Even though I have the pleasure of working with five designers and a studio manager at the Kerrie Kelly Design Lab today, it wasn’t always that way. From 1995-2008 I worked from my home. It was the place my book, Home Decor: A Sunset Design Guide, was written; where my fabric library and paint chips were stored; where I kept track of accounting and invoicing via QuickBooks and wrote articles related to design. To me, it is truly where it all started!
So for that I am thankful. I am also thankful that Mae Fesai from KCRA decided to feature that aspect of the interior design business on her station today at 6am, 8am and noon! Students and professional designers alike can easily start their design businesses from home as long as they have some discipline. So much of a designer’s time is spent in the client space and at vendor showrooms that a home office works perfectly and saves on overhead.
My website was built from my home office—in fact, our firm even offers a Virtual eDesign package where we design with clients online from their homes all across the country and beyond. Vendors have visited me in my home to view product samples and to update design literature with ease. With a small stock of office supplies and foam core boards, I have effectively created sample boards for presentation for our clients from home, too. We have even had our yearly strategic planning meetings in the dining room with our team just to get away from it all.
So it is possible. It is doable. Home is a great place to start your own design business. And with a little drive, persistence and slow growth, it will expand into something large enough to call an expanded corporate space “home”, too!
