I have always loved design and decorating. From a very young age I was always moving things around my parents home, painting my room and rearranging accessories in other peoples homes when I thought they weren't looking (sorry Amanda)!
As I moved through life I began to realize that I had a knack for creating spaces that were functional, yet personal. I never thought that being creative could actually become a career. To a lot of people it was frivolous and not a real job. I have to say I subscribed to this belief as well, until I gave up my full time job to be a mother. I quickly discovered that mothers spend an awful lot of time in their homes, on limited budgets and with limited resources.
When my daughter was born so too was the obsession with room makeovers on HGTV, particularly a show called Decorating Cents. This show always had a segment where a room was redecorated at no cost. The rooms were emptied of everything (including art and accessories) then the redesigners went "shopping" in the clients house; they were looking for inspiration and anything they could borrow to incorporate into their new design. After focusing on the clients requests for the new room it was systematically put back together to create a more inviting and harmonious environment. It was almost magical. This was a new idea to most of us.
We were used to shows about interior designers who came in with an army of contractors, demolished rooms and created fabulous homes on unlimited budgets. This was different. I started to tape the show just to watch the last ten minutes, and to read the credits to see who these decorators were. As I watched I realized that Interior Redesign was the concept that I had always believed in; I just never knew it existed outside my head.
Shortly afterwards I decided to make my career move official. I took a course with the delightful Ann Anderson at The School of Interior Redesign, LLC (SIR) in Connecticut. Her inspiration as a person and mentor pushed me to take the next step. I became a certified Interior Redesign Specialist.
As they say the rest is history. I love my job and truly do feel that everyone can make their space a better place with just a little creativity.
