Ashley Snyder, one of my childhood best friends, is a girl who loves spaces. Growing up her room was full of colorful rainforest frogs, it was awesome. As we grew up and headed into college her eye for art turned into a career path. She is one of my favorite graphic artists and without a doubt will be the next big interior designer. Ashley could take any space and personality, mash it up, and perfection emerges. Remodeling spaces into places that reflect the people that use them is her sweet spot.
Our society loves remodeling, we like changing our living spaces to fit us more comfortably. According to the U.S. Census Bureau homeowners spent $130 billion on remodeling projects last year. That is a lot of money, and only accounts for one country. We put so much time and effort into making our homes a place that we are comfortable in. I know I am constantly looking for things to change in my house. I’m always looking for more ways to make my home reflect the life and personality of my family; thank goodness for budgets and self-discipline, otherwise our house would be changing daily.
I feel the same way when it comes to my desk at work. I realize I don’t live at my office (some people do, I like to go home), but when I am here I want to feel comfortable, I want my desk to be a place where I can write and work. Choosing to surround myself in bright colors and loud patterns somehow puts me at ease and excites me at the same time. Even though I rarely drink coffee at work, having one of my favorite mugs sit on my desk is peaceful to me. Different colored sticky notes and paper make taking notes and making lists more enjoyable. Having a desk that inspires me to work makes working easy.
Whether it’s shifting a coffee mug around, or being an interior designer, there’s something sacred about space. Thanks, Ashley, for being another space maker in our world.
