52 weeks of design (Kitty & Company) week 16

​By Kitty Golding
Kitty & Company will be conducting a series of short interviews with Chelsea Residents for 52 weeks, bringing to light differing personalities and design styles in our community.  Perhaps you will meet someone new through these weekly interviews or perhaps it will be YOU! Stay tuned and follow us each week – we now introduce you to Mrs. Debra Myers.
What is your profession and for how long? 
My background is public and corporate accounting but I have worked as a tech business writer and small business owner over the years. Since 2013 I have given much of my time to a local non-profit (Ballet Chelsea) and to another project that will be ready to go to market in 2021.
Your family members: 
I have been married to my amazing husband, Ty, for over 25 years: He asked me to marry him nine days after our first date. We married six weeks later! He usually travels a lot but has worked from home since 2008. Together we have two incredible children: Joel who graduated from Western Michigan University and Sarah Maye who is graduating from Ohio State University in May 2020.
People think of me as:
Blunt or direct--you know, to the point--but I am really just impatient. And I am really not that impatient, I just don't like to waste time. Years ago I would have admitted I was impatient. But then I had children. I very quickly realized as a parent, you must have superhuman patience.
 When did you move to Chelsea? Where did you live prior to this? 
Ty and I first moved to Chelsea in 1995. We stayed two years and then left for a job change. We moved to the Maryland/DC area and then returned in 2002. We have been here since. Prior to that I lived in Ohio, Wisconsin, and before that the Rocky Mountains--Utah and Colorado. I attended college out West.
What do you love about where you currently live? 
In Chelsea, I appreciate the lack of traffic. I have lived in large cities, and don't care to go back to that--every time I visit my daughter in Columbus, I am reminded of that. If we are talking about my home, well, there's lots to love here but it's mostly outside: nature. Our property adjoins state land so we have complete privacy, quiet, safety and security--something many people do not have.  There is much to learn about our world, our God, and ourselves when we spend some time alone in nature.
If you could have a second home anywhere, where would it be? 
I would like my second home to be within walking distance to my children. I miss them so.
What three words describe your style? 
Rustic, Southwestern, Natural.
Who most influenced your design styles?
Myself--where I have lived, my surroundings, and my life philosophy.
What are you most inspired by in your design/decor? 
Nature, color, pattern, artistic expression, function, craftsmanship, and ease of cleaning/maintaining.
As you think about the home in which you grew up, what elements did you like and do you think you have incorporated some of them in your own home?
My father built the house I grew up in. We were surrounded by trees. I have been surrounded by trees in nearly every home I have lived in since.
When entering your home, how do you want it to feel? 
Unpretentious.
What is one trend in design you do not like? 
White on White on White on White. Too much white!
 
Have you ever built a new home or remodeled an existing one? 
We have remodeled parts of our current home, but the bulk of our home dollars have gone to outdoor projects: asphalt driveway, an outdoor getaway shed, complete redo of our pole barn, new decks, patios, and porches, and most recently, the residing of our home (which is in progress), and new windows.
What is the biggest issue you struggled with during your remodeling project? 
The biggest interior design issue in this house is the agreement with my husband, who has opinions, about what goes on inside. And if we don't agree on the vision, it (the kitchen) doesn't get done. But the outside is looking great!
If you were moving and could only select one item from your home to keep, what would it be and why? 
The 19th century primitive wood cabinet. I love it. It's a rare size with incredible chippy paint and patina. I pulled it out of a dirty auction barn myself. It contains irreplaceable family memorabilia.
No room is complete without:
A view.
If you are a pet owner, how has that influenced your choices in design, if it has? 
Other than putting down non-carpet floors, my design style is unaffected by the many animals we have had over the years.
 
By nature I am a :  Collector of “things” or treasures!
 
If you were given $1,000 to buy a new piece of art, what would it be? 
It would not be a framed piece of art, however,  I have my eye on a metal artist who makes railings, as our new front porch really needs a railing.
 
 
A few of your favorite things!
Historical Place You Have Visited- Ghost towns in the Rocky Mountains.
Scent- The smell of the coniferous mountain forests after a rain.
Style of Music - The Founding Band, my son's band. Also R&B (old) and Christian music.
Meal- None. I do have a favorite coffee though--Kicking Horse.
Favorite TV show -Currently, Father Brown.
Favorite Season - It's NOT winter!
Things to Collect- Wood Bowls--primitive, and “out of round”- meaning “very old”
Colors- Warm colors, not one specifically.
Design Trend/ Style-  Arts Crafts/Mission.
Dogs, cats or other? All of them plus more including chickens.
Favorite hobbies- Searching for and reading old apologists writings (1880s and prior).
Favorite Tree or Plant - White Pine tree.
Favorite item on a bookshelf  - My vintage scale. It never lets me down! 100% accurate for all my Ebay shipping.
 
Kitty’s note:  Debra and I have known each other for many years now….15 I think?  Our boys became best friends in grade school.  I appreciate all design, but our personal styles are very complementary, so it is easy for me to feel comfortable in her woodsy, rustic home.  Debra is a jack of all trades and seemingly a master of most of them! She sets her mind to do something and does it very well. I have known her to paint murals, find, fix and sell furniture, deliver a professionally written document, thoroughly research an item and or find numerous ways to rearrange her home environment to accommodate their family at various life stages. In my life, I have known several women I would classify as “superwoman” – she is one of them!

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