When Janelle Blakely and her husband went house hunting , they were under the gun to make a decision . “ We were living in New Jersey , and my husband ’ s job moved to Boston . He wanted to come back to Rhode Island .”
The couple sold their house in a whirlwind six days ( even back in 2008 , the market was moving fast ). Pressure was on to find their new home . “ We saw thirteen houses in one day and had to pick ,” she says . “ I fell in love with the ugly one on the block .”
It was a dreary , two-story Colonial , with not enough windows and way too much meh Berber carpeting . The beautiful arts and crafts house they were leaving behind , it was not . Nevertheless , this ugly duckling checked all the boxes : in a quiet South County town with good schools , and a welcoming neighborhood of young families .
At the time , Blakely was working in communications and hadn ’ t thought of segueing into another field , or even had much experience doing a reno . “ But the moment I laid eyes on the house , I had a vision for it .”
During the next twelve years , she ’ s brought that inspiration to life and the results reflect the path her professional life has taken , from AT and T marketing professional , to designer with a studio , Blakely Interior Design , and a staff of nine . With this vibrant work in progress , Blakely found the ideal first client : herself .
92 RHODE ISLAND MONTHLY l FEBRUARY 2022