Jacqueline Spooner, Patricia Small, & Leanne Heslop

Every Tuesday morning the 11 interior designers at the House of Design meet together at 8:30 a.m. They talk about their weekends, about their families, about whose birthday is coming up and, oh yeah, maybe a little bit about the business too. In the last 14 years, the House of Design has grown into an established and respected company on the Island. Although the talent of the designers is evident, what makes the business so unique is the genuinely loving and caring relationships that the designers have with one another,  as well as with many of their clients.

As I sat down with Jacqueline Spooner, Patricia Small and Leanne Heslop, three of the five original founders of the company, I immediately felt as if I was among family. They teased, they bantered, they corrected each other and finished one another's sentences, and they joked about how the company began 14 years ago. "We had all been part of a co-op designer firm that went under, so five of us decided to stick together and start our own company. We met at a Shoney's and came up with names for the company, and then drew one out of a hat. Then we picked numbers and assigned duties based on the numbers. For example, I was number one so I got to pick the location of the studio," Jacqueline recalled. Patty jumped in, "and those numbers have stuck with us over the years. I am still extension number four to this day."

Those five ladies built the company from scratch, and in doing so they created a bond with one another that has grown to be seemingly unbreakable. "We have a huge loyalty to one another, and that is rare. We've been fortunate that all the personalities have gelled; everyone's a team player and there is no competition," Leanne said. "We've also become just like a family," Jacqueline added. "My kids were three and seven when we started the business, so Leanne and Patty have literally been their second mommies. The same with Patty's kids who we've seen go through high school and college, and Leanne has six kids and 14 grandkids that we've all helped raise. It's also been great because we've had that flexibility to be there for our kids, yet we always knew the shop was being taken care of." "You mean showroom?" Patty corrected. Jacqueline smiled, "she doesn't like it when I call it a shop."

Of course the ladies have dealt with their share of ups and downs over the years, both professionally and personally, but their ability to work through them together has continually been the source in strengthening their bond to one another. Several years ago, Patty was diagnosed with stage three Ovarian Cancer. One of the ladies brought in a big watermelon one day, and they all went outside and beat the fruit to death to "get the cancer" out. "We laughed about it and cried about it, but I've often thought that if I didn't have this job to come to and my coworkers to confide in I just would have sunk lower and lower into a depression," Patty said.  

Besides the deep loyalty the designers have for one another personally, there is also a clear display of respect for each other professionally. "These are some very talented designers sitting right here," Leanne beamed about her coworkers. They pride themselves in being able to adjust to any style and take on any job, from arranging furniture and hanging pictures to designing entire houses from scratch. They also carry their loving and compassionate natures into the relationships they have with their clients and reps, always being the first to offer to decorate someone's Christmas tree or invite a client to their homes to discuss their designs over a meal.

So what is the recipe for a successful business? A touch of consideration, a dash of respect, a heaping spoonful of love; let sit for 14 years - it will keep getting better with age. "I don't know what I would do if I ever retired from designing and I couldn't come here every day," Leanne said. "Now don't say that, say you are grateful for the experiences you've had and the relationships you've built, and you plan to continue your work as long as you are able to," Patty chimed in. "Oh that's good, say that," Leanne shot a smile towards her coworkers. Congratulations on 14 fantastic years together ladies. Here's to another 14 plus that are just as sweet.

Up Close:

A motto of the company: Find your style
A unique tradition: They throw two birthday parties a year where they all get together outside of work and celebrate everyone in the company's birthdays.
Advice from the experts on relationships: "Communication and trust are the key ingredients in any relationship, both professionally and personally. Open communication lets people know where you stand and shows that you know where they're coming from." - Jacqueline
Advice from the experts on design: "Even if you are redesigning something completely, always bring your favorite things with you. They hold memories, and can always be incorporated into a design." - Leanne