A New Decade!

Happy New Year!

Hard to believe we've entered a new decade.  Over the past few weeks, I've spent quite a bit of time thinking about the past 10 years.  I spent the better part of it building the Dwell by Cheryl brand and business from the ground up.  Here's a look back at my very blog first post on January 1, 2012.  Wow (and yikes)!  I spent this next few years working hard to turn my passion into my career and five years later, on January 1, 2017, that's exactly what I did.  I wrote all about it here.  And well...you know the rest. 

If you've been around here for any length of time you know that the last couple of years have been nothing short of amazing.  A recap wouldn't do it justice, so I'll just leave it at that.

While it's been an amazing ride, none of it has been easy.  Last year was filled with highs and lows and riddled with lots of learning lessons.  To be expected, I suppose.  In preparation for the new year, my team spent a few days locked away reviewing the past year and planning for the new one. We spent a lot of time on our mission and core values.  It seems that in recent months, these things have become more and more clear.  

It's been interesting to see our business evolve over time. It's even more exciting to feel the greater sense of alignment with purpose lately. 

We had the pleasure of working on some amazing projects last year...

Got some pretty darn good press...

...and we can hardly wait to see what 2020 and this new decade has in store.  All I can say is, buckle up, it's going to be a fun ride!  

Happy New Year!

2016 Year In Review

Today seems the perfect day to take a look back at an epic year. It is after all, my final day at my corporate job.  If you think about it, I'm not only closing out the year, but I'm also closing the chapter on a large part of my adulthood to date. 

If I had to sum up 2016 with one word, it would be...completion. The year began with a sermon my Pastor preached that I'll likely never forget entitled, Partial is Not Enough.  I blogged about it here in my first post of 2015. That thirty-minute sermon solidified what I needed to do for the remainder of the year.  You see, I had determined that "partial" wasn't enough for me either.  I wanted ALL that I was destined for, so I set out to finish what I'd started five years ago. 

For starters, I began the year with the launch of my new Dwell by Cheryl Interiors website.  I love it as much as year later, as I did on the day we went live.

Steve and Lauren of The Brand Affect did a wonderful job pulling the site together.

Shortly thereafter, came a feature in The Folio segment of QC Exclusive magazine.  What an honor it is for editors to contact me about my work and to be featured in local and national publications. 

Later, I was asked to serve as a regular contributor on the Pride Magazine website.  I've had a blast sharing informative posts on the site over the past year. 

I continued work on client projects and completed two of the most fun kid's room to date. 

They may reside in the same home, but they couldn't be more different- the kid's and the rooms. 

I celebrated my 40th birthday with Black Southern Belle where I was a speaker at the Charlotte Tastemaker's Event. 

Photo courtesy of Denise Benson Photography

I hit a major milestone when I was contacted mid-year regarding a book that I'd be included in.  There are no words to explain how amazing it was to see my work published IN A BOOK!

Hoffman Media 

I pulled together another quick One Day Design Plus project for a cool family, just in time for a few summer guests.

 

In the Fall, the popular fabric company Schumacher contacted me regarding the use of their iconic Pyne Hollyhock chintz fabric in my bedroom.  They asked to feature it on social media and in their upcoming quarterly bulletin.  I found myself on the page with the likes of some renowned designers. 

 I've got to say, it was also pretty cool to see my projects featured in the Charlotte Observer a couple of times this year.

Just as the cold weather began to blow in, I was blown away by the offer to have one of my projects as the featured Room of the Day on Houzz.com. 

Room of the Day: Vibrant Style in a Teen Artist’s Bedroom

The folks over at Anne Neilson Fine Art did a wonderful Dwell by Cheryl profile on their blog.  If you haven't read it, GO check it out.  They made me sound ahhh-mazing!  : )  

I rounded off the year with a feature in Charlotte's own, Pride Magazine, where I shared a number of the benefits and services that Interior Designers can offer. 

 In between it all, I managed to sneak in a couple of home improvement projects of my own...

Front Porch

Master Bath Makeover  

Probably most notable for me, was the culmination of a six year long commitment to complete a Residential Design Program.  It's actually difficult to believe I'm actually finished.  I think I'm as proud of this Diploma as I am my original Degree. 

 So today, as I walk out of my office building for the very last time, I'm so very appreciative of the opportunities that my first career afforded me.

I now see how so much of what I've learned over the past 15 years has prepared me for what lies ahead.  I stand in great anticipation of what's next for me and Dwell by Cheryl Interiors. Buckle up, it's about to get good...

Happy New Year!