The word is out and the beginning of the next chapter of my life has started! To say I am excited would be an understatement. My passion for Interior Design started at a very young age. As a child I would build home layouts with my lego and very often re-arrange my bedroom. As a young teen I would play the computer game “The Sims” and only build and decorate homes. Most children want to be a police man, teacher or astronaut. But I knew I wanted to be an Interior Designer. That was until some women told me that I couldn’t do it living in Chilliwack. As a child I was disappointed but quickly went on to dream other careers. But with Interior Design as true passion it was a dream that just never died. After high school I got my aesthetic license and continued my carrier as a laser technician and skin consultant. A few years later Ariella, my daughter was born and the thought of going back to work full-time wasn’t something I wanted to do. I’ve always had a passion to create and always had projects on the go. I love learning new things and on my maternity leave I designed handmade hair accessories for my daughter. Soon it became a small business that quickly grew into something larger. Growing and building a company was very new to me and with much research, conferences and mentorship I decided to rebrand as Arrow & Lace before my son Kenton was born. Launching February 2014 with a line of children’s apparel and hair accessories. Arrow & Lace grew quickly and I found myself trying to keep up with it. Soon the hair accessories were made not only by myself but by local moms and I sourced designs overseas. All while running Arrow & Lace, I found myself building a new home and doing Interior Design for friends and family on the side. About 4 months ago I made the decision to sell Arrow & Lace and pursue Interior Design as my full-time career. About 2 months ago I received an offer and today Arrow & Lace is sold to an amazing family (Heather & Rob) who live in Vancouver, BC. They are incredibly passionate, smart and will take Arrow & Lace to the next level! (Follow along at @arrowandlace)
To say things are changing here would be an understatement! Over the last few months many doors have closed and opened. Being a single-mom pursuing a new career and taking care of my amazing children is more on my plate then I could have ever imagined. But with all the change I have so much excitement. That doesn’t mean its been easy but with surrendering my fears and the unknowns to God I am able to have a peace that can only come from him.
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So here it is…the next chapter. I enrolled into an online Interior Design program to receive a Diploma in Interior Design. It is a one year program that I plan to have finished by the end of summer. Many Interior Designers don’t go to school but I wanted to get the knowledge and work full-time in this field quickly. But not only am I back in school, I start my first project with a local builder in a couple months. To say I am excited would be an understatement. You’ll be walking through this with me as I share what projects I’m working on (as long as the clients are okay with me sharing).
What can you expect from me moving forward?
You’ll still be seeing a lot of the same things, lifestyle, beauty and events. But with more a focus on Design. I will be sharing room designs and partnering with amazing brands. I currently have 3 partnerships that I can’t wait to share what we are working on! I’ll also be accepting clients and working with builders on residential projects. From consultations to E-designs I am open at this point to opportunities as I am just starting.
Are you a company or brand that wants to share what you have to offer or work together? Email Laura.m.derksen@gmail.com
From the bottom of my heart I can’t thank you all enough for the support and encouragement! 99% of you knew this was my passion and guessed it right! The Blog will be getting some updates and a full branding will follow once I’m finished school. Follow along for the ride on Instagram @lauramayinteriors
