Before Jeru Barnes founded Design Lift Studio, she was weaving together a rare mix of skills—fashion design and apparel manufacturing, graphic design, UX/UI, and interior redesign—learning how people move, live, and feel in the spaces around them. Those experiences, plus years managing other designers, and collaborating with stakeholders and third-party vendors, shaped her belief that staging and rental design should be both beautiful and strategically built to perform. As Founder & CEO, Jeru now leads the vision, creative direction, client and contractor relationships, marketing, and operations at Design Lift Studio, pairing her Home Staging Certification and Vacation Rental Specialist training with a Bachelor of Science in Fashion Design & Apparel Manufacturing, and a UX/UI certification to leverage her knowledge into an impactful process.

Supported by a circle of professionals and advisors in staging and STR design, accounting, operations, marketing, project management, and real estate, she’s built a studio designed to execute like investors while caring for every design detail.

As an active member of The Real Estate Staging Association (RESA), International Association for Home Staging, Real Estate and Design (IAHSP), CSP International Staging (CSP), and Greater Orlando Real Estate Investors Association (GOREIA), Jeru keeps DLS aligned with the real estate and investor communities, so every project lifts both the look and the long-term value of a property.