Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Marisol Graham. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Marisol, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to start by getting your thoughts on what you are seeing as some the biggest trends emerging in your industry

One of the biggest trends that I have seen in home decor and design is use of black and white with metallic pops of color. Such as a black couch with a white-washed coffee table and some silver or gold accent pieces on the table. I have seen people still wanting to bring the outdoors in with more live plants around their spaces. I have seen a trend that some have still held over from Covid and wanting to create a calming relaxed space to live in. To also surround themselves with those things that bring them joy to see.

Part of the mission statement for my company is we offer unique and eclectic home decor and accessories. Making your home feel like YOUR home. Many people associate eclectic as being haphazard and loud. The definition of eclectic is deriving ideas, style, or taste from a broad and diverse range of sources. I believe this goes along with the trends that I am seeing in Architectural Digest, Pinterest, HGTV and House Beautiful. There is an eclectic cohesiveness that isn’t haphazard but brings in elements that are a comfort to the homeowner and mix it with other elements that convey the sense of style that best fits the person.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I am the owner of Baxter Graham Design LLC. I am also an artist. My company started as a graphic design company many years ago. I loved working with new business owners helping them to develop their brand and see their vision. When my son was born my priorities changed. I continued to create art but moved from graphic design to designing pillows and decor with my artwork. I pivoted again when Covid changed the world. I moved forward with the home decor full force and began bringing in pieces from other companies.

My love for entrepreneurs and their story continues through my business. Many of the pieces I source and bring in were created by small businesses and artisans. I also became the local leader for the Spring chapter of Women’s Council of Entrepreneurs (WCE). Through the WCE I continue to help bring business owners together and have an opportunity to offer some resources for growth.

I, myself, connected with a business owner through the WCE to offer an e-design service for my customers. Helping customers to envision the refresh of a space in their home and create a budget they can work at their own pace to achieve.

Any fun sales or marketing stories?

One of the risks that I took was to open a physical location during Covid. It was a calculated risk though. I opened my location through a company called Painted Tree Boutiques. Painted Tree Boutiques offers a variety of sizes in spaces within one building that you may rent. You are able to design your space according to your brand and esthetic. Painting the space, furniture, etc. I was able to have a physical location without having to hire employees to work the store, pay for utilities, pay for insurance, maintenance and so many other expenses that are part of having a brick-and-mortar store. Painted Tree takes care of all of that.

Not having that overhead has allowed me to open 3 locations through The Painted Tree. I have expanded my physical locations to Champions, Cinco Ranch and Kingwood. It has helped with an opportunity to market the company and our online presence.

It was a big investment opening the first location and a little overwhelming, but I took several breaths then used my graphic design experience to design my space through a program I had. Figuring dimensions. researching display pieces, trying different paint colors and furniture placement. Doing this helped me to keep a budget and utilize the space the best way I could. This helped ease my mind when it came time to move into the space and use this method with each new location I open.

We’d love to hear about you met your business partner.

I own Baxter Graham Design LLC, but I share my locations in Painted Tree Boutiques with my sister, Sabrina Scism. She owns S.O.S. Door Decor and more. We decided if we shared the space, it would minimize some of the expenses even further. My sister designs and creates wreaths, swags, garland, etc. We felt this would be a perfect complement to the home decor that I sell. I love her wreaths and they sell well. Being sisters, we have been able to work well with each other. It has been a great experience sharing this part of the business plan with her.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.baxtergraham.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/baxtergrahamdesign
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/baxtergrahamdesign

Image Credits
Photos taken by Caylie Barnett