So I Quit My Day Job...

...Back in April. I probably should have told you guys sooner, but to be honest, I was scared! But it's time to let you guys in on what's been going on with me. Jeez! Why am I more scared to make this announcement than I was to actually leave my job? 

Hopefully by now, you've already figured out that I left my full-time job at the furniture store to purse my dream of running my own interior design business. I've been alluding to it for months now on my Facebook & Instagram accounts. Heck, I even co-founded a group for creative female entreprenuers! Scared Stevie was just leaving bread crumbs hoping you all would connect the dots and she wouldn't have to muster the courage to write this post. 

I quit my day job four months ago, and I couldn't be happier or more terrified. 

Not once in the last 108 days have I doubted my decision. I know in my soul that leaving the 9-5 culture was inevitable for me, and that now there's no going back. It's an exhilarating feeling to know that years of hard work, persistence and faith have paid off, but also terrifying to know that this is just the beginning. There's no guidebook for where I'm standing today. Every single day, I'm pouring all of my creative energy into designing the best possible ways to serve my clients and fulfill my purpose in life.

I've known WHAT I wanted to do for 10 years now. Since then, I've been learning as much as I can, honing my skills, developing my aesthetic and creative point of view. I earned my Bachelor's degree in Interior Architecture in 2013, but even that didn't show me HOW to be an interior designer. 

I don't want to confuse anyone. 

Interior Design is confusing enough as it is. Historically, there's been no real transparency in the Interior Design industry as a whole, and because of that no one really knows exactly what it is that designers do and how (& how much) they are paid. Established, successful designers have no real interest in sharing their best practices with the competition, so this veil of secrecy and exclusivity is perpetuated generation after generation. 

I'm telling you this so you know that I didn't just copy and paste someone else's way of doing things. I've poured my heart and soul into designing a creative process and service structure that will demystify residential interior design for my clients. Because when all is said and done, what we all want is pretty simple;

A home that looks beautiful, functions for our lifestyle, and that we are proud to welcome our friends and family into. Right?

I want to take you there. Here's how I do things differently:

Service, Not Sales

After 3 years of working in the field as a designer/salesperson, I can tell you it's not for me! If you've read this blog for any length of time, you know you don't need a McMansion sized budget to have a Pinterest-worthy home. My clients pay me for my design services only, I have no interest in pushing them to spend more than what they are comfortable with. 

Flat Fee vs. Hourly Rate

I choose to work primarily on a Flat Fee based structure. This means you will know upfront, before any design work is completed, how much you will be investing in my services. This along with my Service, Not Sales policy is a complete 180 from the traditional hourly rate + mark up structure that is the standard across the Interior Design industry. 

In-Person & E-Design

You don't have to live in Pennsylvania to work with me!  In addition to in-home consultations & full-service design for clients in south central PA & northern MD, I also offer both E-Design and E-Styling service packages. These are great, affordable options for getting a professionally designed plan that you can implement at your own pace. Perfect for non-locals, or do-it-yourselfers looking for a some design direction.

For more info about my interior design & styling services, visit my "Interiors" tab, or click here!

And with that, I want to thank each and everyone of you reading this now for supporting me. Those who maybe just stumbled across this blog today, and especially those who have been with me since I started blogging 6 years ago under the name Lace & Paper Flowers (an ode to my namesake, Stevie Nicks). I wasn't sure exactly how things would play out, but every day since then I've been working towards this goal of working for myself and doing what I love. So thank you for being there for me along the way, showing me grace as I've figured things out, changing blog name not once but 3 times, starting new side projects (Etsy, Thrifted, and more to come I'm sure!), and finding my way. Your support means so much! 

If you like what I do on this blog, the best thing you could do for me is to tell your friends about me. I need your help in getting the word out! Share this blog post, invite others to follow me on social media, or just mention me next time someone is talking about redecorating! Anything you could do would be so, so appreciated. Thank you again!