Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelley Dowling
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I kind of stumbled into decorating actually. I worked in government and nonprofits and had a real social justice bent, until I was laid off while heavily pregnant during the pandemic.
We were bringing a baby home to an apartment I hated, so instead of sourdough I dove into decorating and discovered just how powerful changing my space was for cultivating peace, joy, and rest in a home I couldn’t renovate. And I found I was really good at it.
I made a thousand mistakes, got a YouTube degree in room design, and started decorating spaces for my mom and sister just for fun. Then I had a dream about creating a decorating business that could use design to help people rebuild from the many terrible things that can happen in life, and well…about a month later I was reserving google domains and starting to go.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
If you mean life, then no! But I feel like hard lives make the best people, so I’m ok with that now.
As far as business, I’m still in the baby business stages so it’s hard to know. Will this idea work? Is there a market for my idea outside of people I know personally? I’m not sure yet, but I’ll report back.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m an interior decorator who works with busy millenial women who feel limited by both time and money. That alone makes me unique in the interior design industry – an industry obsessed with swoonworthy multi-million dollar projects for clients who want to be hands off. My clients come to me with a million questions and a lot of skepticism. They are used to be oversold and underdelivered. And a lot of what I do feels like therapy sometimes – addressing their worries and helping them feel a sense of hope in their homes.
I do eDesign, which is basically online interior design, so I give you guidance and a plan, and you implement at your pace and budget. And I really value designs being resilient and layered, so clients can ride the waves of trend and see their own personality reflected in the spaces. I don’t do single-style design, so if you come to me asking for a traditional moody aesthetic, we’re going to mix in other elements. That’s important and unique about a Balm Interiors space.
Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
My good friend Davina Adcock of Brooklynd’s Coffee and Tea really helped me with my website and marketing strategy. My husband Matt listens to lots of behind-the-scenes venting at least once a week when I’m feeling like a failure, and he has a great strategic mind to translate my lofty ideas into things that make sense. My daughter Anna has taught me how to celebrate the “sprinkles” of life instead of always trying to remove them. My business mentor Rhiannon of Oleander and Finch has a been a key part of my support team in my first year. And all my clients in this first year who have taken a chance on a new business, and given me lots of feedback to help me improve.
Pricing:
- Room Refresh eDesign starts at $197
- Total Transform eDesign starts at $341
- Gift Certificates and Gifting Available
- Free Decorating Advice ALWAYS over on Instagram
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.balminteriors.com/
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/balm_interiors
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/balminteriors/
- Other: http://pinterest.com/balmdecorating
Image Credits
All Balm Interiors Projects, Photos, and Mood Boards
