Designing beautiful homes for more than 35 yrs.
Hello! My name is Joy Ely, and I have been a residential interior designer for 35+ years. I live in a charming small-town corner of Michigan with my husband Ron, 2 grown children, 2 grandchildren and 1 horse.
I love houses and design, from the obvious to the details. In fact, what began as a mountainous pile of home magazines eventually had to become a design business. I love to look at and dream about houses - to make my own home beautiful and comfortable, to help others do the same with their homes. I love to refresh the decor for seasonal changes, and even consult about outside spaces. It's gratifying to see a beautiful home come together.
Although a college certificate says I'm an Interior Designer - I believe essential and priceless education is taught in the field. I developed my design eye and skills through many years of study, experimenting, hard knocks and rewarding successes. I acknowledge the patience of my early clients as I honed my skills and learned tricks of the trade. I earned a Residential Builders License not to swing a hammer ( I would not be good at that! ) but to understand every nuance of the house - to be an asset to architects, contractors and engineers.
I have done everything from building new homes from the blueprints up, to renovating historic homes, to supervising the design and procurement of Parade of Homes entries. My strength is in residential design but I have consulted on several commercial projects over the years and, of course, designed my own retail store *Pineapple House* from scratch. One year I taught Residential Kitchen Design at my alma mater Eastern Michigan University.
I often describe myself as a practical designer - preferring clean, organic, flexible, and budget conscious choices. If you wish for hot trends and delicate finishes, then I'm not the designer for you. My own home reflects my philosophy. I will help you define and achieve your own style goals while keeping within parameters that I am comfortable working with and know looks beautiful. It is very important to me that you love your home when your project is complete.
I have a simple website and plan my own content. Most photos are taken with my smartphone (I know I should at least hire a photographer). What you see is what you get - an experienced, hard-working, successful interior designer hoping to help more clients love their homes too.
Have a wonderful day!
I love houses and design, from the obvious to the details. In fact, what began as a mountainous pile of home magazines eventually had to become a design business. I love to look at and dream about houses - to make my own home beautiful and comfortable, to help others do the same with their homes. I love to refresh the decor for seasonal changes, and even consult about outside spaces. It's gratifying to see a beautiful home come together.
Although a college certificate says I'm an Interior Designer - I believe essential and priceless education is taught in the field. I developed my design eye and skills through many years of study, experimenting, hard knocks and rewarding successes. I acknowledge the patience of my early clients as I honed my skills and learned tricks of the trade. I earned a Residential Builders License not to swing a hammer ( I would not be good at that! ) but to understand every nuance of the house - to be an asset to architects, contractors and engineers.
I have done everything from building new homes from the blueprints up, to renovating historic homes, to supervising the design and procurement of Parade of Homes entries. My strength is in residential design but I have consulted on several commercial projects over the years and, of course, designed my own retail store *Pineapple House* from scratch. One year I taught Residential Kitchen Design at my alma mater Eastern Michigan University.
I often describe myself as a practical designer - preferring clean, organic, flexible, and budget conscious choices. If you wish for hot trends and delicate finishes, then I'm not the designer for you. My own home reflects my philosophy. I will help you define and achieve your own style goals while keeping within parameters that I am comfortable working with and know looks beautiful. It is very important to me that you love your home when your project is complete.
I have a simple website and plan my own content. Most photos are taken with my smartphone (I know I should at least hire a photographer). What you see is what you get - an experienced, hard-working, successful interior designer hoping to help more clients love their homes too.
Have a wonderful day!
