Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Stephanie Greenwell-Lynn. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Stephanie, appreciate you making time for us and sharing your wisdom with the community. So many of us go through similar pain points throughout our journeys and so hearing about how others overcame obstacles can be helpful. One of those struggles is keeping creativity alive despite all the stresses, challenges and problems we might be dealing with. How do you keep your creativity alive?
My background is in Interior Design, and I grew up in a household where my dad is an Architect and my mom is an avid Art History student, so I would like to thank them for giving me the creativity gene.
I love to travel, and when I do have the opportunity to do so, I like to pay attention to every single detail in my surroundings, whereas I am in a museum admiring art, but also paying attention to the architectural details of the space and the design on the directional signage, to walking in the street and looking at street art or perfectly designed merchandising in boutiques. Everything was created by someone, and that someone was trying to express something, I love to think about the thought and process behind the object. and create a story in my head if I don’t know the true story behind it.
Music, power tools and a garage full of lumber for “future projects” are my jam and a must for the days I have the need to create something.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I am an Interior Designer that has a career focused on corporate Space Planning, this is cool, but somehow it is one branch of interior design that ironically lacks a lot of creativity. So, after many years of doing that, I decided I wanted to create a side project that would allow me to have creative freedom and that would challenge me, and that is how Corduroy was born.
Corduroy is a home decor boutique in Denver, Colorado that has items curated by me, items that are vintage, refurbished and new brands, all selected with one common goal, to be the conversational starter in your home.
Many of these items have been curated while traveling with my husband and my passion is to curate that specific item (no matter where it comes from) that will help you tell your story.
The characteristics I look for when selecting items are the following:
-Vintage items: I focus on the uniqueness of them.
-Refurbished items: objects with good bones that I restore and/or reupholster with fun fabrics to give them a second
chance in life and that way avoid them ending in the land field.
-New brands: Women or minority owned, small and sustainable businesses
And then there is my favorite part, curating art, I want to ensure new generations understand owning original art is an investment. My selections most of the time come from auctions or female artists.
I know there are dozens of beautiful home decor boutiques in Denver, but there is only one Corduroy with my aesthetic and seeing my customers walk out with their new “treasure” in hand, makes me incredibly happy and validated.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Not sure if these would qualify as skills, qualities or areas of knowledge, but they are my recommendations for someone starting a small business, and they come from personal experience:
1.- Patience: it will take time, but it will work out
2.- Believe in yourself no matter what: when you are growing a business from scratch and you are a one-wo(man) show, it
can get very hard very fast and you may get knocked down many times, but you should get up and keep going.
3.- Surround yourself with friends and family that believe in you: when the days when you can’t remember why
you decided to embark in what feels like a crazy journey come, they can remind you you can do it.
I will add a number 4 that I believe summarizes the first 3: Don’t quit your daydream
How would you describe your ideal client?
My ideal client is someone that is not afraid to purchase something that has been refurbished, someone that sees the value a vintage object will add to their home story. My ideal client is excited to add a piece of original art to their home because he or she knows it will be in their family hopefully for generations.
My ideal client knows what they want and knows exactly when they found “the” perfect object and won’t let it pass by.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.corduroydenver.com
- Instagram: @corduroydenver
- Facebook: Corduroy Denver
Image Credits
Personal picture: Kevin Lynn All other pictures: Stephanie Greenwell-Lynn
