A synopsis of my journey to opening the store. My complete essay series will be rolled out over the next couple of months.
I always struggled to name my “dream job”. There was never a specific position that I was drawn to, I just knew I wanted to live a creative life. And so, I set off as a nomadic dreamer carrying my tools, supplies and visions with me, looking for a place I might settle.
I’d take my bag of tricks with me everywhere I’d go. I’d notice when certain concepts or ideas struck me. I’d add them to my collection.
I was always hoping for the opportunity to pull out a treasure, wondering if it was time to share it. But time and again, the moment was not right. Turned out the paper + cleaning supplies distribution company emphatically did not appreciate the flair I brought to the urinal cake flyers. Or the artistic capturing of the plastic cups by my humble lens. Corporate America would not be my homecoming.
I took up a decent residence with the nonprofit folk. They admired my gumption, and heartily welcomed my reckless desire to create at all costs, fueled by a vision rather than a decent paycheck.
I led with my soul when designing flyers for B-rate comedians and local open mic nights, humbly walking beside them on the dusty unmarked road we all hoped would lead us up and out. I put my heart into imagining themed fundraising events, easily selling patrons on the notion of funding the dreams behind the mission statements of the organizations I proudly represented. I loved what I did. I practiced believing in something hoped for, but not yet seen. I learned endurance. I sought to speak with more lively sensibility, more enthusiasm, more tenderness and expand my knowledge of human nature, to live with a more comprehensive soul, to be pleased with my passions and volitions, and to rejoice in the spirit of life that is in me, to delight in contemplating the goings-on of the universe, and to follow the compulsion to create them where I could not find them.
While I made dear friends and certainly grew with the opportunities to sharpen my skills and fail badly surrounded by gracious hands ready to lift me up- these organizations were only meant to be adjuvants in finding my way.
I knew it wasn’t the time to put up a tent and present the full assortment of all my tricks as one, whole cohesive collection.
The sense that it was time to move on grew strongest once I had my first child. I decided to stay home. Two years later, we had another- at the height of 2020 and its lockdowns. I got lonely, my days felt impossible. At times I lacked the help I needed and that forced me to really get clear on what I could rely on.
I had done a lot of work metabolizing a rough and tumble childhood stretch with absent/aloof/domineering parents, step parents and gymnastics coaches. The work I did was a sufficient tourniquet to stop the emotional bleed, but I never moved beyond this emotional defensive mode into recognizing that my own life, with its gifts, talents, opportunities, and unique call was glorious and ready to flourish if only I watered it. And yes, I needed Jesus to help me tap into that. He’d always been in my life, but I only consulted him in emotional emergencies. He always helped me stabilize all while patiently holding a crazy good plan for my life, ready at a moment’s notice for me to ask for it.
And then one day I did.
By switching into partnering with God in my potential for success, I quickly began seeing very tangible results. It was such a wild series of effortless blessings that fell into place and led me to opening this store. Because “interior designer” wasn’t an identity I was pursuing or trying to mold myself into, it actually forced me to edify a foundational identity that stood apart from any career. It made me unshakable. He kept me hidden for all those years so that I could grow into who I needed to be for this moment.
It’s finally time to unveil my bag of tricks.
People like to write off Syracuse. The city can feel like it’s in a state of savage torpor. But I want to take a stab at being someone who can revive it- or create it if I truly am the first one taking a crack at this. I want to produce a craving for extraordinary excitement.
Why can’t we have a creative epicenter? A place where people can come and dream and speak about what they want to bring to life? Why are we so vehemently denying that it could happen here? Has our seasonal depression really gotten that bad? Isn’t Finland the happiest country on the planet? Long winters don’t deprive us of the opportunity to bloom.
My design store is meant to be an energizing and uplifting experience for everyone who comes in. I want to feature products, concepts and people we’ve never expected to find in our little overcast town before. I want to bring the light, the vision and a new perspective to what we can do with the resources we have.
I’m bringing in high-quality, unique furniture, lighting, rugs and select decor. I’ll continue to offer full-service design with my client-driven model that focuses on the unique person I seek to know and support. I will have The Design Studio where confident DIYers or shoppers needing a little extra
guidance can get a check-in with an expert to round out their rooms. I plan to have flash stock of small batches of decor and seasonal pieces- starting out with goodies for Easter baskets. I’d also love to utilize my gorgeous space for events and gatherings that serve my fellow locals and reach also more broadly into the creative community.
My business is stronger than ever and growing. I recognize the profound role that every boss, co-worker, client and Romantic Poet has had in helping to shape and guide me into the position that I am in now. I cannot wait to step fully into this role and go all-in on something that feels like it was crafted and prepared just for me. And if you’re wondering if God has a plan for your life- I am evidence that he does. It’s exceedingly, abundantly more than I could have ever asked for or imagined.
And thank you to my darling husband, who, every time I’d come to him in a panic worried about what I was getting myself into, simply replied in the calmest of voices, “There is no way this fails.”
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