My real first was in Bridgewater, New Jersey twenty years ago. Of course, we are talking about first designs. It was a master bedroom design for a single woman in 2003. All I can remember is she wanted her bedroom a hue of deep purple and her four-poster bed draped in fabric. It was like a scene out of Arabian nights. I remember it was a fun first project and she was so excited to work with Elizabeth Erin Designs. Back then Elizabeth Erin Designs was just me and my daughter’s name. The most asked question when I meet with clients is how I came up with the name Elizabeth Erin Designs.
The debate of my company’s name came into play when I did a test of J. Peterman Designs with friends and family. The result of presenting that name ended in laughter when almost everyone pointed out that J. Peterman was the name of a character on the TV sitcom, Seinfeld. So, back to the drawing board I went looking for the perfect name. It was in a dream that I came up with Elizabeth Erin Designs – a combination of my twin daughters’ middle names. After six successful years in New Jersey, I moved back to Iowa and grew the company to the success it is today and I might add, nationwide!
We started out as most small companies, out of a home office. What started as just me, grew by adding an office manager to assist with the business side of things. Soon after, a potential intern from Iowa State reached out for an internship. We have since worked with over twelve interns from Iowa State, the University of Iowa, and UNI. Our two current full-time designers on staff have all started with the company as interns, learning each facet of the company as they grew. We have also partnered with the Johnston High School and Dallas Center-Grimes High School work-to-school programs to mentor high school students. This has been a wonderful opportunity to guide and share experiences with students wanting to go into an Interior Design program in college and give life experience to our college interns who will be our future.
In 2018, we were blessed to open our interior design showroom and store, located at 3296 NW Prairie Lane, Des Moines, IA 50313. We not only work out of this space, but it is also our showroom where clients can come on-site to see samples of the furniture, area rugs, accessories, and window treatments we carry. While our local clients can visit us with ease, we also work with clients across the nation – sending them samples and traveling to their locations to ensure they receive the same thorough service as our local clients. We are all about building relationships and creating a wonderful customer experience, no matter the geographic location. We have been blessed to work in 18 states. Great design has no bounds!
From our first design to our future designs and all the projects in between, we have thoroughly enjoyed having every client on our business journey and look forward to all the projects we get to be a part of in the years to come. Please follow us on social media to stay on top of all the exciting things we have planned for 2023, which we are so excited to share with you. In this fast-pivoting world, 20 years in business is something – if that isn’t a reason to celebrate I don’t know what is!
Cheers everyone!
