Welcome to Dogwood interiors- Why Interior Design?

Well, welcome! If you’ve made it this far, I can’t even begin to tell you how thankful I am. Dogwood Interiors is my way of jumping head first into the design world. You know how they say if your dreams don’t scare you, you aren’t dreaming big enough? Well, I’m pretty damn scared. But that’s why this is so exciting.

I’m someone that always had big plans but always got stuck on the road to starting those plans. There was always some reason that dream was out of reach. Some reason I needed to put it off until the timing was right. Man oh man, I hate that about my past self. But in that same breath, I’d like to thank me for not going down those paths. I know now that I wouldn’t be where I am today had I taken the plunge.

While I was never quite clear on what I wanted to do in life, I always knew I wanted to do something that helped people. If there were some way I could tie being creative into that? Bonus points. I thought about teaching, graphic design, therapist, midwife… you name it. And did a ton of research on each topic over the last thirteen years. Nothing quite stuck for some reason. It wasn’t until one day when visiting with my grandpa that I finally had that ‘aha!’ moment.

You see, my grandpa is my hero. I was lucky enough to grow up around him. I watched as he made various things. This man could (and definitely still could) sew his own clothes, make a mean dinner, and build something out of nothing. I still have the treasure chest he made me when I was 9. THIS MAN BUILT HIS OWN HOUSE FROM THE GROUND UP! How friggin’ cool is that?! He worked on other people’s vehicles, homes, and businesses all with a smile.

The connection that he’s made with people over his lifetime is remarkable. I’ve never seen someone strike up a conversation so effortlessly (that is, until I met my husband). He’s such an honest and hardworking man with this wealth of knowledge that he’s eager to share. You just have to be willing to learn.

I always thought he was just the coolest person. I wanted to be just like him. And it was in talking to him one day about an average day he had at work that it hit me. I COULD be like him, with a twist. I could combine my need to be creative, problem solve, and be around people. I could be an interior designer.

The amount of time I researched interior design schools is a bit embarrassing. It took me a bit to actually commit to something, but I was determined to do it. I had a food service management job where I worked 50 hours a week on average, four kids, including a newborn, and regular life going on. How the hell was I going to add school on top of that?! I couldn’t.

Saying goodbye to management was hard. I loved being around my employees. But I knew it was something I had to do. I took a step back to become a marketing manager for blue collar companies in my area. I started school. Although it’s online for the time being, I’M IN SCHOOL. That right there was a huge accomplishment for me.

I’m a semester in, and I’m absolutely hooked. Interior design is 100% my jam. While I’m not where I want to be yet, I know I’m on my way. I have so many ideas begging to escape. That’s why VW Design was born. A place for me to get out some of these crazy ideas and hope they make sense to some of you.

If you made it this far, thank you. It really does mean a lot. This is the place I’ll be talking about design and life so if that’s your cup of tea, don’t be stranger.