All
my life, I have been interested in making home a better and more beautiful place to live.
Because I decided to wed right after High School, funds were limited, we were young, and learning to decorate on a
budget was a necessity. My husband and I purchased an old house and my father and I proceeded to make this house a home. 32
years later, this old house is a beautiful home, full of memories and sweat equity. Having an old house is an education in
itself. Because of this, my skills for sewing, using tools, and doing things
for myself, have become second nature to me.
As
a result, I became interested in pursuing Interior Design as a career. After studying Interior Design at Anderson College,
I worked with other designers before opening my own shop in July of 1987 in a little town called Pendleton, SC. My experience
as a retail business owner and workroom, as well as actual labor skills, translates into an understanding of how things
are supposed to be done, and equips me to deal with contractors on an equal basis.
Because of my love for homes and people, I decided to branch out and go to school to be a Realtor. After 7 years
of juggling Real Estate and Interior Design, I decided that I was really happier just decorating and gave up my Real
Estate license. My experience as a Realtor also educated me with knowledge of how to stage a home to sell. Listening to buyers
and other Realtors critique homes was beneficial to an understanding of what buyers desire. Having seen just about everything
that you can imagine with homes, both negative and positive, I feel qualified
to suggest ideas that can make a home more appealing to buyers. This also applies to creating a business environment that
is more attractive to clients and customers.
Being a designer involves not only background knowledge
and technical execution,
but requires the ability to visualize
and achieve results that satisfy the needs of the individual
client. These qualities are not learned from textbooks, nor is
the ability to communicate ideas effectively on a professional
but personal level. These traits are both innate and acquired
from experience in dealing with people throughout
all stages of the life process.
My work is my joy and helping other people to live more comfortably and in a pleasing space, is fulfilling for me. My
“other” career, Organist and Choir Director for Holy Trinity Lutheran
Church in Anderson
is also fulfilling and the interaction with the people is invaluable to my personal development. I am involved in the Arts
of the community and sing with the GAMAC Chorale.
I
am currently serving on the Board of Architectural Review for the City Of Anderson,
which is responsible for making decisions concerning changes to exterior facades for businesses and homes in the Historic
Districts of our city. It is exciting to watch the progress as the changes develop and the city becomes more beautiful and
realize that I am involved in the final decisions that are helping to shape our city into a more vibrant community for our
citizens.