We recently connected with Casey Scharnhorst and have shared our conversation below.

Casey, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you open up about a risk you’ve taken – what it was like taking that risk, why you took the risk and how it turned out?

I’m not a natural risk taker. In fact, I’m quite the opposite. I like processes and predictable outcomes and I’m likely the biggest overthinker you’ll probably ever meet. So, the decision to leave my job and go all in on my dream of starting my own business was not a decision made lightly, but still one of the biggest risks I’ve ever taken.

My husband and I had spent several years discussing and planning for me to follow my dream and make a move into the decorating and design field. It was very important to both of us that we be in the right place financially to set ourselves up for success. Looking back, I am so thankful that we took this time to plan the way we did, because it gave me the time I needed to clarify my business plan and goals. For me, the biggest initial challenge was overcoming my own lingering self-doubt.  How would I explain leaving a steady job to go all in on a dream? What would people think? What if I failed? These questions had replayed in my head for years.  But more importantly, what if I never tried?

I still remember the exact moment that my doubt finally subsided and I decided that it was time to take the step and make it happen. I was driving to work one morning and I heard the song “All In” by Matthew West. I had heard the song many times before, but that day something about it hit differently in my heart. I remember my eyes filling up with tears and feeling this overwhelming sense of peace that everything was going to be okay. It was the first time that my thinking shifted from focusing on what might go wrong to what might go right if I just took the step.

Putting yourself out there creatively is absolutely terrifying. There’s no doubt about it. There is no part of entrepreneurship that’s easy, but I’ve learned that humility and grace are two of my biggest allies on this journey. I’ve been so incredibly fortunate to have so many family members and friends in my corner from day one. Every day I am learning, growing, and building a business that I am proud of. One year later from taking my biggest leap of faith yet, and I can honestly say with conviction that there is nothing about my decision that I would change.

Casey, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Decorating and design have always brought me immense joy. Even as a young girl, I loved being surrounded by pretty things and the idea of having a small shop has always been appealing to me. Growing up, my mom worked as an interior decorator and sold home décor, so I guess you could say it’s been in my blood from the beginning.

Refuge Interiors by Casey has evolved so much over the years, but it really all began in 2019, when I bought and flipped my first piece of vintage furniture. At the time, I knew in my heart that I wanted to do something with decorating and design, but I wasn’t clear just yet on what that could be. Over the next year or so, I occasionally flipped a furniture piece or two while still working my full-time job, but I also started planning for what my next step might be.

At that time, I had been sourcing vintage and antique pieces for my own home for a few years. I began to fall in love with the history and character that they bring to a space. When I met my husband, his love of history and learning fueled my love of antiques and vintage pieces even more. Antiquing became something we enjoyed together, and a regular part of our routine whenever we would visit a new city. I quickly realized that sourcing beautiful pieces and styling them was what I loved most.

Decorating my home had always been my outlet where I could retreat and create – my refuge – and styling with pieces my husband and I found together made the experience even better.

Over the next few years, I began to get serious about learning everything I could about building a business and a brand. In 2021, I took on my first design project and over the next couple years, my husband and I started really planning for me to make the move toward following my dream. I began putting more into building my business, refining my skills, starting my website, and building my confidence. I took on a few more design projects and then in 2023, I finally went all in.

Today, Refuge Interiors by Casey offers decorating and design services, an online shop full of curated vintage home accents, and a blog full of decorating tips and how to’s, shoppable style guides, and home interior inspiration.

I believe home is a place of retreat, and my passion for what I do comes from my genuine desire to make the world beautiful through decorating and design.

I aim to create classic and collected interiors infused with warmth and lived-in luxury. I strive to help my clients, customers, and readers create elevated and livable spaces that balance timeless style and contemporary simplicity.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

My mission is to continue to create beauty through decorating and design for as long as I can.  I genuinely and wholeheartedly believe that I am doing exactly what I was meant to do, and having the opportunity to build a business and a brand that is authentic to what I love has been an incredible experience.

I’m a dreamer at heart and I believe in hard work, discipline, and perseverance when it comes to chasing any dream and achieving success. My goal for my business is simple: better than yesterday. I want to continue to learn, grow, and move forward as a decorator, designer, curator, and business owner every day.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The most rewarding piece of what I do will always be the positive feedback from my clients and customers. When I create a design concept and my clients see what their space could be for the first time and they love it, it humbles me. When I hear them acknowledge that I listened to them, or that I helped them reimagine their space in a way they never thought possible, it motivates me. When I spend time sourcing pieces for the shop and putting a collection together to share, and I hear my customers say they love my finds or that I have a great eye, it shatters any lingering self-doubt.

Each time I am able to meet the needs of my clients and customers, it adds fuel to my fire. Starting and building any business is a daily grind, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without the continued support of my clients and customers.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.refugeinteriorsbycasey.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/refugeinteriorsbycasey/
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/RefugeInteriorsbyCasey/
• Other: www.pinterest.com/refugeinteriorsbycasey/

Image Credits
Madeline Paige Photography