I’ve been interested in design for some time now. But I’ve wondered where I and my work fits in to helping others achieve their dreams. I enjoy decorating my own home and helping friends do the same. I looked up to other designers and analyzed how they’ve found their niche, and while it might be obvious now, I’ve wondered, “Where do I fit? How can I contribute to this vast world of design?”
Here’s how it all began…or sort of began. I’ve always had a thing for chairs. And I felt strange because of it. Who else around me loves chairs? No one. Until one day  when I heard Nate Berkus declare the same thing on his show! (Remember when he had his own daytime afternoon show? Boy, how I miss it!) Wow, I thought, I’m not the only one! 

I knew I couldn’t go back to school and earn another degree—I worked full time and had a family that depended on my income. And, I had already been through many years of school including a graduate degree. I had an education, but it just wasn’t in design.
Since I loved chairs and had tried my hand at reupholstering several chairs as well as a love seat, I thought it would be fun to actually take a class to learn something about the art of upholstery. I believed this would be my way into the world of design. One class led to another and I learned a lot…primarily how doing it the “right” way is so much easier. In my class, all six students brought in a chair that they wanted to reupholster. We spent the six weeks working on each of our chairs, troubleshooting along the way. Since each of us had different types of chairs, we learned tips and tricks for upholstering all types of chairs…how to tie springs, bolster support, repair wood, etc.  I do upholstery for the sake of design.

Just after finishing a few courses, I opened my Etsy shop. Over the past five years I’ve grown my business restoring all sorts of chairs. I’ve exhibited at several shows including the Marburger Farm Antique Show. I’ve taken interior design courses that taught me how to hand render sketches of interiors as well as interior design business classes.
I’ve always had in the back of my mind that I would move on from chairs at some point and do only interior design. It’s always good to get input from experts and I began meeting with people from various backgrounds asking for advice on growing my business of design. I received great advice from everyone, but one piece of advice stood out more than any other…”Be true to your roots.” It came at the very end of a meeting with a marketing expert.
I walked away from that meeting feeling conflicted…shouldn’t I be moving on from chairs into the “great world” of design work? Certainly that’s what I felt that I should be doing.  Those five words haunted me for months…Be true to your roots. I wondered, What does that mean for me? 
I believed I was taking the steps that were expected of me, but in reality, I only needed to “be Wendy” and look for my unique niche. I had to be true to who I was and what I loved. And most importantly, be true to what I’m good at. What I had to realize is that doing custom furniture design is my calling. That work is “my roots.” It’s where I started. Sure, I still want to do interiors as well as some other jobs in the design world, but there are so few people who can really specialize in what I do—custom chair design. I’m good at it, and I’m working to get better all the time. And, I enjoy doing it.

Sometimes it takes a while to learn how to be comfortable with the talents you’ve been given, or most importantly, to realize their worth. Whatever those talents are for you, embrace them, grow in them, and improve at what you do. And remember this advice: Always be true to your roots. It’s the key to your future success.