Decorating a house can be overwhelming as much as it can be fun.
Depending on the person, deciding what lampshade goes with the carpet might be not be very high on the ‘to-do’ list.
For Darlene Smith, owner of Darlene’s Interior and Redesign in Euclid, helping people with their design choices is her bread and butter.
She started out in the business as a homestager in 2016, working for real estate companies and private individuals who wanted their homes to be decorated with little involvement or wanted someone with an eye for design to do it for them.
After getting advice from a religious leader to keep building her dream business, she decided to open up her own décor store in the Shore Cultural Centre in 2023.
“I got a prophetic word from a pastor who said I would have my own online store and brick and mortar boutique,” Smith said. “I figured they had to be talking about someone else, but I took the green light from the Lord and started looking for furniture and found the place at the Shore Cultural Centre.”
“Shore Cultural Centre allowed me to grow my business, to meet people that I wouldn’t have normally met,” Smith said. “I was able to embrace friendships and partnerships with people, and I think that was the start to be able to get in the door to be able to get seen.”
She was still deciding between staying in her hometown of Euclid or moving to Wickliffe. The choice was up in the air until she saw a literal sign in the bathrooms of the Shore Cultural Centre that gave her pause.
“Somebody had posted something on the wall that said, ‘Bloom where you’re planted’ and that was an eye opener for me,” Smith said. “I already know some of the people in Euclid, they know me, I’m gonna bloom right here where I’m planted.
“…I had went and looked at a place and was getting ready to sign a contract and I happened to go to the bathroom… and I decided I wasn’t going to move to Wickliffe.”
The outside of Darlene’s Interior and Redesign, 22048 Lakeshore Blvd in Euclid. (Frank Mecham- The News-Herald)
Her two and a half years at the center ended when she moved to her new location at 22048 Lakeshore Blvd. in December but she remains grateful to her time there as she hopes for more foot traffic as her current showroom is right off a main road in Euclid’s downtown area.
“And now that I’m here, I believe the foot traffic will be much better,” Smith continued. “I feel very good about it.
The small showroom has everything from pillows, trinkets, bowls, tables, chairs, loveseats and corner couches.
The selection might be smaller than big box stores, however one benefit of shopping local, Smith said, is she can offer advice and more hands-on customer service than corporate stores because she knows exactly what she has and what will stylistically work at a clients house.
“This is a one stop shop for creative design,” Smith said. “You have upholstery, I have redesign and homestaging and then you can purchase items for your home — a one stop shop for décor.”
She said everything that gets put on the showroom has gone through her own process to meet certain quality standards and that she sources her items from warehouses, estate sales, and associates who give her tips on where she can find new and used products.
Different home goods are pictured inside Darlene’s Interior and Redesign in Euclid. (Frank Mecham- The News-Herald)
Chairs and other furniture can be purchased from Darlene’s Interior and Redesign. (Frank Mecham- The News-Herald)
While she does offer lots of new products, she also fixes items that have seen better days by reupholstering and restoring them so they can get more life in a new home.
“I kind of liken it to the metamorphosis of a caterpillar to a butterfly,” Smith said. “That’s what I do with furniture, because I reupholster furniture, I redesign spaces and take what others don’t like and rearrange it and make it become beautiful.
“And that’s what God has done for my life, too,” she added. “I did not have a good upbringing. As I look back on my life I didn’t even like arts and crafts… Every color I looked at was grey… and now I can appreciate color.
“I want to say to Euclid; thank you for having me here,” she continued. “I’m glad that I made the right decision to stay here and everyone’s been very warm and embracing. Thank you for embracing me and for supporting me in these endeavors.”
Online purchases can be made at www.darlenesinterior.com where current hours and other information about shopping in person can be found.