers, builders, and flippers who are so often our home staging clients. They understand the value of home staging to sell homes fast – and to the right buyers. This quarter we spoke with a VERY BUSY Linda Shafiroff, co-founder, co-owner, and manager of Creative Building Solutions, a green-certified home building, renovation and design firm based in Great Barrington. Late fall 2021, Creative Building Solutions pulled in Staged Ryte for one of their renovations: a cottage on Beachwood Beach in Stockbridge – they revamped it into a light, bright home with modern elements featuring wood, glass and metal. Staged Ryte staged it for contemporary living.

Business Description & Team

Last year, Linda & team celebrated Creative Building Solution’s 20th anniversary! Linda started CBS when her children were very young. After years in the construction industry and then in sales for a modular home manufacturer, Linda was ready to launch her own residential building and renovation business. She pulled in her college roommate, Sarah Stiner, experienced in construction management, permit acquisition, and well connected to lawyers, designers, and other industry professionals in the Berkshires, and they become co-owners. Linda is the home designer, planner, and real estate lead; Sarah is the project manager; and Linda’s daughter, Carly Shafiroff, is the interior designer. 

Most Frequent Type of Work

Linda said, “We do mainly residential and almost exclusively larger building and home renovation projects.” And now they are able to offer their clients soup to nuts service with the addition of interior design. 

Business Since the Pandemic Hit

With more people moving to the Berkshires, and people spending so much time in their homes and realizing they’d like to have more space, the Creative Building Solutions team has been “out straight.” In fact, they’re totally booked for 2022 and are now booking into 2023. Linda said, “It can take up to 5 months for windows to come in right now and kitchen have a lead time of 20 – 22 weeks.” Now more than ever, they need to provide outstanding planning and project management to move projects forward as quickly as possible.

What Linda Loves About Her Work

Linda loves the creativity. Talking to clients, planning the work, designing the project, and getting it in print is all part of the creative process that engages Linda. She well understands that “building and renovating is such an emotional and personal thing for people.” Linda loves working to support those clients and meet their expectations. 

What’s Challenging?

“Transforming dreams into reality,” said Linda. She helps clients understand that they can realize their dreams AND have it be a package they can afford. “It’s all about the details!” (That’s what Dawn Trachtenberg always says too!) Linda says that Sarah would say that managing construction is hard work. “There may be mistakes and concessions but if CBS and the client can work together as a team, any issues can be solved resulting in a great result.”

Linda’s 2022 Goal

“I love watching my daughter, Carly, succeed in the business!” Linda wants to mentor Carly with the skills to succeed: leadership and experience, and to support her in all that she does with interior design and beyond. 

Experience with Staged Ryte

 “My experience has been outstanding,” said Linda. “Staged Ryte and Dawn are so professional and super smart. I sent her the 3-D plans for layout and traffic pattern and she ran with it!” When Linda saw Staged Ryte’s staging – designed with a mid-century feel for modern living – she said to business partner Sarah: “We are going to sell this cottage for $600,000!” And they did. “Dawn made it easy.”

Thanks for the interview, Linda! Learn more about Creative Building Solutions at www.cbsdaily.com.