There isn’t a career test out there that pin points who should be a curtain maker, or upholsterer, or just maker of beautiful things. So, where in the world did it start with me? How did I get this idea to create? Well, I think I was always creative and always interested in making my little corner of the world pretty.
I grew up in a lot of dysfunction and my room was my happy place. It wasn’t big, but it was mine and it had a small window that felt like it was in the clouds every spring when the Bartlett pear in our backyard bloomed. I found myself asking for lamps, art work, bed spreads, and more for every birthday and Christmas. I wanted anything that would help transform that space into something just perfect for me. Red was my color of choice and boy did I know how to use a pop of color.
As I grew older I found myself working after school at a craft store. I loved working in that store. Every isle was full of things that were just a few steps away from becoming amazing. I didn’t know then but I was learning to really appreciate “custom” items and the value behind having something that is just perfect for a space and unique to my home.
During high school, we moved and my sister and I had to share rooms. That meant my signature color would no longer work. My sister and I picked out inexpensive comforter sets and while they were nice in the room, the room was missing something. It was white and didn’t have a lot of character. Our beds had drawers on the bottom so the bed skirts that came with the comforter set were not needed and my creative mind all of a sudden had a plan. Those windows in that house had no molding and the metal mini blinds were not helping the situation. I used my employee discount to purchase a couple of bottles of craft paint, a roll of masking tape, and some ribbon. I taped off a border around the window and went to work with the paint creating a beautiful trim around the windows. While that was drying I started reworking those bed skirts into pretty swags using the ribbon I purchased. Once the swags were in place the room had character, color, and something special. Somehow in this boring, dare I say cheap, rental I was able to add some style on a budget. It was amazing how some paint and leftover fabric could transform a space. I didn’t know then that this was the moment that I inherently learned the importance of dressing a window.
All these years later, after a long and healthy career in IT and project management my path has come back to making spaces beautiful. It really happened very organically – some might call it destiny.