We were lucky to catch up with Patricia Davis recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Patricia thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
Beautiful home décor and fashion was ingrained in my life at an early age by my grandma, mom and aunts. My family was made up of fashion divas and home stylists who sewed and hand made their own clothes, home furnishings and even furniture. Creativity runs through my veins. When I created sntHOME Interior Design Retail Showroom I knew the fabrics, products and materials had to be organic, natural and sustainable in order to meet my strict criteria of living well, healthy and good.
My company had to be on the cutting edge of change, innovation and sustainability because the home decorating industry has literally turned into a nightmare of fast disposable products, filled with hazardous, dangerous and toxic chemicals that impact our health in severe, profound and negative ways. In addition, the items being made are ugly and limited in style and design. As a society we are being bombarded by big industry with products made using the cheapest materials possible and designed with obsolesce dates to ensure they go to the landfill in a timely manner in order to make way for new purchases again and again. I know it does not have to be this way and I wanted to create a company that would not only provide better resources and materials but educate consumers on why we do so. I knew this would work because the movement had already begun years ago with the introduction of organic and healthier food, it later moved to cleaner sustainable fashion and textiles. Then came USGBC (US Green Building Council) LEED certification program making it the right time to transition into interior design and home decorating. I felt in my heart that it was my job to be the pioneer of such change. Possessing an extensive background in the design industry, coming from a farm and having decades of experience in textiles with Degrees in Business-Fashion-Interior Design gave me the foundation to do so.
I was fortunate enough to be able to coin and copyright the term “Pure Conscious Design” to better describe what we do. “Pure Conscious Design” is comprehensive all-inclusive mindful creation of space, lifestyle and how we live. It’s awareness of the resources available for a better, more balanced, healthier, peaceful lifestyle through the incorporation of transformative practices that draw upon the use of ancient wisdom. This wisdom includes knowledge of Feng Shui, Celestial Design and Vastu Shastra. The design is free of fake materials and additives. It’s design without any extraneous and unnecessary elements, not mixed or adulterated. The creator is totally aware, sensitive to and alert of their choices. They have knowledge of and are connected to what they are creating and prefer to be in the know of how their space is designed.
PC Design also considers modern technologies such as Ergonomic Design to support movement-activity-functionality, the integration of blending nature with inside using Biophilic Design, Crystal Energy healing, air cleansing and purification, EMF interruption and reduction, the intentional creation of personal quiet space such as prayer alters, meditation nooks, yoga Zen rooms and spa inspired bathrooms.
Patricia, 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 help people decorate their homes with confidence and ease. Eliminate toxic furnishings, reduce dangerous chemicals to improve how they live. I’m from a small town in Mississippi called Abbeville. My father was a farmer. He grew vegetables, cotton and raised livestock so I’m a lover of the land, I understand it. My family fed most families in our town and several beyond from our farm. My mom always dressed me in ruffle panties, dresses and socks but I hated them. I was a tomboy and all I wanted was my baseball cap, pants and sneakers so I could climb trees, ride my bike hard and get into all kinds of mischief. One day I got mad and told her when I get old enough I’m going to make my own clothes-“I hate these dresses and panties.” So sure enough I started learning how to sew when I was six years old and I’ve never looked back.
I created my first company when I was twelve (TAG Enterprises) and my first contract was sewing the Cheerleader uniforms for both the high schools in my town. I got “Paid” a lot of money. I remember being laughed at in high school and college because I made my own clothes. I didn’t care, I loved creating and designing beautiful things. I studied Home Economics in high school and went on to attend Ole Miss (University of Mississippi) where I studied Fashion Merchandise, Interior Design, Marketing and Management. Now over fifty years later it has sustained and maintained who I am in ways I could have never imagined. Through my company I get the opportunity to create things no one else can or dare to. I’m a creative being and I don’t follow institutional rules, trends or self-imposed limits on the idea of what can and can’t be done.
The projects we do are bold, daring, outside the box and often intriguing. When it comes to interior design and decorating most people feel intimidated by the process. They are unsure and tend to rely on the advice and likes of other people around them-family and friends. This is by far the biggest mistake one can make- you’re really not making a decision for yourself; you’re relying on someone else to make it for you. So how could you possibly be happy with the outcome? My job is to empower clients with confidence, knowledge and resources enabling them to make their own decisions and create spaces and places that’s truly right for them. We have tools in place to help them identify and align with their feelings to define the purpose of the space. Our consultation and questionnaire digs deep to identify traits, desires and preferences that many people have either suppressed over the years or never realized they had. It’s so satisfying to witness someone making that discovery and opening up to ideas.
Most of our clients are searching for quality, high end fabrics that are not available in our city, we have them. Many consumers are disgusted with a recent furniture purchase, we help them find better pieces or simply create them. Some want to preserve family heirlooms, we clean them up, restore and reupholster. Others have serious concerns about the chemicals and VOC that are off gassing in their homes, making them sick and are looking for ways to reduce it. We have the answers. SntHOME represents 218+ fabric mills and brands from around the world and provide twenty-one services for soft interior design. Our network includes twelve workrooms in the greater Jacksonville-Orlando area and we’re so proud of providing work for them all. Keeping income within our community and supporting other small businesses is important to us.
We have worked with The Texas Organic Cotton Marketing Cooperative for years and use fabric created from their fields. We are a Partner of Cotton Leads (Sustainable Cotton Project), a member of Clay County Chamber of Commerce, named a 4-Leaf Sustainable Workplace Destination, USGBC (US Green Building Council) along with many other accolades. I actively participate on panels, am a published writer, speak and host events in the industry. One of my core values is to always maintain integrity in what I do and call out those who don’t. With the practice of greenwashing, word spinning and intentional misleading advertising I believe our clients appreciate our values now more than ever.
Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?
I was determined to open my Showroom because I knew that at this point in my life there was no other company I could work for, be happy and share my talents the way I wanted. I mindfully saved every penny I could and built a nest egg. I took on extra projects and each time I got paid the money went straight to the fund. I also received help from one of my sisters. Thank God for sisters. I told my
husband, sorry honey you’re going to have to pay all the bills for the house and maintain our family for the next two years without my help, so what could he say. He did and I am grateful. Once opened I was also able to secure a small business loan with the SBA and I’m actively seeking more funding for growth.
Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?
The Showroom has been open for fifteen months now. I grow my clientele using social media, targeted print advertising and email marketing. We just created a YouTube Channel. I’m a member of several groups and organizations and rely on networking opportunities as well. In addition, I created the Interior Design-Home Decorating & Lifestyle Event where every two months we invite the public to come in, tour the Showroom and listen to experts in the industry share updates, tips and tricks of the trade. The next event date can be found on our website. I also use my space to host other group’s meetings and events to bring in traffic. Because of the quality of our work clients talk about their service a lot to friends and family, so word of mouth referrals is big for us, too.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.snthome.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sntHOMEinteriordesignfabricsandupholstery/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricia-davis-53124435
Image Credits
Photos by: Rudy Arias and Assistant Neville Make Up by: Kelli Pospisil