Part 1: Welcome to In Contrast
If you have been following me on Instagram, you know that I have been candidly sharing my business journey through video blogs. But, I have felt strongly that I have more to say and was contemplating what format to use moving forward...
Welcome to In Contrast, my blog where I share about my career, business, projects, and life. As my first post, I think it’s appropriate to start at the beginning. Why did I start Contrast Interior Design? How did I decide this would be my career? And, what was the road like to get here?
Have you ever accepted a job that you thought was your dream job and you told everyone about it and were the happiest you've been in a long time but 4 months later snapped out of it and realized there were red flags upon red flags in the interview, and they were micromanaging everything you did, and gaslighting you, and you were more qualified to do your job than your boss, and now that you are working there you realize their designs lean tacky, and why do we put fur on everything, and all of a sudden your mental health is the lowest its ever been, and you don't want your name attached to any of this so what are you actually doing?
Hi! My name is Anna, in January 2024 I quit my design job and the next day started my own interior design business. It's a dream I had since I graduated from college 20 years ago but I never felt 'ready'. Nothing like throwing yourself into the deep end to see if you can swim - fortunately for me, I was captain of the swim team.
My passion for Interior Design started when I was 14 years old. My parents built an addition onto their home and one of the new spaces was my bedroom. Ever the supportive mom and dad, they gave me full control of what my new space was going to look like. I requested they add in a window seat (my dad built it, and my mom made the cushion); forest green carpet that I hand selected; burgundy, forest green, and navy plaid bedspread and shams purchased from Hills (local friends - we remember Hills department store, yes?); and a custom forest green heart stenciled border that had squiggles on either side. I even drew the design and stenciled it on myself. Clearly, they were dealing with an interior design prodigy. Feeling shock and awe? It's understandable, I'll pause for you to catch your breath and text all your friends this incredible story.
From then on, my future was decided. I attended CIDA accredited Kent State University where I earned my bachelors degree with a major in Interior design. I'll never forget my first meeting with the Director, she looked deep into my eyes and explained "we are not pillow fluffers. We are designers." I'm sure my eyes got big, my brain quickly trying to erase anytime fluffing a pillow gave me joy. I thought to myself 'Of course you aren’t and thank goodness because I hate pillows.' I spent the next 4 years working hard, sleeping very little, and growing passion and knowledge for my career.
My goal when I graduated was to be an interior designer at an architecture firm and work on commercial spaces. (We are not pillow fluffers! Suppress the decorator!) Just 3 years after graduating - after working at a marble and stone showroom, then at a Herman Miller furniture dealership - I hit my goal. I started with HSB architects in 2007. I spent 14 years at HSB. When I left, I was their Director of Interior Design and had 3 designers in my department that I hired and trained. I hit the jackpot with that job not only because of the incredibly talented and supportive team, but because HSB treats their designers like architects. I was running ENTIRE projects on my own. Proposals, programming, space planning, construction drawings, permits, finish selections, furniture selection, bidding, project management, punch lists. HSB was my real-life education, and my time there is a big reason why I have had the confidence to go out on my own.
After 14 years we were mid pandemic, my kids were pre-teens, and I felt like I had gone as far as I could with my career at HSB. There are not many growth opportunities for designers in mid-small size architecture firms. I had no intention of trying to become a partner (nor did they have any intention of making me one), and at a recent review I was told my salary was capped. I hit my career goal in my 20’s and I couldn’t even look forward to more compensation, was this it for the rest of my life?
In spring of 2021 I had an opportunity to work at TRG Multimedia – the same company my husband had worked at for 16+ years. TRG needed someone to start their set design department, figure out how to integrate more technical design into their photo, video, and CGI sets as well as act as the bridge between the very creative minded art directors and the technical minded construction team. It was the exact change of pace I was looking for. I got to work with my husband (ok not ‘with him-with him’ since we were in different departments, but he did copy me on an email once and rolled his eyes when I responded, ‘Did we just work together!?’). And super bonus - I could bring our dog to work with me every day. (All of this would become invaluable in one short year, I just didn’t know it at the time). TRG is where I allowed myself to reignite my love for residential design and fluffing pillows. Designing endless amounts of kitchens, bathrooms, living rooms, and dining rooms will do that to you.
Here’s where things take a shift. You thought this was all going to be about my career didn’t you? It is, but this next part has unexpectedly become a major part of my story. Believe me when I tell you I have tried for 2 years to stop it from being woven into every fold of my personality, but the reality is it’s a huge part of me. It will inform all of my decisions moving forward. If you don’t know this next part, you don’t know me.
*Disclaimer - this next part of my story discusses cancer and the raw, emotional experience that we went through as a family. If you are not in a place to read this please skip ahead to other posts, I’ll have a disclaimer prior to any post that includes this topic moving forward. I’ve been in your shoes, it’s ok to protect your heart by not reading every story put out into the world.*
A little over a year into my time at TRG, in June of 2022, I noticed a dull ache in my left abdomen. I kept thinking it would improve but it only got worse as the weeks progressed. By the end of July, with my symptoms only getting worse, my husband insisted I call the doctor. I finally listened and scheduled the first available appointment at the end of August. As the weeks ticked down to that appointment my self-diagnosed ovarian cyst only felt heavier and more uncomfortable. When I finally met with my doctor, she had a resident working with her. The resident checked and did not feel anything out of the ordinary. I thought to myself ‘How can that be, I literally feel pregnant?!’ My doctor then checked to be sure. She did her doctor thing and felt around. Then I saw her face sink. “Oh. Yeah. That’s a large mass”…
…to be continued
