JOURNEY TO WILLABY WAY
My journey to Willaby Way has been nothing like I planned, but like God’s plan always is, it’s been way better than I ever could have dreamed. After earning a degree in Public Relations and Graphic Design from Northwestern College in Orange City, IA, I continued on to Dakota County Technical College where I earned my A.A.S. degree in Residential Interior Design.
After working for a residential remodeling company for a number of years, I started Willaby Way in the summer of 2020. It felt like a leap of faith to start my own interior design company, but it has grown me in so many ways and I am truly so grateful for the opportunity to build my dream.
FAMILY + FAVORITES
I’m a small town girl at heart and grew up on a farm in southwest Minnesota, but now live in White Bear Lake, MN with my husband and high school sweetheart, Matt.
We welcomed our daughter, Saylor, in January 2022 and our son, Levitt, in November 2023. The combination of being a mom to my sweet kiddos while also running an interior design company is such a blessing and I’m thankful for it every day, even amidst the chaos!
When I’m not designing, I love running on the trails by our house, going for walks with the kids, making sourdough bread, reading, and leading a small group through our church.
DESIGNING AS A DREAM
Ever since I was 7 years old, I’ve been fascinated with design. I used to create floor plans to rearrange my room, present the ideas to my parents, and even use graph paper to prove it could be done. Since I shared a room with my sister, I also made sure to get her on board with my new plan too. They may have thought nothing of it at the time, but that was the start to my love of design. I can remember checking out design books at my local library, spending hours creating houses in Sims, and drawing up bedroom plans for my family and friends.
To see my passion for design come full circle as this is now my actual job feels like such a dream.
OUR HOME
In July of 2019, we bought our first home and have loved updating it over the years. It’s a 90s build and was filled with golden oak, popcorn ceilings, and bright brass finishes.
Through YouTube videos, hours of painting, scraping ceilings, and finding pieces from Facebook Marketplace and thrift stores, we’ve made it into a home that we love.
One of my favorite things to say is “home takes time” because it truly does. Ours has evolved over time as we’ve added kids to our family and we continue to find new ways to make it our own.
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