Rising Stars: Meet Victoria Valentinas of VLV Designs

Today we’d like to introduce you to Victoria Valentinas.

Hi Victoria, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?

Ever since I was a kid, I knew I needed to do something creative and arts-related, from drawing replicas of Christmas cards to decorating my bedroom. Therefore, it was no surprise when I decided to major in Interior Design and Studio Art at High Point University. Little did I know, being from Chicago, that High Point, NC was (and still is) the furniture capital of the world. That explains how I ended up working for various furniture companies, after working at each High Point Furniture Market during my time at HPU. As a graduate of High Point University’s Art and Design programs, I celebrate the design in everything.

After over a decade of experience in the home industry, including time spent with brands such as HGTV HOME, Bassett, Thomasville, Bernhardt, Christopher Guy, and others, learning in departments like Merchandising, Retail and Showroom Design, Photoshoot Styling, Product Development, Sales and Marketing, I still felt like there was another area of creativity that I was longing to tap into. A desire to be an entrepreneur was instilled in me at a young age, growing up in my family’s dental office, where my mom ran the business side of my dad’s dentistry practice.

In my current role as President, Designer, and Artist at VLV Designs, I am able to tap into that entrepreneurial creativity, while leveraging my experience in the home and furniture industry, driven by my passion for all things design. From designing furniture to bringing the perfect space together, to dressing windows, to painting wall murals and canvases, I ensure that my passion is evident in all of my work, and it is my goal to continue to dedicate myself to the customer experience.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?

I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason, and that the storms just help your roots grow stronger. From my wedding being canceled and rescheduled due to Hurricane Florence at the same time the company I was working for was going bankrupt, to 2020, when the COVID-19 quarantine put an immediate stop to traveling around the country which, at that time, was a crucial part of my role designing retail stores, we’ve had plenty challenges so far. It was experiences like these that taught me to “Go with the ‘Flo’”, and helped me understand what to do and what not to do when running a business. At the same time, they helped me to view one door closing as an opportunity to take a leap of faith and start my own full-service interior design business. The best piece of advice I was given was, “If you can start a successful business in the middle of a global pandemic, then it can only go up from there!”

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?

Here at VLV Designs, we are a full-service interior design and custom art company, specializing in specialty room design packages, custom bedding and window treatments, faux finish paint treatments, and custom art, whether it be on canvas or on walls. Above all, we are passionate about providing our clients with the best quality and service. To do so, we pride ourselves on partnering with other local small businesses and recommending products that are of the best value, made in the USA. We have an amazing library of resources, including over 1,000 samples in our very own studio, and we bring the samples directly to our clients, so they don’t have to go from store to store.

The possibilities are endless here at VLV Designs, and we are known for bringing design dreams to life. That is what I love most about my job; getting to know clients in their most personal space, their home. As a VLV Designs client, we want to get to know you and what is important to you. We want to know how we can design a functional space to make your life less stressful and to create a beautiful environment that encourages you to live your best life.

We are known to be great listeners when it comes to hearing our clients’ needs and it is always our goal to bring them ideas that are uniquely outside the box; something they hadn’t thought of themselves. After all, that is why they hire us! If you are surfing Instagram, you will most likely find us standing on a ladder, doing a faux gold leafing paint treatment on a ceiling, installing a gallery wall for a fun family room, working with our install crew to hang custom draperies, or at the easel painting a golf or beach landscape in super speed!

One project that I am most proud of, and really gave the painting division of VLV Designs momentum, is a waiting room mural for the Humane Society of the Piedmont. This was such a rewarding experience, working with my Alma Mater while supporting a great cause. It was a challenge I took on to transform a grey wall and plain wood doors into a scene inspired by the “Painted Ladies” in San Francisco, with a faux brick painted wall and different colored architectural Victorian doors. This project really allowed me to step outside the box and take my painting skills to the next level, while having a lot of fun along the way!

What’s next?
Our plans for the future are to keep growing, learning, and creating. We hope to grow our team and expand into more areas, with the chance to do more specialty spaces and be able to push design and art limits in both residential and commercial design.

Pricing:

• Schedule a COMPLIMENTARY Discovery Call to get your interior design project started! Whether you are working on a new build or seeking full-service interior design for your existing home, or maybe you don’t know where to begin, VLV Designs will help you determine the right steps for your design project.
• At that time, we will also introduce you to the VLV Designs approach and explain how the initial design consultation process works. From there, we offer hourly design services at $100 per hour, along with a room package at a discounted rate. All faux finish and mural paint services are quoted at daily rates, starting at $400 per day, and vary based on size and artistic treatment.
• All faux finish and mural projects will have custom samples made, unique to each project, before beginning. Custom art is quoted at $50 per hour and varies per piece, based on size, framing, and detail.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://www.vlvdesigns.net/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vlvdesign/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VLVDesigns.Events/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/vlvdesigns
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGdzzQVA4flZ9Ld912N6CJg?view_as=subscriber
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/VLVDesigns/_saved/

Image Credits
Catherine Nguyen https://catherinenguyen.com/ , The Humane Society of the Piedmont, Mural Waiting Room Photos: Jay Sinclair J. Sinclair Photography (336-692-1438) www.jsinclair.com.