Growing up in Portugal and moving to the U.S. at age eight deeply shaped my sense of home and adaptability. Frequent moves taught my family and me to make every new place feel like ours, and I inherited my parents’ strong work ethic and resilience. After earning a Chemistry degree from Rutgers, I worked as a Pharmaceutical Scientist with Johnson & Johnson and Forest Laboratories. The commitment and persistence it took to reach this career have instilled a belief that, with enough determination, anything is possible. Later, I paused my career to raise my three wonderful children, Katherine, Lauren, and Philip, which sparked my love for creating a cozy, stylish home environment.

This passion eventually led me to earn my Real Estate license, where I found joy not only in working with clients but also in staging homes. To make open houses warm and inviting, I would bake lemon pies, bring candles, and add cozy touches, giving each showing a unique, welcoming feel that often led to new opportunities. Today, my dream is to help clients make their homes feel functional and beautiful, whether they’re preparing to sell or seeking to enjoy their space. My goal is to provide thoughtful solutions to each client’s home needs, ensuring their space reflects both comfort and style.

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Mara Costa Design is, proudly, a HSR Certified Professional Home Staging and interior Redesign organization serving the East Brunswick, and surrounding areas. We have completed the most comprehensive and intensive home staging and redesign certification courses in North America provided by the Home Staging Resource.

The HSR Certification program was the first and is one of the only accredited staging training by the Real Estate Staging Association (RESA) who is the governing body for the home staging industry.