From Minnesota to Michigan to LA and everywhere in between, life for Wendy Yeakley has been interesting to say the least. But after having established a relationship with a Banker who took a job at First Union, Yeakley settled in Charlotte and for the last 17 years has called the Queen City home.
As a high school student, Yeakley wanted to study Interior Design; however, her high school counselor encouraged her to pursue a career in Medical Technology. After she started her lab career, she began taking design classes from a small college in Michigan. On a flight one day, Yeakley says, I ended up sitting next to Northwest Airlines flight attendant recruiters. Before I knew it, they had convinced me to have an interview and a couple of months later, I had a boarding hat on in route to Tokyo on a 747. This crazy unexpected career detour offered me the time to study more design and see the world. For me, this became a study of architectural styles, art, people, and cultural styles, all very useful in Interior Design.
With her career choice having come full circle, Yeakley finally was able to follow her heart with the opening of Homestyles Interior Design. She has been designing projects in Charlotte ever since. As part of her design studio staff, Yeakley has two associates: Brittany Raines, an IIDA Associate and fellow interior designer who has been a part of Yeakleys team for six years, and Lindsay Sartorio, who lives in Raleigh and manages the Homestyles Raleigh office. Both Raines and Sartorio have their own clients; however, when large projects come across Yeakleys desk, they partner up with Yeakley working on projects throughout the Charlotte and Triangle areas. Donna Campoli, whose role it is to keep the office in good working order does a wonderful job. This allows us, says Yeakley, to focus on being creative.
Our design projects follow a specific process, says Yeakley. They begin by meeting the client and discussing their needs and determining the scope of the project while also getting to know each other and determining their style and vision. Some of our clients prefer to have a lot of input while others just want it completely designed, estimated, and presented to them with drawings and samples. We strive to make them feel comfortable and to trust us.
Homestyles Interior Designs reflects a knowledge base from Modern to Old World, a vast scope of information. My personal tastes, says Yeakley, is somewhere in between and casual. An aspect of interior design Yeakley enjoys is outdoor entertaining and dining areas. Most of the same principles apply to outdoor design, such as space, scale, lighting, styling, and color. We frequently do scaled drawings for outdoor spaces just like we would for a clients living room, says Yeakley.
Comfort, durability, and appropriate styling for the space–outdoor furniture is an investment and when selected well can stand the test of time and provide an enjoyable space to spend with the ones we love. For those who like to do the work themselves, Yeakley advises to have a good plan and to stick with it. Watch shows or read up on projects, and if you want a fire pit, most home improvement stores sell kits for making your own.
Of all the projects she has worked on in Charlotte, Yeakley has no specific favorite. Rather, she is proud of all her accomplishments and especially the relationships she has developed with her clients. In regards to when Wendy is not working on a design project, Yeakley smiles and says, I love planting flowers and making fresh floral arrangements. Decorating for the holidays is very enjoyable as well. And when I have a moment to relax, theres a chaise lounge waiting for me on the patio where I can curl up with a good book.
For further information visit www.homestylesinteriordesign.com, send an email to Wendy at wendy@homestylesinteriordesign.com, or call Homestyles at 704-987-9491.
