3 minute read
DESIGNING WOMEN
HOME and Cabin
DESIGNING WOMEN
Mother welcomes daughter into her interior design business
BY TOBIAS ROMANIUK
MARIE BISHOP has been helping people love their space for decades. Now her daughter Holli, who recalls learning about colour and furniture placement as a child watching her mom work, is joining her. It’s not a retirement plan, though, Marie is quick to establish.
Age aside, Marie has put a lifetime into her career. She graduated from interior design school in 1979 and has been working in the field ever since, with nearly 20 years spent running Marie Bishop Interiors. At this point in her life, she’s earned an enjoyable retirement. So was bringing Holli on board a way of passing the torch? Not exactly. This is more about coaxing embers into flames.
Growing up, watching her mom work, Holli always found interior design interesting. But she took a different career path. She earned a university degree and then spent years working in customer service in both the private sector and for government. In recent years she’s been a full-time mom to three children. Now with her youngest entering school, she has time to pursue her own interests again and spend more time working with her mom. In recent months, Holli has been working on the company’s online presence, recognizing a need to expand their reach.
“I want people who aren’t aware that she’s out there to know that she’s out there,” says Holli of her approach to this new communication plan. “I want to reach out to people who might not hear about her through word of mouth, but might see her on Facebook or Instagram.” Holli’s taken the lead on boosting their social media presence and launched a new company website, MarieBishopInteriors.com. She even enticed her mom to become a blogger.
Where Marie has all the interior design knowledge and instinct, Holli brings a different skillset to the table. It turns out there’s a lot about interior decorating that has nothing to do with design and everything to do with how people think and feel. Holli’s psychology degree and background in customer service are proving invaluable. In fact, when asked about what makes for a successful home design or renovation, neither Holli nor Marie talk about style trends or material choices.
“It’s not the stuff, it’s the feeling,” says Holli. That feeling is one of loving your space, of feeling secure, comfortable and happy.”
“I think,” says Marie, “home should nurture who you are, and feed your soul and feed your body, and make you feel good to be there and glad to get home at the end of the day. That’s what a home is. If it looks good, even better.”
Good design begins with good communication. Marie explains it as a process of discovery, asking questions in an effort to learn what a client likes, how they live, how they spend their time and what they need from their home. Getting a person to open up about their life and how they spend their time at home, is a skill every bit as important as Marie’s design and decorating skills. Without that valuable homeowner input, Holli explains, it’s just a bunch of pretty stuff.
“I just want people to be interested in their houses and love their space. That’s my motto – Love Your Space,” says Marie. “Because personally, I really do think that if you’re comfortable in your house… you’re going to be comforted and supported and nurtured in your space. I really feel strongly about that, and I think everybody needs to feel that in their space.”
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