We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Melissa Limehouse a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Melissa, thanks for joining us today. Covid has brought about so many changes – has your business model changed?

It’s probably safe to say 2020 was a transition year for all of us. Covid definitely added some new challenges from a business perspective for us at Haven Interior Design. I’d say that in the end, it helped us think creatively on how we can best serve our clients. We transitioned from mostly in-person meetings to mostly virtual meetings. This allowed us more flexibility in when we could meet with clients while also saving costs and time on transportation.

We still prefer to meet in person for a design presentation to build our client/designer relationships. But being able to meet virtually opened our eyes to more possibilities on reaching a wider audience. We were able to take on new clients in other states and see that the process can still work smoothly and effectively.

From a residential client standpoint, Covid put a larger emphasis on prioritizing quality of life in one’s home. So many people were now spending more time in their homes, and the need for it to function optimally was suddenly more important than it may have been in the past. They were spending the majority of their time there and wanted to enjoy and utilize their home to its full potential. This brought more business to us and a renewed appreciation for interior design.

Melissa, 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?

I am Melissa Limehouse, an interior designer and part owner of Haven Interior Design. Haven is based in South Carolina and serves many surrounding areas. We are a full service design firm and we have a strong background in construction design. We enjoy being brought in early to design the project from the studs up. Our projects include residential, commercial, and hospitality.

I started my interior design journey by sharing the love of architecture and design with my Mom. She used to take me through historic home tours and we always enjoyed admiring interior spaces. This led me to the University of Georgia, where I completed my interior design degree in Fine Arts. I then moved to Charleston, SC. to start my career. My design experience in Charleston included experience in education design, custom commercial cabinetry and millwork, commercial furniture, and finally residential interior design. From there, I set out with my business partner, Jamie Price, to create Haven Interior Design.

At Haven, we take the most pride in providing our clients with a space that is truly unique to them and their needs. A well-designed space should make day-to-day activities function with ease and enjoyment. We create spaces that people live their lives in, and we take that very seriously.

I think our strengths lie in truly wanting everyone involved in the project to have a positive experience. We believe communication is the key to that. We never want the client surprised by any part of the process and we detail out every step at the beginning for full transparency. We also project manage all aspects to allow the client to only be involved in the fun parts (or looking at the “pretty things,” as we like to say.) I think this passion and integrity is the core of what makes Haven successful.

How’d you meet your business partner?

Jamie Price and I met at a residential interior design firm in Charleston, SC. We often worked in tandem on projects and soon developed a quick connection and ability to anticipate the other’s needs. It became so obvious in fact, that our previous employers built a wall between our desks to “separate” us, as we tended to team up even on projects or areas we didn’t need to. We always joke that this just made our “mind melding” abilities stronger. It didn’t take long for us to realize that between the two of us, we had all the skills we needed to succeed in the interior design business on our own.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

My experience in Charleston is fairly diverse within the design field. It allowed me to be involved in many aspects of the design process (sales, conceptual design, drawing, project management, etc.). It also had me working on many different types of projects (university/education, custom cabinetry, commercial furniture, residential furniture, art, etc.) I believe this created a wide skill set and understanding of all types of design projects.

Through all of those experiences, I also worked alongside many industry partners. It’s those relationships and referrals that launched our business and continue to help it grow. The same is true for the clients I’ve had over the years. Strong communication and a passion for providing quality service has led to many return clients and referrals. Building those relationships through hard work, honesty, and kindness is the key to a positive reputation.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.havenint.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haveninteriordesign/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/haveninterior
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melissa-limehouse-984700b/

Image Credits
Photography by Leslie McKellar and Katie Charlotte