SPACES

iMberly CaMpbell is a petite blonde with delicate, doll-like features. she is not, to some, the picture of a typical construction contractor.

but Campbell can talk grout and insulation with the best of them.

For proof, just look at her home. Clean lines, natural light and warm, open spaces abound in her ranchstyle disney streets home.

“i went with a soft contemporary remodel, which means i have those clean lines, but it doesn’t feel too cold or industrial, like a loft. it feels soft and warm, like a home.

“My house also has a square theme, which was inspired by my front door,” Campbell says, pointing to a glass-paned door with three large opaque squares in the center. and that front door was a custom creation that, surprisingly, was quite affordable.

Campbell also works on commercial projects. Recently, for example, she remodeled La Calle Doce in East Dallas after it burned down. This home remodel isn’t quite complete. Campbell has plans for an outdoor kitchen near the pool.

This new kitchen is complete with modern amenities, like a built-in wine refrigerator and warming drawer.

Even from the street, the clean lines and square theme of the house is apparent.

If you pay attention, you’ll see those squares throughout the entire house, down to the square-shaped curtain rods and bathroom sinks.

“Front doors can be really expensive you can drop $1,500 on one easy. So instead, I just bought a glass-pane door for about $250, and then I had those squares sand blasted on the glass for about $100. I would encourage anybody who is trying to save money to explore that option.”

Campbell is full of money-saving tips, like her advice about going with a glass backsplash in the kitchen instead of tile.

“Glass is much less expensive than tile. In my kitchen, I had the back of the glass painted so that it matched the color scheme, and when I have guests over, I always get compliments on it. It’s something very different, which people love, and it’s easier to clean than tile.”

Most of those tips Campbell picked up through trial and error — much like her construction skills.

“I didn’t wake up one day and decide to be a contractor; it just happened to me. I started dabbling with small projects when I was in my 20s and fixing up rental properties, and I discovered I was pretty good at it.”

She continued doing home projects on the side, but worked full-time in the tech industry.

“But when the tech bubble finally burst, I was laid off. My friends and family encouraged me to start my own business, and slowly but surely, I did. I have been running my company for almost eight years now. It really wasn’t ever the plan; it just kind of happened on it its own and everything fell into place perfectly — that’s how I know I’m doing what I was meant to be doing.”

By using soft tones and clean lines, Campbell has created a living room that is modern yet cozy.

The square theme is carried throughout the house, as evidenced here with these shelves and frames.

Campbell also paid attention to detail, keeping with the square theme when selecting curtain rods.

Even the pets were taken into account during this remodel. Sasha, Campbell’s miniature pinscher, is able to access the back yard via her own little door, which she shares with the cat, Felicia.

Aside from having a knack for hands-on construction, Campbell says she realized she had an eye for design. When she purchased her home in 2008, for example, it was a two-bedroom, two-bathroom house — but Campbell envisioned a new design. She converted the original garage into a master suite with a large bedroom and attached bathroom, adding about 400 square feet of space and making her home a three-