If you'd like to know more about how I got here, keep reading...

I grew up in the little town of Wellsville, New York.

My dad was quiet, shy, and a perfectionist. If he wasn't working as a pharmacist, he was usually playing his banjo or out on the golf course. My mom was his complete opposite. She was creative, whimsical, and had the biggest heart. Everyone in town knew her as "Nurse Dawn."

She also loved collecting things.

Rocks. Feathers. Books. Prisms. Treasures from thrift stores. If it had a story or reminded her of someone she loved, she brought it home.

Not surprisingly, our house was pretty cluttered.

We were the family who had to clear the dining room table before dinner every night. I remember feeling embarrassed to invite friends over sometimes. Looking back now, I realize my mom wasn't trying to create clutter. She was trying to create beauty while juggling work, family, and everything else life asked of her.

Some of my favorite memories are of the two of us talking about houses, furniture, paint colors, and art. We'd spend Saturday mornings wandering antique stores or salvage yards, dreaming about the homes we'd design someday.

Life had other plans.

I chose the practical path and became an optician. I married my handsome Jersey boy, Chris, and together we moved to Blacksburg to grow his family's business and eventually raise our own family.

Years later, my brother's wife and I were both expecting our first babies.

We shared the same due date.

It also happened to be the anniversary of the day our mom had been diagnosed with cancer.

She never had the chance to meet her granddaughter and grandson.

But every single day I see pieces of her in both of my children. My daughter inherited her creativity and quick wit. My son has her gentle heart and sense of wonder.

That has never felt like a coincidence to me.

Losing my mom changed the way I think about home.

I know what it feels like to wish things were different but not know where to start. I know how quickly life can change. And I know that our homes aren't just where we sleep—they're where birthdays are celebrated, kids grow up, holidays are remembered, and ordinary Tuesday nights become the memories we treasure years later.

That's why I started In Focus Interiors.

I don't believe beautiful homes are just for magazines.

I believe beautiful homes are meant to be lived in.

I want my clients to feel cared for. I want the process to feel easier than they imagined. And when everything is finished, I want them to walk through the front door, take a deep breath, and think...

"This feels like us."

The name In Focus Interiors is a nod to my years as an optician, but the heart of this business will always be my mom.

Every home we design is a reminder that life is short, beauty matters, and the places we gather with the people we love are worth creating with intention.