When Life Gives You Lemons: A Story Of Growth and Design

 I am thrilled to introduce this new website and blog. While this website is new, my love for interior design and business is not. I would like to introduce this new chapter by presenting some tidbits about my design evolution. My passion for space and design ignited early on, with my mom letting my childhood bedroom serve as my first canvas. To this day, I still have fond memories of watching my mom and grandmother building spaces that would feel personal, welcoming, and enduring—just like the meals and memories our family shared around a table. Through 24 years of marriage, raising and homeschooling two daughters, building our homes and businesses, I realized how deeply rooted my southern heritage and its traditions have inspired my design business, entire family and its legacy.

Designing spaces for others has always been a massive part of my life. After graduating from Florida State's Interior Design program, I was fortunate to work and find mentors who inspired me in the residential and commercial design industry. After having my first daughter, life changed, and the opportunity to start my own business became a reality. 28 years later, my design skills and business have seen many faces and experienced quite a bit of growth. Being a full-time mom of two with my husband and I owning businesses, I quickly realized that professional and personal growth doesn't happen overnight. Early in my career, I found small, intentional steps, and building relationships was a game-changer in finding balance, success, and setting my designs apart from other designers. During these years, I've watched the interior design field undergo significant transformation, which has sometimes been demanding. It constantly evolve due to changing societal/political values, technological advancements, and even artistic movements. That brings me to my new journey as a designer today.

Many of you will understand when I say my intentions were set, our families' plans were sketched, and all was well. Suddenly, I became an empty-nester. My husband and I were making big plans for our future, so we planned to sell our businesses and move my parents and us to a completely different state. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, an unfavorable life event occurred, shifting our energy and focus downward. Plans had to be reworked and changed. I’d like to refer to these adverse events as curveballs, lemons, and stumbling blocks. I'm sure many of you have experienced some of life's lemons. So, when life gave me lemons, I decided to make lemonade and ease back into what I love—designing inspiring spaces that are beautiful and embody a sense of timeless comfort. In my 28 years of designing, I have realized the impact of interior design on our emotions, mood, and productivity. In this new chapter, what began with a floral bedspread, striped wallpaper, and green walls in my childhood bedroom has become a lifelong love of creative expression, culminating in DL Design Studio. With this new change, I am thrilled to continue growing my portfolio and creating spaces as unique as my clients.

Let's talk about taking life's lemons to a whole new lifestyle. The journey's life presents are a good time to reevaluate and begin planting the seeds of intention and watching them grow into something unimaginable. So, whether you're dreaming of an all-inclusive renovation, refreshing a room or two, or simply creating a more aesthetic lifestyle at home, now is the time to begin planting those seeds. I am thrilled to introduce Nesting Notes, a lifestyle blog encompassing curated space, where design, southern living, and the art of hostessing come together to embolden your everyday life. I aim to bring my passion for timeless interiors, prudent living, and gracious entertaining to each post. These little notes will be an extension of my design philosophy—a combination of timeless appeal and modern insight- a place to commemorate the allure of southern traditions with a fresh, contemporary lemony twist. I'm excited to share this new journey with you all. I hope you continue to follow along as we explore the love of design and southern living, one appealingly styled moment at a time, and anticipate the exciting discoveries and inspirations that await us.