Daily Inspiration: Meet Lisa Dardenne Parker

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lisa Dardenne Parker.

Hi Lisa, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In college, my studies included all kinds of creative courses… interior design, graphic design, photography, sculpture, illustration, typography, etc. They all share some similarities in learning about color, texture, spacial relationships and light. At the time, the best path, career-wise, seemed to be graphic design. I worked in that field for 35 years, so clearly it provided me with a nice career. However, my heart always wanted to work in Interior Design. I was almost 60 years old when I decided to switch my career path to Interior Design & Home Staging. I decided it’s never too late to follow your heart and launched my staging and design business “Design Eclectic” in 2020. In many ways, I was learning new things and feeling like a beginner again. But in other ways, I had years of experience that I could draw upon that helped me score successes right away. One year in, I am having so much fun and loving what I do! It’s very fulfilling professionally and emotionally.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
The first thing that comes to mind is the quote by Thomas Edison – “Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.”

I think any new venture requires hustle and sweat. I actually look at this relatively new field I’m in with curiosity. “What can I learn today?” There have been challenges with needing furniture I didn’t own, having to move heavy furniture, how the weather impacts staging day, working with different personalities and making people feel at ease while you come in their home and change everything.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I have worked in the creative side of marketing and advertising for all kinds of industries, but retail, fashion and furniture manufacturers have been my favorite. I have worked directly with Thomasville Furniture, Drexel Heritage, and other well-known furniture manufacturers. I have also worked with many retail stores in the fashion industry. Having a background in graphic design, coupled with all the experience in these industries, brings me a unique experience when it comes to designing and staging someone’s home. I chose the name “Design Eclectic” for a couple of reasons. I have a very eclectic background and skills from each experience, as well as a design preference to use unique but relatable home furnishings and accessories to make a statement to potential buyers. My goal is to make each of the homes that I have staged look like a model home.

We’d be interested to hear your thoughts on luck and what role, if any, you feel it’s played for you?
I’m not sure luck is bestowed upon you (unless your lottery ticket has the right numbers). And then sometimes that doesn’t even turn out to be a good thing.

Like I said about opportunity, it looks like work and show’s up in overalls. I think perseverance creates luck. However, I’ve heard people say that this global pandemic gave them “Covid Gifts”. Starting Design Eclectic in 2020 was my Covid gift. I was put in a situation where my income was gone and I had an opportunity to think outside the box and follow my dream of working in interior design. Home Staging was linked to real estate and that market was booming, so I decided to take the leap I had been wanting to take for a while and just went for it!

Contact Info:

• Email: lisa.parker@designeclectic.net
• Website: www.designeclectic.net
• Instagram: @designeclectic_nc