Hi
My name is Angela and I was born and raised in Pittsburgh. You can read my full story below, but the cliff notes are this; I am an Interior Designer who loves hands-on work and hates sitting at a desk. All of my friends tell me I either need to write a book or have a podcast, so if anyone out there needs a project, has extra money, and needs a good laugh, let me know. Ghostwriters could not make up the things that happen to me.
My Story
After graduating from IUP with an Interior Design degree, I moved to Washington DC for 18 years, where I proceeded to not use my degree, but paid it off by working 60 hours a week as an Office Manager (first at a medical office and then a large architecture firm). I also bartended for 17 years on the side so I could afford to live in DC. While there, I learned how to live in small spaces and utilize every inch of my studio apartments until I saved up enough to buy my first 500 square foot condo.
I always missed doing hands-on design, and I was able to find a part-time furniture staging job which made me realize I needed to get back to doing what I love. Organization comes naturally to me. I love taking chaos and making it pretty. I've learned over the years how to deal with all different types of personalities, and appreciate the close relationships I have with my clients. One minute we're picking out paint colors, and the next, we're knee deep in the coat closet looking through baby pictures.
Anyway, let's fast forward to the pandemic. 2020 was everyone's favorite year and we all still love to talk about it. I was in Las Vegas when everything happened. It was surreal. Our hotel kicked us out, we changed our flights, I came home, and my office shut down the next day. I lived and worked in downtown DC, so I saw everything first hand. The riots, vandalism, Capitol attack, you name it. I saw businesses getting boarded up, and all of my favorite mom-and-pop shops shut down. As a single person, my life consisted of traveling, going to concerts, and hanging out at bars and restaurants. My world, essentially, had ended. I knew I needed to make a change, and it was time to come back to Pittsburgh. So, here I am, restarting my life in my 40's.
I now share an office space in the heart of downtown Pittsburgh with one of my best friends, who I could not have made this transition without. I don't have a car, I take the T to work every day, and am enjoying getting reacquainted with the city after all these years.
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I have no plans on becoming a millionaire. I want to do what I love and to make a difference in people's lives. There is no better feeling than seeing a client's reaction when I finish a project, or having them tell me they are now using a room they never imagined they would, with stuff they already had.
I believe in recycling, reusing and repurposing things. I believe if I can reinvent a room without the client having to buy new items, I am doing my job as a designer. I appreciate people who understand what you see on HGTV is not real life, nor what I do. You won't see me in heels and long nails with full makeup and hair, walking around with a drill like they show on TV. At any given time I have at least 10 bruises, paint somewhere I can't see until someone points it out, and chipped glittery nail polish, because glitter covers everything.
I love thrift shopping, and appreciate antiques of all kinds on an elevated level. I don't use social media. I never have, and I never will. I look forward to proving everyone wrong who says I cannot operate without it. I believe in human interaction, and will continue to grow my business by promoting in-person communication. I believe in helping each other, supporting our communities and local businesses, and would like to collaborate with anyone who is interested in doing the same. I am thankful to have a good support system here and am embracing this next chapter.
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Thanks for reading!