Today we’d like to introduce you to Donyea Tollie.
Hi Donyea, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
My journey in Interior Design started back in 2002 in my grandmother’s garage. Undenounced to me, my sister had started taking classes in Interior Design at the International Academy of Design and Technology in Tampa. I came across a couple of her projects. That is where Interior Design found me. What I saw in my grandmother’s garage intrigued me so well that I took a visit to the campus of IADT and the next thing I knew I was graduating in 2005 with a Bachelor of Interior Design. I have a twin. She and I have always been artistic and going to IADT is where I found my passion and my tribe! That is where my journey began.
I honestly didn’t know what I was getting into, but once I got there, it was set in stone… I WAS GOING TO BE A DESIGN STAR! I watched HGTV twenty-four seven. My favorite designer was Candice Olson. I used to buy Florida Design Magazines all the time. At that time, I didn’t know Black Interior Designers even existed.
Design school wasn’t easy. In fact, it took me 7 years after graduating high school to graduate from college because I had kids so young. They were and are my drive for everything I have accomplished thus far in my life. I worked an internship at a local home décor store while attending school. Right after school, I even started my first decorating business called Creative Visions by Donyea.
Once graduated, I went working as a Visual Merchandiser for a few years. That’s where I found my new design tribe which was my coworkers. They each gave me new perspectives in life and in design and I would even go as far as to say they cultured me. They introduced me to a new level of design that I had never experienced before. With them, I visited the coolest places, ate the best food and we had sophisticated conversations about all kinds of things, but we shared a passion for design. During my time as a visual merchandiser, I took a hiatus from my passion for a few years because we were so heavily involved in extra-curricular activities and travel basketball with the kids. I didn’t stay away for too long though.
Since I didn’t have time for a business, I started a decorating blog The Sister Sophisticate in 2013. Thank goodness design never left me. My first brush with Black Interior Designers wasn’t until I started my blog. This is where I found yet another tribe, but this time it was different. I found so many black designers who were just as passionate about interior design as I was. That’s where I learned about so many talented Black Designers such as the late Kimberly Ward of the Pink Eggshell and founder of the Black Interior Designers Network.
After that, I moved on to work as a Kitchen & Bath Designer for a local home improvement store for a few years. That’s where I gained my selling and most of my project management skills.
Rejuvenation Home Studio was born in the back half of 2017. I needed a place to feed my soul and put everything I learned back into play. I chose the company name because of the meaning behind the definition of “rejuvenation.” I use this in my everyday practice, which is to give new energy or life to something. My motto is “take care of your space so your space can take care of you.” Interior Design is self-care! RHS officially launched in October 2018.
Since then, I have been working on a wide range of projects for Interior, Exterior, and Boutique Commercial.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has definitely not been a smooth road, but I like to call it a necessary journey! My husband and I had kids young. He was attending college in Michigan, while I was raising babies and attending college in Florida. I actually became pregnant with my third child while I was attending school for Interior Design. I get very sick during my pregnancies. It would have been very easy for me to quit and never go back. I did take a break for a semester but went back. Partly because one of my Professors took interest in my abilities and talent and checked in on me.
It’s never easy to have kids and start a business at the same time. You have one priority and that is making sure they have what they need. I remember one client in particular when I had Creative Visions. I had to take my girls to a consultation because I didn’t have a babysitter. Luckily my client had children of their own, so they were very accommodating. I didn’t market myself as much because of the fear of not having enough time or resources to run an efficient Interior Design business. On top of that, I was working a full-time job. There wasn’t a high demand for black designers either.
Luckily my passion for design never left me, but as soon as my season was here, I jumped right on top of it. That season came during Covid. The world shut down. So I used that time to really focus on the business and its processes of the business. You just don’t learn that in Design School. Once I started marketing myself a little more I started reaping the benefits. The timing was right. There was a major shift in the hiring of more Black designers in 2020.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
There was a major shift in the hiring of more Black designers in 2020. That’s going to continue because clients want to see themselves in their homes. They want to hire designers who understand this. I always inject ethnicity into my projects, especially with textiles, accessories, and art.
I specialize in rejuvenating full-design builds, meaning renovation and styling. I can work on a project from the beginning of construction all the way to the finishing touches. I am responsible for creating functional interiors with the intention of influencing the quality of life of their occupants through artful beauty, visual excitement, materiality, and quality craftsmanship.
The word “space’ can have many references such as your mind, your body, or your soul. In my world, I reference your dwellings. “TAKE CARE OF YOUR SPACE SO YOUR SPACE CAN TAKE CARE OF YOU!” Everything from where you lounge, where you sleep, where you eat, and even where you work all plays a part in what kind of energy you put out. It’s important to put focus on these spaces by putting good energy in order to get good energy out and elevate your overall quality of living and functioning in your spaces. Interior Design is self-care!
I am most proud of my recent commercial design-build for a new concept called Rouge Beauty Lab in Ocoee, FL. It’s a beauty bar that specializes in custom make-up. It’s an entire experience.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Yes, I am a calculated risk-taker. I worked a full-time job and ran my business simultaneously for years. It wasn’t until July of this year, I had the opportunity to take the risk of running Rejuvenation Home Studio full-time. While I could’ve taken on another job as a “safety net,” I had already worked years on building a strong foundation for my business.
While the opportunity came in the form of an involuntary exit, I knew it was coming, I just didn’t know when. So, when it happened my husband was running a successful side business as well. He said, “I want you to focus solely on your business for a full year.” He believed in me. Since then, I have brought in twice my salary in revenue in less than half a year.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://rejuvenationhomestudio.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rejuvenationhomestudio/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RejuvenationHomeStudio
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTHTsoKmyRek6mq11vetoTQ
Image Credits
Tina Sargent
