Designer at Dwelling shop brings life to listless spaces

photo Staff Photo by Dan Henry/Chattanooga Times Free Press Co-owners Christi Homar two partners recently opened Dwelling, a furniture consignment store located off of Brainerd Road.

* Name: Christi Homar

* Position: Designer and co-owner

* Location: Dwelling, a furniture consignment

* First job: Dental assistant

* Best part of the job: "Designing pieces of furniture, and watching a lifeless (space) come to life. To see blank walls and unfinished areas, then to see to the completed project, that really brings happiness to people, which is one of the reasons I do what I do. You want something that gives back and that's really what it does for me."

* Worst part of the job: "Having to counsel between married couples because they're not always on the same page. The absolute worst is to [have customers who] hire me and then are too controlling. You're paying someone to do what they do, and the more you interfere, the more you're paying for something they wouldn't have done. It takes more time when people become indecisive and don't let us do what we need to do."

* What she's learned: "Communication skills are incredibly important in any kind of design. Consultations are how you get to know the people. When you come down to it, this is their home or their business. You learn how to work really well with people. Communication is a really big part of this that you don't realize you learn a lot from, but you do."

* How to make a career of it: Homar has a bachelor's degree in interior design from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She recommends anyone interested in design get some experience in the field first and get a feel for the job. "Find out if you're interested in it first," she said. "It's not all glamorous."

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