She’s Home in every issue
Story by Ashley Elvington • Laura McBryde Photography
w
endi has created comfortable spaces at home as well. “I am such a house person, thanks to
my mom. My dad is a commercial builder, so of course we always include him in any decisions
about houses. Because it was a Griffin house, we knew this house was well built, even though
it was an older home. When I saw the back yard, I knew it had to be mine. There are so few
hills in Florence, and that was one unique thing about this house. We’ve had great fun on snow days!” Wendi and
her husband, Robbie, bought their home in 2001 and immediately began renovations with the help of her father.
“This house had never been renovated, and it was built in 1959. I had no messy creative space to call my own,
so I really was excited about having a basement. We started tearing down walls, pulling up carpet, painting, and
re-doing the kitchen. A few years later, we added the screened-in porch which is now one of my favorite rooms in
this house. I also love the den. We spend a lot of time in these rooms.” One year for Wendi’s birthday, her friend
re-did her living room. “As an adult, you seldom get to experience that feeling you had as a child on Christmas Eve
when you knew Santa was coming. But, coming home to a room that was perfect was just that feeling. It was so
exciting! I was hooked! I scheduled her fo r many years on my birthday to re-do a room. I think that is why I love
re-doing homes for people now. I know what it feels like to have it done.”
As any interior decorator, she gets a thrill from placing together the perfect puzzle pieces to complete a room,
using art to add color and “feeling” to a room. “You can completely change the feeling of a room with a great
piece of art.” Wendi also painted murals in her children’s rooms, but those have disappeared with time as their
tastes have evolved. Her mother bought her a screen with golf scenes painted on the panels that Wendi cherished
for years. Finally one day, she decided to add her own special touch to it. “I had mirrors cut; I antiqued them with
acid, and painted it. I love that piece…of course, it is still not completely finished, which is often the case with
pieces I do for myself.”
i
In the midst of her messy spaces, Wendi will
continue to thank the One who has helped
this talent blossom within her. “Being an
artist is like being a believer in Christ. They
both change the way you see everything. I find the cool
patterns left when a glass breaks before I lament over the
fact that I just broke a glass. I see God in situations where
others may see inconvenience, injustice, tragedy, etc. It is a
God thing. There is nothing for which I can take credit. He
created me to do this…how humbling.”
Wendi Fields Norris resides in Florence, South Carolina, with her husband, Robbie, and their two children: Sullivan and Cole. Wendi currently teaches art at The Kings Academy in Florence.
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APRIL 2016
SHEMAGAZINE.COM