Hey there! If you’ve been following us on Insta or stumbled upon the Hive Interior Studio, you might be scratching your head and wondering, “Shannon, what the heck are you up to?” If so, you are in the right place, since I’m about to tell you.
Over the years, I’ve had friends and family and former clients asking, “Are you ever reopening your interior design biz?” My go-to response? “Hell no!” However, here I am, Shannon, along with my partner in crime, Cheryl Guest, diving back into the interior design game. And guess what? Our website opens straight to the blog page. What’s the deal with that, you ask? Great question!
Now, let’s rewind a bit to when I first dipped my toes into the world of design. Picture a younger, more fearless me going back to school, getting a design job, having a baby, and bam! Opening my own business. It was a whirlwind, juggling projects and family life until the great recession of 2008 hit. Cue the “recession job” and eventually the decision to bid farewell to my company.
Fast forward to 2012, I found myself working at Farrow & Ball, basking in the magical world of color for six fantastic years. I got to work with amazing people and for a wonderful company. Sadly, the showroom closed and I found my self adrift. What follows was series of roles – retail designer, showroom assistant, and tile/stone & decorative bath salesperson. Of course, the pandemic added its own flavor to this mix.
In 2021, I bid adieu to interior design, venturing into the marketing department of a real estate company. Loved it! I even dusted off my writing and graphic design skills from my magazine publishing days. Shortly after, Jeffrey Metilly, a longtime friend, who has his own design firm, needed a second set of design hands so I started helping him out in my spare time.
As most people know, 2022 wasn’t a stellar year for real estate, and alas, I got the pink slip from my marketing job in November. I missed it dearly, but Jeffrey’s projects kept me on my toes. He and I worked on exciting projects, one in particular was transforming a dilapidated suites hotel into a swanky modern apartment complex. The photos below are of the fireplace renovation for this project, to see more of the space, click here.
In the midst of all this, a little seed of an idea sprouted – my own design firm.
One big reason I hesitated to reopen my own company again was the loneliness of solo work. Enter Cheryl Guest, a close friend from the retail interior design days (umm, Crate & Barrel for those who are interested). We both shared a love for design and an entrepreneurial spirit. In July 2023, during a project lull with Jeffrey, I popped the question – “Wanna join me in this adventure called Hive Interior Studio?” Guess what? She said yes! But, I’ll let her share her story in an upcoming blog post about her journey.
Now, Cheryl had reservations about the blog part. Her words? “So, we’re gonna have design clients AND a blog? How does the blog make us money?” Initially, the blog was a visibility booster, but as I dove into writing and photo editing, I realized it was a sweet fusion of my writing and design passions. And when we discovered we could make a little extra money by recommending our favorite furniture and decor, we decided the blog was a go.
So, that’s my scoop. A couple of small projects down, and we’re eyeing some big ones in 2024. I won’t spill Cheryl’s beans, but she’s a wizard at real estate staging, and I’m all about crafting functional, gorgeous spaces. Stay tuned for Cheryl’s upcoming blog post – which will provide humor and profound insights into her journey into the design world.
