I graduated in 2005 with my BA in Interior Design and I have made many realizations about my own path in this market since that time. Interior Design is a very broad subject raging from commercial interiors to stage design to visual merchandising and, finally, to residential home design. As you can see, being an interior designer offers you many opportunities and many choices.
Opportunities to Learn
Since graduating, I have worked at a high end residential design firm in Williamsburg, VA and with JC Penney's custom decorating department. Both were amazing opportunities, but I learned a lot about what I did not want to do. I did not want to help wealthy, hurting women cover up their internal struggles by spending money on a perfect interior for their home. I did not want to take advantage of their pain in order to make money. In fact, I realized that I wanted to embrace them and to help them get to the bottom of what they were dealing with in life. A pretty home was no replacement for a fulfilling life.
While designing custom draperies at JCP, I learned that we have the opportunity to add beautiful things to our home that will benefit our life. Draperies are not just a frill. They really add texture to the home and help us to enjoy our living space. However, I also learned that I did not want to focus solely on draperies, but help people to design their living space and their life.
After having these two "professional" jobs, I have realized that I wanted to have the opportunity to make my own rules. I started Designing Life in order to help clients who were real people to achieve real goals for their home and life.
Designing Life
I began Designing Life when I needed to work from home. I began to sell Custom Interior Design PDF Presentations that helped my clients visualize their goals for their interiors. I would also send them a shopping list to find the items that I had suggested for their space. While this was a fantastic endeavor, I became overburdened by women who told me what they wanted, then realized after they received their design that their request wasn't what they really wanted.
Why didn't women know what they really wanted? Because they were seeking to please others and were not at peace with their lives. A pretty interior cannot fix a heart problem.
After having more time to spend out of the home, I was able to reach out to women in their homes. My business took me to military spouses, teachers, and other real women who needed practical home decorating and organizational advice. I loved helping in this capacity. Military spouses desire to feel at home in their various new homes and I enjoyed being a resource to help them get settled in and find a few key pieces that would travel with them to recreate 'home' wherever they traveled.
Home + Life Designer
While I will definitely continue home design and organizing, I have realized that our lives need designers too. I am expanding my business to be a resource to women and families who need help organizing their lives, their schedules, their meal plans, their marriage, and even their parenting. God does not intend for us to struggle alone without help. He gives us resources and tools that help us to live life effectively for His kingdom.
My goal? To bring glory to God by helping women and families to order their steps, lives, and homes in God's Word
I've felt that Psalm 119:133 is a verse that describes my desire for my own life and I desire to share that vision with others. "Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me." Or in layman's terms, setting our path intentionally toward God's kingdom and purposefully planning to keep out of the clutches of sin aka using God's gift of self-control to live our lives. This verse is a prayer to God and God has given us His gifts as an answer to that prayer.
If you need help ordering your life to God's word . . . a home + life designer, contact me. I would love to work together as you pursue Christ with your heart, life, and home.
Brooke Shambley
Owner of Designing Life
www.designinglife.weebly.com
www.designinglife.etsy.com
P.S. Did you know I have two businesses? As an extension of my desire to help women, more specifically mothers, in their everyday lives, I am also a health coach + doula. You can find out more about this business over at Boholistic Mom.
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