Exploring Life & Business with Becky Ward of Becky Ward Designs

Today we’d like to introduce you to Becky Ward

Hi Becky, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I was a special needs Kindergarten teacher for almost a decade before I decided to be a stay at home mom. During that time, my husband and I bought an older home in the heart of the Five Points area in Raleigh with 2 kids under 6 years old. That house was cozy and homey and perfect . . . until it wasn’t. As our kids grew, our needs and daily routines changed. The spaces we had within our sweet 1951 home no longer worked for us anymore. Not only did we need space to spread out, we needed that space to be functional and affordable. Slowly over time we modified and renovated our home to work for our lifestyle. We decided to keep the front of the house’s footprint instead of blowing it up or out, so we had to get creative with our square footage. After an addition of 400 square feet in the back of the house, I decided to get my design degree. My kids were in middle and high school and needed less of my time and I was more and more interested in interior design. I had learned to value spaces that were thoughtfully created in addition to being pretty. I launched my lil business about the same time we tackled our last renovation – a total exterior facelift and primary suite remodel. Working with other clients while working on my own home gave me such good perspective on making LIVABLE spaces on a realistic budget. I was keenly aware of the expense of renovations and furnishings and saw a lack of designers balancing those two things in the Raleigh area. Practical AND Polished became my motto and I honed that skill on my own home while helping my clients do the same.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Starting over in my 40’s in a completely new field was intimidating. I had a lot to learn and very few contacts in the trade world. I had never run a business before (I had been a teacher) so I also had to learn that side of it as well– all while trying to introduce myself to the design community, build professional relationships with vendors, land new clients (when I had little experience and few references), and expand my knowledge of the design world.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Becky Ward Designs?
My design philosophy is based on creating spaces that make a house a home on a realistic budget. My goal is to make every space in your home both practical and polished.

Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out?
Find a niche in the market and fill it. Learn from every mistake. And, just keep going!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.beckywarddesigns.com
• Instagram: @beckywarddesigns
• Facebook: @beckywarddesigns

Image Credits
photos by Anna Routh Barzin