20th Anniversary of my Design Business

This month marks a 20th anniversary for me. It was the month I finished design school, completed a course in "visual coordination"(which I decided to change to "interior redesigns") and began my design business redesigning rooms.

Over the next few months I will share some of my experiences of the last twenty years. I was lucky to have worked in some very beautiful homes across the country . . . from mobile homes to mansions. A big highlight of my career (so far) was the ten years I spent working with HGTV's Decorating Cents.

These (not so clear) photos are from the 1st newspaper article about my new business (what was that hairdo?) Many more articles would follow this one, along with magazine stories, and TV news segments in San Diego and Phoenix. I was very fortunate for all of the coverage I received from the press.

One funny story from about nine years ago was how hard it was for me to transition from interior designer to shopkeeper.

I finally had the shop looking really good and was ready to open the doors to At Home on Main Street. But the big grand opening was not until the next day and I wanted to impress my special guest - HGTV's Michael Payne (from Designing for the Sexes) who was coming to talk and sign books.

Michael Payne in the store with me - October 12, 2003

I decided to let a few ladies come in to "browse" before leaving for the night - they had been waiting eagerly for me to finally open the doors for business - but I really didn't want any of the displays disrupted. Both gals wanted to buy things and spent a good bit of money - my first big sales. One sale included some furniture pieces that would have totally messed up a display, so I would not let her take her items until the next day, after the opening!! She was fine with that . . . but I had to come to terms with the fact that people buying things and taking them out of the shop was the purpose of my being there - not just to create pretty vignettes.