Today we’d like to introduce you to Stacie Graves.
Hi Stacie, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I discovered Interior Design while studying at Utah State University. Right after completing my degree, I started a design firm with a friend, which we loved running until she moved out of state.
I was offered an opportunity to work at an architecture firm, and then a high end residential firm, where I grew my portfolio and loved working with a variety of different clients.
While working in the field, I was in the midst of growing my family, and needed a shift so I could spend time with my 2 little boys. Right as my second son was being born, I took the leap and went full time at my own firm, EDIT Design House. Starting from a desk in the laundry room, and presenting from my kitchen table, I eventually opened a small studio space, hired an assistant, and continued to grow from there.
Eventually, we outgrew our space and moved to a new location with room for Retail Space , a Showroom, and more team members. We have grown and changed bit by bit. We now have a team of 7 including designers, social media, procurement and more.
We are a collaborative bunch and love the journey of continuing to shift and grow.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has generally been an upward trajectory, with lots of dips and rises on the path.
Challenges have definitely come up in the form of employees who weren’t a good fit – who took things into their own hands and treated clients & projects differently from our core ethics. We’ve had clients who weren’t a great fit, that we had to continue to serve throughout completion of their projects, and tradesman who have dropped the ball on getting things done. There have been dry spells when we didn’t have enough work, and we have also missed out on great projects due to not having enough staff for the volume of work. We’ve had to adjust our pricing model – sometimes having under charged, and then working through how to not overcharge.
We still see hiccups on everyday parts of the process, but have learned so much in our approach to solving problems, and turning challenges into successes.
We’ve learned so much in being able to advocate for our clients to get them the projects they dreamed of. We’ve learned how to systematize our process and record our mission and ethics. We have developed marketing strategies and beautiful marketing materials that really help us present ourselves in our best light. Most importantly, we have developed a team with a rich culture of positivity, problem-solving, work ethic, and gracious interactions.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
We use Interior Design to help people perfect their story.
Much like a publishing house edits an author’s ideas and turns them into something ready for publication, we take people’s dreams about their space, and who they are in that space, and then in our Design House, we EDIT their ideas to make their vision come to life.
We truly believe that your space can change your life. When you wake up every morning in a space that represents the essence of your hopes and dreams, it holds the power to place you confidently in the world. It becomes the social proof that you are every bit of the highest version of yourself. Upon returning home each night, you are surrounded by permission to dream even bigger tomorrow.
I am most proud of how our stunning portfolio and how the level of projects has grown. With each client, we publish a keepsake magazine EDITorial about their project. The cover, the articles, the pictures are all about how transformative their space is. It is a celebration of the investment they made in improving their surroundings, and remains another form of proof that they are in their next-level existence.
Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
I always loved school, socializing, and being creative. Anything art-related didn’t count as “work” to me. I considered it fun, and consequently didn’t count it as my “favorite subject” – because it felt like it was in the same category as recess. I have loved learning everything from photography, pottery and jewelry making to watercolor and acrylic painting. I love the process of making something out of just a few materials and the ideas in my head.
I would frequently rearrange the furniture in my parent’s home, and for my birthday, I would occasionally ask for a gallon of paint instead of a toy – so I could paint the walls in my room.
We moved a handful of times, when I was young which helped me learn how to meet new people and establish myself in a new social circle. I loved making friends and rarely stopped talking. My favorite friends were those who would want to bake cookies with me, dream up big ideas, or do something creative.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.editdesignhouse.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/editdesignhouse/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/editdesignhouse/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/17961686/admin/dashboard/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@EDIT-Design-House
- Other: https://www.houzz.com/pro/editdesignhouse/__public
