Exploring Life & Business with Sharon Barrett of Sharon Barrett Interiors

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sharon Barrett.

Hi Sharon, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I am a self-taught interior designer. My husband and I have built contracted three houses from the ground up on our own so I have an extensive amount of hands-on construction experience and a good hands-on education on how a house comes together which helps daily in my job.

I have always been drawn to design even as a child. When other people were playing with Barbies. I was building houses with blocks. When my peers were drawing butterflies and rainbows- I was drawing floor plans and houses.

I’ve always had a strong desire to make the spaces around me look great and function well.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely was not an easy road. It was a long, slow process. There’s been a long slow evolution over the years as I figured out who I was and what my unique perspective on the design was. For years, I held a full-time and then part-time job while my business years. Balancing children and their schedules has always been a challenge as well. My kids come first which meant that my business grew slowly while they needed more of my attention.

I think in the end, the slow growth was definitely a blessing – the time and experience helped me really home the areas of design where I am gifted. That time also allowed me significant experience in building homes which naturally led to the majority of my design work being high-end new construction.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
My firm specializes in high-end new construction. I love the construction process and it is such a gift to be involved in every square inch of a home from the time drawings are being made down to designing every last detail of a fully furnished home- one that reflects all their experiences and life that my clients have lived and says everything they want to say about who they are and how they live. Design is such a very personal process – building a house is a long and sometimes stressful experience as a homeowner and getting to do life with my clients through it is a blessing.

Ultimately, I get to hand over a home that says “These are all the beautiful things I see in you” from all our conversations and relationship building in a tangible form and that affects all who enter their doors. What a joy and a privilege. I think my very best work is in the extremes. I excel at making very small spaces live large and efficiently as well as making very large spaces feel cozy and warm, and I love the challenge that those two extremes offer. I spend a significant amount of time, making sure that the homes that I design do not feel too perfect, stuffy, and untouchable. I also am a very big nature lover, so you see a lot of that come through in my work through patterns, textures finishes, etc. I grew up spending summers at my grandparent’s lake house and my husband and I live on acreage- outdoors is where I find my inspiration and fuel my creative energy.

My husband and I also have a little luxury Airbnb nestled in the woods on our property just so we can share the gift that being surrounded by nature are with others.

Before we go, is there anything else you can share with us?
When I look back on what “my plan” was for my life, the journey looked a lot different in my head than what it has been but God’s plan was and is so much better.

Life is hard and messy but that’s the stuff that builds depth and character and teaches grace and endurance. All things that legacies are built on and things that I love getting to know and see in my clients through our time together.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.sharonbarrettinteriors.com
• Instagram: @sharonbarrettinteriors
• Facebook: Sharon Barrett Interiors
• Other: https://abnb.me/nkXv1YAjJyb