In March of 1986 I walked in to a local decorator shop and made the sale of my life... me.  I expressed my interest in interior decorating, talked about my background, which was limited at the time, and was hired on the spot.  I started work two days later and began what would be a well-traveled path to becoming a designer.

After training under a local decorator I began work in a designer workroom.  Using my existing sewing skills, I was trained in the fabrication of everything from window treatments and bedding to upholstery and accessories.  While still devoting most of my time to fabrication, I also rotated my time and worked with a team of window installers and furniture placement  laborers.  Both fabrication and on-site installations had me on my feet continuously and involved ten and twelve hour work days and rotating week-ends.  The work was tiring, but the valuable skills gained were what I needed for my next step.

In November of 1986 at the age of 24 I started my own business in Newport News, Virginia.  Initially, most work was for residential clients, but after a couple of years I began to work small commercial jobs.  Projects soon included model homes and government work.  I surrounded myself with a terrific group of contractors and installers... your success is achieved in part by the people you work with.  Some of my most unusual projects were a funeral home, a 90 foot long train car used for employee training, and the design of an exclusive  Washington D.C. townhouse through pictures only!  My favorite projects were those designing for residential builders, where I decorated model home interiors and also created exterior elevation finish choices for new home buyers.  It was fulfilling to have a hand in the overall direction and lifestyle presentation for whole communities.  Other projects that were rewarding included work on early 19th century homes.  Restoring homes of architectural distinction was a very meaningful use of my design and decorating skills.

In 1996, I moved to New Jersey and began pursuing a design degree.  I continued consulting work while attending school as well as projects of  architectural distinction back in Virginia.  In 1998, I transferred to New York City and attended the New York School of Interior Design, where in 2002, I received my Bachelor of Fine Arts.

Today I continue to work as a design consultant with projects in both New Jersey and Virginia.  I recently created DecoratingFlair.com to share my decorating and design experience with others who want to transform their visions into reality.