By Norine Longo
Interior decorating was always a passion of Donna Hill Krupa; even as a kid, she loved decorating.
As the former editor of Mercer Business Magazine, she saw some information regarding franchises come across her desk, and she got an idea. She opened the franchise business, Decorating Den Interiors, in 2004.
She said the benefit of a franchise is its turnkey operation. The franchise sets owners up with vendors and samples, having negotiated with different companies to offer a variety of products.
She provides a wide variety of services including paint consultations and even shopping with clients for items. As for her personal style, she likes transitional, a mix between contemporary and traditional.
Krupa said while still in publishing, she started out doing projects for friends and family for free, and worked her way into referrals.
She looked into juggling full-time work with school for interior decorating, which she said would have taken years.
The franchise provides intensive training to owners, sometimes taking several hours a day and going on for weeks at a time. She said the workload was heavy, but brought her up to speed. Interiors also holds monthly meetings to keep franchise owners up-to-date.
“The backbone is the franchise, but each person brings their individual talents and skills to the table,” Krupa said.
She said one of the biggest decorating mistakes people make is just buying things they like, especially when it comes to furniture. They fail to think about other important factors like the size of the space or furniture.
She equates the spaces she designs to a blank canvas, where she can fill in the spaces.
“It’s so gratifying to be there through the whole process and see how things come together,” she said.
One of the most popular rooms people want redone is their living room, she said. It’s usually the first room when you walk into a house or is where family and guests will spend time.
Krupa has worked with both living and business spaces including spaces in both big and little homes as well as waiting areas for businesses.
During an initial consultation, Krupa will go into depth about how the space is currently being used. For example, if a client wants window treatments, she will ask why – for privacy, the look, etc. She said that is the time where she gets a feel for what the person is looking for, and their tastes or style.
“It’s not just having an eye for it and throwing it together,” she said.
After that first consultation, she comes up with a design board, which includes color copies of each item and colors, a space plan that lays out the room’s space, and how much space each item will take up and a price list including each item’s price.
“I’m not somebody who comes in and says ‘You need to get rid of this and that,’” Krupa said.
She said she likes working in the area because people are friendly and receptive; they want to make a comfortable, welcoming home and not necessarily a showplace.
To schedule a consultation, contact Donna Hill Krupa at Decorating Den Interiors at (609) 291-8066, e-mail dhkrupa@decoratingden.com or visit decdens.com/dhillkrupa.
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