2023 Came in Like a Flood... Literally!

Hey friend,

Cheers to 2023! We are officially back in the office and excited for the new year and all that it has in store. Speaking of the new year, ours really kicked off with a doozie, or more like a soaking wet doozie! If you've been following me on Instagram, you may be aware that hubs and I experienced a flood in our living room on Christmas morning as a result of our upstairs neighbor's broken pipe. I know, quite the gift huh?

Yupp, that was us, trying to get all that water under control for 2 hours. Although things got pretty bad, like, reeeeeally bad, by the grace of God, nothing of ours was damaged, probably due to my uncanny ability to strategically function in high-crisis situations. So, where does this leave us? I'm glad you asked! We're in the process of packing and relocating! Yes, we have found and secured a new place in a little under 2 weeks! But not to worry if you're local, we'll still be in the Cincinnati area. While our decision to relocate was made quickly, and to spare you the many stories of our rental woes, this flood was the proverbial “straw” that broke the you-know-who's back.

While I was genuinely enjoying making this place feel more like home by designing one room at a time, knowing that one day we would eventually leave, we could not ignore the mismanagement of such a charming old home built in the late 1800s. Homes of this age require great maintenance, care, and knowledge of proper building materials for the structure. While the property manager and landlord weren't doing the best job in the upkeep of the building, we did the best that we could in taking care of and tending to our home. Now you might also be wondering, “but Stephanie, what about your studio?” While having dedicated studio space at home worked extraordinarily well, over the years I've learned to go with the flow (all pun intended, ha!), and the flow has led me to a new space. I will still have a dedicated space to work from at our new apartment, however, Twelve15 Design Studio has a new address!  We're now located in the heart of OTR (Over-the-Rhine) at 1435 Vine St., Cincinnati, OH 45202 in the Spaces building. Yaay!

Because all things, ok, more like most things, have ties to design, this flood ordeal had me thinking about design, specifically GREAT design. LeStavion, being an Architect, and I as an Interior Designer with a strong background in building assessments, took one look at the pipes in our ceiling and realized that the quality of materials, craftsmanship, and the overall plumbing design was subpar to say the least. If you've worked with me in the past as a client, you may already know that I am a stickler for details! I have elevated expectations of not only the quality of work completed, but also the expectation that work be completed with integrity from ALL tradespeople involved. It is also known that I treat my clients' homes like my own, if not better, and that I never take it lightly that I, as a creative, am blessed to step foot into some of the most intimate, sacred, and safest spaces that my clients and their loved one's call “Home.”

I promise I had a completely different newsletter intended for this first month of the new year with all the visual goodies, design forecasts and more, but I wanted to update you on what was going on over here entering 2023. Oh, did I mention that the plumber who came to assess our home kept mentioning how calm we were given the severity of the flood and damage? While that was indeed the case, especially since getting too upset would only cause more frustration, we ultimately pressed into God and focused on the things that we could control.  I'll leave you with just a few things to look forward to the first half of this year and beyond:

  1. A new website…WOO HOO!

  2. Partnership and projects with a local luxury custom home builder

  3. Monthly design inspiration via the blog and newsletter (I may still drop something pretty to look at by the end of this month *wink*)

  4. Design projects beyond my wildest dreams!

That's it, friend! If you are interested in working together, you can use the button below to book a complimentary discovery call with me! I would looove to learn more about you and your project.

Chat soon,

 
Mary Williams