by Sandi Oertell
I am a retired healthcare and residential interior designer. Born in Chicago, I have lived in Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Iowa, New Mexico, Texas, Minnesota, Indiana, and have settled permanently in Las Vegas. I attended Illinois College in Jacksonville and Iowa State University.
While living in Minnesota, I worked around raising my children by hanging wallpaper, holding paper hanging clinics and then selling wallpaper from my basement showroom. When we moved to Indiana I planned to open a wallpaper store and hanging clinic, but was stopped by the advent of online and toll-free discount buying.
When an opportunity came along to apprentice with an established interior designer, I jumped at the chance. For two years I worked for free lunches and gas money. When my boss passed away unexpectedly and left her business to me, I took on the full load and supplemented my lack of formal education in interior design with correspondence courses.
Ms. S always told me that I’d never make a fortune as a designer, because I was too pragmatic, and always came in under budget. She was right! While I have as much fun as the next gal spending money on beautiful luxuries, I found that my true forte was in giving practical solutions to deserving families that didn’t believe that they could have a beautiful, functional, home without strapping themselves financially.
When physical limits forced me to retire, I searched for new ways to focus my life. An avid reader and writer, my past genres included poetry and amusing anecdotes from my own past. I have been compared to Erma Bombeck because of my habit of injecting humor into even the worst situations. Continuing to look for new ways to express myself, I have ventured into short stories, screen writing, restaurant reviews, and ghostwriting.
Beyond that I am a dedicated swimmer, play 7 card stud and pinochle, and love word games! But now I find that my special talent is much needed again. Because of today’s questionable and unstable economy, and the need to learn how to protect our environment, it is time for me to share with others the secrets of decorating your homes, both inside and out, at an affordable price and in an environmentally protective way.
Welcome to my site!
Sandi Oertell