Windy city workforce

This department spotlights a relatively recent addition to the workforce, focusing on the person’s educational or working background, daily responsibilities, challenges, passions, frustrations and outlook for his or her future in the field.

Name: Christine Cmejrek
Age: 34
Company: Christine’s Concepts in Design, Inc.
Title: Business owner and interior decorator
Location:
807 W. Dickens
(773) 935-0807
www.christines-concepts.com
College Path:
Bachelor of Science,
University of Dayton

How you ended up here: I became interested in interior design in high school and decided that it would be my major in college. I considered having my own business, but first worked for other designers, furniture stores and at the Merchandise Mart, where I managed a showroom. When that showroom closed, I decided I was done working for other people and made plans to open my own store, which happened four months later. I had some jobs that I really didn’t like, but all of the experience that I got (both good and bad) from them really gave me the skills I needed to operate my business.

How long you’ve been at it: I have been involved in the design field for about 14 years, and my store has been open for six, since June of 2000.

Who you answer to, if anyone: Myself, pretty much, but I still get that feeling that my boss will get mad at me if I am late for work (and sometimes I do get mad)!

Hours you expect to be at work: I expect to be working anywhere from 7-to-10 hours per day, five or six days a week. And more, when necessary.

Job reputation: Interior decorators help people with a wide range of home projects. Some from paint selection and decorative window treatments, to full-scale furniture selection and accessory placement, we guide people who lack either the time or the vision to accomplish these things on their own. Saving someone from making just one costly mistake can more than pay for the extra money they may spend hiring a designer.

Breakdown of what people anticipate from you: My clients are all different in what they expect from my firm. Some simply want help choosing paint colors, and then they take it from there. We have a huge number of clients who come to us for custom window treatments, and there are also the customers who have us do a complete room or home from start to finish: space planning, fabric selection, installation. Bottom line, I think our clients expect their homes to be more beautiful and functional after we have finished working with them.

Any horror stories of a customer’s bad taste? Actually, no. Obviously, people come to me because they know they need help, but I think people with truly bad taste aren’t aware that they have it. They are the ones who don’t consult with an interior designer. Or maybe I am just lucky and have good clients!

What your friends assume you do: I think most of them know what I do, since many of them helped me get through the first difficult years. Probably, many think that I just go to my store and sell things to people that shop here, without realizing all the running around that I do for each custom client.

I have trouble dealing with: People that want to work with us but don’t trust us completely. My most successful projects have been the ones where I was allowed more freedom.

Is it true most men have no idea of what looks good together? I’m not sure if they don’t know, or if it simply isn’t a priority for them. Men that come here want their homes to look nice and trust me to accomplish that with less effort on their part.

Best perk: My home looks really nice.

What might you change if given the chance: The public’s perception of interior design, based on all those shows on TV. Most of those shows give the designer free rein, and money is not an issue. Or, they spend an incredibly small amount of money, and the end result would not look anywhere near as good in person as it does on television.

Why you have a smile when you come to work: Because I get to do what I love every day — and I usually enjoy it. I don’t have a boss, and I like the people I work with (myself and Jennifer, the other designer that works here). I love the collaboration that occurs when a client comes to me with an idea, and together we bring it to fruition. My favorite part of my job is working with clients I like, and I have met a lot of great people doing what I do.

Where you can go from here: The sky is the limit! Maybe I can be the next big talk-show designer! In reality, I am really happy right where I am so far, and I will continue to grow my business, perhaps hire more people, move the store to a larger location and watch our projects get bigger and better.

Advice for joining the field: Get sales experience anywhere you can. It doesn’t matter how well you can design if you can’t sell your ideas.

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