About

Hello, I am DeDe!

This is the face behind the website/blog and I am so happy that you are taking the time to get to know me. Stick around to learn more about Designed Decor and how I will teach you to create a home you love on a thrift budget one DIY project at a time.

My website is about helping others to find their creativity and turning their house into a home on a thrift budget. Your house needs to be a place that you can love and enjoy coming home. I believe we all need this space and you can create that space on a thrift budget, not by cutting corners but using what you have, finding second-hand treasures, and working with the style of your home. I hope you will stick around and let me help you find the passion for DIY, painting, decorating, and just plain living.

I chose the name Designed Decor based on me wanting my name in the title and envisioning the name on a brick-and-mortar store. Designed Decor

I am blessed with the opportunity that I left the corporate world in the Fall of 2011, be a stay at home mom and to start my own business. My situation is a little backward, in that my children are older and not young and impressionable. I have 4 handsome young men.

This is how Mr. DD describes our boys. If we tell all the boys, “Don’t touch the stove, it is hot.” Alex would touch the stove, to figure it out on his own. Spencer would say “Alex, touch the stove,” he learns by watching others. Mack would say “stove, what stove,” He wasn’t paying attention. Mitch would say “How hot is hot, What is the temperature, He has to calculate. They are all so different but so special in their own way.

I can’t forget about the fur family! Cinnamon is a “puggle” and she is my sidekick who follows me around all day long. She is also my “Professional Photo Bomber” She has a tendency to show up in my photos on the blog. It seems when I get the camera out, she is not too far behind. That could also have something to do with the fact that she never leaves my side. Cazador is my beautiful, “you can look but don’t touch me” cat. Her name means “hunter” in Spanish, and she definitely lives up to her name.

Mr. Designed Decor aka Mr. DD.

He is the love of my life. You can read our love story: How We Met, Our Wedding, Anniversary trips part 1 and Anniversary trips part 2. I would not be living my dream (loving, creating, blogging and selling) without his strength and support.

Repurposing – I love repainting and repurposing furniture. This is where I find inspiration in the ordinary and turn those ugly unwanted pieces into beautiful “loved again” items. I decided since I love it so much, I wanted to find the perfect place to sell my pieces. I found that perfect place, Modern Vintage in Hartville Ohio and work with a group of great ladies, who love to paint as much as I do. I also sell Maison Blanche Vintage Furniture paint from the shop and teach furniture painting classes.

I love Neil Diamond ~ My all-time favorite song is “Forever in Blue Jeans” I will belt out the words at the top of my lungs… and I can’t sing. Just ask my family, an American Idol contestant I am not, unless, featured as the ones you laugh at.

I love to take the backcountry roads when we travel. ~ A trip that should take 3 hours takes us 5 or 6 since I insist that we don’t drive on the expressway. I love to see the small towns and see how others live. Who knows, we might pass a thrift store on the way too.

I love to travel, try new things and discover new places. I set a personal goal to visit all 50 states before turning 50. I have 7 more to go! I won’t tell you the years left, though.

I love all things peanut butter! ~ My kids would come home from trick or treat and give me all the Reese’s

I love doubled over chips – I will pick out the doubles from the bag and only eat those.

I love doors, when we travel to quaint towns, I photograph the doors of people’s homes.

I am the spoiled baby in my family ~ I have an older sister and brother.

My nickname growing up was ~ Dumb DeDe Done It! Maybe this has something to do with the fact that I was the spoiled baby?

Sometimes, I sleep with my knees up.

My emotions are always worn on my sleeve, as I cry watching commercials, and if I see someone else cry, I cry too!

I am slightly claustrophobic, I can’t have things covering my head and face.

“Southern Blood” runs through my veins, as my mom is from southern Georgia. One day with southern friends and family and I’m saying “Y’all” and” bless her heart” with the best of them.

OCD tends to take over in certain aspects in my life, like when I feel the need to rearrange the silverware in the dishwasher so all the forks are together, the spoons are together etc.

I am stubborn and determined, as I once put together a TV stand without the instructions, because I was determined to get it together that day and not wait for them to mail me the directions. This is one of the reasons Mr. DD fell in love and married me. He was impressed that I was self-sufficient and determined.