But Why?

This one is on a serious/sentimental note, but most know that even serious things always come out sunny with a side of humor.

Why, why, why? 

People who know me, know that the things that come out of my mouth can sound crazy, slightly sarcastic with a side of sassiness, but they always have some kind of super sincerity or deep meaning behind it. Everything I do, I do with passion and pride. I find people that I just met asking about my business, what I do, and everything along those lines. I can feel the look puncture my skin and their inside voice saying 'Well, everyone does that, just another Pinterest DIY'er. Why do that if everyone has done it and can do it themselves?'     Well this is my blog entry that answer those why's; why's of why I do this, where my vision is, and why I am just not another one of 'them.'  Let's call this LC Design self interview. Que run on sentences. 

 + First, let's start with the background of LC Design.

Hi, Linsey here! I was born into a family of people who help, literally make a difference in everyday lives. When I hatched, because I came from a Cabbage Patch per my whole family, my dad was in the Air Force, military cop and retired when I was about 3. We moved to the Black Hills to be closer to family and my mom became an EMT-I. I grew up with my mom telling me horror stories resulting in me not driving until I was 19, remember 14 is the legal age in South Dakota. I grew up with my grandparents, also retired military, my aunt and uncle, also retired military, and my big brother, pain in my rear at the time. My dad's sisters would put my through materials 101 as a kid and nothing more did I find more painful than going to furniture stores and Tuesday Morning with my aunts, little did I know this would impact my future. I was overly obsessed with cash registers and one year for Christmas my parents finally got me a super legit play register, coins, cash, credit, had it all. This then resulted in every year when the JcPenny catalogs came in at Christmas time I would draw out house plans and help my imaginary customers plan their home furnishings and decor out of those, then do a spec sheet and price it out for said customers, file it in their folder and continue on. I then got older and that was out the door and Sims on the computer was in. I would play it ALL day until my Sims were so satisfied with their surroundings. To this day, I still play some sort of Sims game, guilty pleasure. In the meantime, my brother went to college for fire science and became a fireman and my best friend. Yet, another person in my family became something that effected peoples lives. 2008 showed up and I graduated high school and was accepted to South Dakota State University for Pre-Physical Therapy and Athletic Training, where the heck did that come from is what you are thinking, right? I felt the need to become someone who effected peoples lives, I always knew I needed to, I couldn't be the only one in my family not. I loved doing creative things, redesigning things, and making something functional. 2009 came and my life was changing in so many ways, I decided to change my major to Interior Design and found out that following what really felt right was more important. I went through school discovering that I to, was able to effect people lives on daily with Interior Design. For 4 years I learned not only what everyone thinks you learn; color theory, textiles, furniture, fixtures, and equipment (FF&E) but also things like hand/computer drafting, building codes, lighting calculations, building construction, ergonomics, accessibility, theories, and the lists go on. These are something that effect our everyday lives and make living your day to day life safe and satisfying. In 2010, I had my practicum at AcV2 architecture and was exposed to even more of that and was very fortunate in learning the in's and out's of the design world. That same year I took my required travel study to New York City and say how it works on a much larger population scale.   Moved to Pipestone and the story keeps developing. But that's enough VH1's Behind the Music: Designer episode. 

+ Why did you stay in Pipestone?

People always wonder why I am living in a 4,000 some farm town in Southwest Minnesota. I know that I can go to Marshall, Brookings, or Sioux Falls for bigger things, but my question is why? Our little family, my husband being the reason we moved here, can sustain itself without me making the 1 hour trip in any direction during yucky winters. We live comfortably in our 102 year old home nestled in between homes just as old, just blocks away from Historic downtown Pipestone. The biggest reason, I do want to be part of my community, more than just live here, but to actually have a presence. It is important to me to be a valuable piece here. I have an education, I am young, and I have a fire of passion brewing in me all the time. A lot of people see this town dying, without young, passionate people it will do just that. It just kills me seeing this town go out of town for talents that can be found in their own backyard, just look for it, it is everywhere!

+  Everyone does this stuff at home, why do it and what makes you any better?
This is one of my favorite questions that I would love for people to just come out and ask! What separates LC Design from the rest? A-whole-stinkin-lot! We absolutely, positively pride ourselves in separating ourselves from the others. Here's the run down why!

• Creativity. Everyone has their own style, creativity, and ability to push that idea, LC Design knows just that. We just make sure we take it to the next level. Instead of putting a few coats of paint on something and setting it out to sell, we want to recreate it and check our every avenue of possibilities before we've set the commitment. We know that anyone can run down to hardware store pick up a can of paint and be on their way to painting a dresser or an end table, but we want more than that, we want our pieces to have more of a story than just that. We want our pieces to become statement pieces. Of course we have the basics, but we are have so much love for those we redesign and recreate into something new! 

• Story.  We do find pieces at markets, sales, and auctions, but we also take the time out and actually pick these from falling down homes, farms, barns, and groves. They have more story then moving from a selling 1973 house to the garage sale. As you can tell, I love everything that has a story and I feel it makes the piece even better when it has one that you can maybe connect to. 

• Time. Some of these pieces take more than just a night or two. Some pieces take a month or more, not just because we are slacking, but because some of it takes a process. We've removed original nails from the 1900's that could have easily given us tetanus, luckily we are up to date on shots ;) and we've had to remove rotted wood to replace with new, but usually old, wood. These things take time. Which leads us to the next subject...

• Construction. This all comes full circle with this one, but it is so important it gets its own. I never in my 25 years on this Earth thought that I would one, marry a farmer, but be introduced to grinders, welders, plasma cutters, and all that in between that help produce what we put out for everyone. All of these pieces of, what I would consider 'heavy machinery,' make it all possible to be able to sand, stain, seal coat, and pound together. 

• Education. My education is always riding on what I am making. Pantone color of the year, ergonomics, codes/standards, lighting, material/color selection, construction; they all play an important role in all of this. I didn't pay thousands of dollars, and still doing so, to let it just waste away. I feel it really helps me understand these things a little more than I originally would have. Some people look at me with a puzzled look when I go into a hardware store or furniture store and they try to pull a fast one on me or I know what I am talking about.

• Local. We're right here! LC Design is a small town, dream following, business. Put your money where your heart is and shop local small businesses. I don't know a small town business in Pipestone that doesn't pride itself in being a small business in a community they want to see flourish. 

+What's next? 

I wish I could say I knew! I know things don't happen overnight, or even 2 years later. I hope one day to have a brick and mortar. I hope to be a destination place for Pipestone. I hope to see a big sign that says LC Design (Studio) on a building. I hope people want to see it all as well! All I know is until those things happen LC Design will be working in over time to make it happen and trying in all ways to make a mark. 

Here are some monumental photos for LC Design in these last 3 months, Yup, that's all it been.