Have you ever looked at your life and wondered if the things you’re good at are just “personality traits,” or if they are something deeper?
Recently, I found myself at a crossroads, asking the big questions: What is the difference between my gift, my passion, and my purpose? And how does God weave them all together? If you’ve been following the journey of Twelve15 Design Studio, you know that this past year hasn’t been all glossy finishes and perfect reveals. It was a “wilderness season”—a time of restructuring, refining, and realigning. But in that desert, I found a clarity that I never expected.
1. The Building Blocks: Gift, Passion, and Purpose
I’ve come to realize that our calling isn’t just one thing; it’s a framework.
- The Gift (The Tools):
For me, it was the (unsurprising) spiritual gift of Wisdom. It came so naturally that I almost overlooked it. Wisdom, for me, is the ability to see the why behind the what—to discern patterns, motivations, and possibilities beneath the surface. - The Passion (The Fuel): This is my love for layered, textured, colorful design—the joy of mixing pattern, depth, and the unexpected. It’s the creative instinct that keeps me curious and engaged, always asking, What could this space become?
- The Purpose (The Blueprint): This is the higher calling beneath it all: creating environments of Shalom—spaces of rest, restoration, and peace—for people who carry a great deal of responsibility in the world.
2. The “70/30” Split
In my work as an interior designer, I realized my wisdom shows up in a very specific way: I am about 70% focused on the one-on-one relationship and about 30% focused on logistics and execution.
For a long time, I struggled with that 30%. I felt like if I wasn’t a logistics expert, I was somehow failing. But as Twelve15 transitioned from an LLC to an S-Corp—and as I stepped fully into my role as a Visionary—I finally understood something important.
My 70%—the soul-level discovery phase—is where the real transformation happens.
By bringing on an Integrator to steward the logistics and operations, I didn’t lose control. I gained freedom. I gave my gift room to breathe.
3. The “Undercover Chaplain” in the High Places
One of the most surprising shifts this year has been embracing what I now call my role as an “Undercover Chaplain.”
Whether I’m working on a small refresh or a large, deeply personal renovation, I’m not just there to select finishes or finalize layouts.
I’m there to be a non-anxious presence.
I’m there to hold vision.
I’m there to steward trust.
One recent project—entrusted to me by a client with a demanding public-facing role—required an extraordinary level of discretion, clarity, and care. When a client says, “Just do your thing,” it’s not about aesthetics. It’s about trust. And that trust is built long before a contract is signed.
4. Representation and the “Specific Look”
Being a Black interior designer in Cincinnati, with an MFA from SCAD and roots in Atlanta, I understand that my work also carries meaning beyond the walls themselves.
My approach isn’t about following trends or claiming ownership over a named style. It’s about designing with specificity—layered, textured, colorful spaces that honor history, culture, and individuality.
I want to be known as a designer who doesn’t dilute identity for the sake of mass appeal. High-end design doesn’t require sameness. It requires courage, clarity, and intention.
In that way, my work isn’t just shaping homes—it’s gently reshaping expectations.
5. The Freedom of the New Season
After a year of careful pruning—financially, spiritually, and creatively—I find myself in a season of flow.
I’m smiling again.
I’m energized.
I’m deeply at peace.
I’ve learned that when you stay faithful in the gray seasons, God eventually leads you back into full, vibrant color.
Project Queen’s Gambit (a new project I’ll be sharing soon) stands as a marker for me. Not because of its scale, but because of what it represents: the opening move of a new decade where I am no longer simply designing spaces, but leading with vision—using design as the language through which restoration, wisdom, and goodness are expressed.
Are you in a season of redesign?
Whether it’s your home or your heart, remember: By wisdom a house is built, and through understanding it is established (Proverbs 24:3).
Twelve15 Design Studio
Redesigning for Restoration.
