Designing homes and businesses in Ellis County

Instead of immediately attending college following her high school graduation, Lacey Rodgers, owner of Living Right Designs, continued working at The Home Depot, where she was promoted to the lead generator of sales for the store.

Rodgers oversaw the outside sales for roofing, fencing, and windows, as well as flooring and kitchen.

One day, she walked by the kitchen design area, and her boss asked if she wanted to sit in on a meeting with homeowners. During the meeting, Rodgers connected with the husband and wife and gave them input and ideas, encouraging them to upgrade to granite. Later that night, she was watching HGTV and asked herself, “What am I doing with my life?” “I was really lucky to take the time and have that epiphany moment of what am I doing with my life,” Rodgers said. “I should do this for a living.”

Deciding to go to college for interior design, Rodgers attended the Art Institute of Dallas, where she learned about the history of architecture, history of furniture, drawing, building codes and more.

Following her graduation, Rodgers worked for several design firms before she and her husband moved to Waxahachie. Her husband encouraged Rodgers to open her own design firm in Ellis County.

In 2015, Living Right Designs, located at 408 Water St., Suite B, officially opened its doors. The firm focuses on “architectural design for custom homes, residential remodels and commercial interior design projects,” according to its website.

Since opening, Rodgers has designed countless homes and projects in Ellis County, including Vita Coffee House, Cork & Keg, The Texas Theater, FirstLook Pregnancy Center, Three Rivers Coffee, Vogue Downtown, and more.

“What makes me happy is watching people use their space, old or new, just people enjoying their space,” Rodgers said. “When I drive by and see the Texas Theater having a concert, and when I go to the salon and get my hair done and see people buzzing all over the place, I’m like it works how it was designed to.”

Rodgers said she works with homeowners and business owners to make their space comfortable and functional.

“It doesn’t matter how pretty it is if it doesn’t function,” she said. “If they don’t enjoy using the space, they won’t. What’s the point of making something so pretty if you don’t enjoy using it? Function is more important than form for me.”

Rodgers shared how a past client said they hated their home and never invited guests inside. “That killed me because your home is where you’re supposed to invite your friends and your neighbors and open your doors,” Rodgers said. “That just really kind of broke my heart. If you loved your space and felt confident in it, you would open your doors, and you would share your space with people. It’s psychological. It makes you feel so much better, like when your rooms are clean.”

Rodgers worked with the family to remodel their kitchen. Now, they host holidays and Bible studies at their house.

“Going from somebody who said I hate my home to opening their doors … that’s it for me,” Rodgers said.

While Rodgers focuses on designing, she has a decorator on staff who finishes out the vision of the space.

With Rodgers’ attention to detail, her clients receive step-by-step instructions on what to expect for each meeting and how they can prepare. She goes to the space and measures everything herself, so she can create a 3D rendering for her clients. Throughout the design process, she updates the rendering with the client’s chosen colors, tiles, fixtures and more, so they can clearly see what the space will look like.

“That way they feel really good about their investment and where their money’s going because you can make one really expensive mistake,” Rodgers said. “I want them to be happy for years to come.”

She educates her clients on the difference between all the materials, explaining how certain types work better for certain lifestyles, and recommends the perfect one for them. Rodgers said she stays away from trendy design elements and focuses on classic and timeless ones. While she works to give the clients what they want, she always keeps resale in mind and tries to make bold changes, like paint, something that could easily be reversed.

During the construction process, Rodgers stops by each site once a week and has a sheet available for workers with a QR code, which allows the worker to scan and see what needs to be done and how it should be done.

Rodgers’s favorite type of space to design is a kitchen because it’s the “heart of the home,” but she’s designed trophy rooms for taxidermized animals, hotels, businesses, historic homes, new homes, and more.

Three years ago, Rodgers opened the firm’s showroom, where both clients and nonclients can purchase high quality items like wallpaper, tile, rugs, fixtures, etc. for less.

“I think a lot of people don’t realize that this (showroom) is open to the public, and we have all this material for any DIYer,” Rodgers said.

For more information, visit https://www.livingrightdesigns.com/ or follow @LivingRightDesigns on Facebook and Instagram. Originally published July 28, 2023 - https://www.waxahachiesun.com/business/designing-homes-and-businesses-in-ellis-county/article_d6510508-2d8a-11ee-a770-e74ef47c7362.html