By Celeste McLaughlin
After 25 years, Debbie Demboski’s Decorating Den Interiors in Wesley Chapel is still bringing style and beauty to the residents of New Tampa and Wesley Chapel.
Celebrating her 25th anniversary as a decorator and franchise owner with Decorating Den Interiors, Debbie helps people in our distribution areas (and beyond) create beautiful spaces in which to live and work. So, for anyone thinking about redecorating their home, or a smaller project — anything from purchasing new window treatments or wall coverings to furniture and floors — Debbie comes to you in her van full of samples, catalogs, and other tools of the trade to provide a free consultation in the space you actually want to decorate.
“So many people have a vision and get excited, purchase something and bring it home, before realizing that it just doesn’t work,” says Debbie. “Having a professional opinion can actually save you time and money. I will come to you and assist you in picking out something that not only fits your style and budget, but also works perfectly in your space.”
Debbie adds that her initial consultation is absolutely free, and there are never any hourly fees for her time. “The real benefit of working with Decorating Den Interiors,” says Debbie, “is that my studio is parked in your driveway.”
In addition, she says her costs are comparable to other retailers, thanks to the buying power of Decorating Den Interiors as North America’s largest interior design and home furnishings franchise company, with franchises across the U.S. and Canada.
“It’s a 45-year-old company that is still growing,” she says, “with three franchises recently awarded in the Central Florida Region in just the past year alone.” And, Debbie is not only a franchise owner and decorator, but also serves as a regional director, providing leadership and training to twelve franchise owners across central Florida. Two years ago, she was named Regional Director of the Year at Decorating Den’s company-wide international annual conference (photo).
Debbie’s professional team includes her mom, Phyllis Wilcher, who works as her regional secretary and has been part of the team since Debbie moved her franchise to Florida from the Atlanta area, to be closer to her family, about 20 years ago.
“My mom is such an important part of my team,” Debbie admits. “She does everything from placing orders and handling marketing tasks to following up on projects and providing lunches for our monthly Regional meetings. She is well known for her hospitality, both in my business and in the New Tampa community, too.”
Debbie has a degree in design and business from West Virginia University in Morgantown. Prior to beginning her decorating career, she worked at a number of different retail positions. She got into the interior decorating business when she was living and working in Atlanta and a friend, Terri Erwin, became a Decorating Den franchise owner. Debbie went to work as a decorator for Terri’s business and, soon after, started her own franchise.
Debbie says the reasons her clients love working with Decorating Den are outlined in these “NIFTY” benefits:
• N-National umbrella: Decorating Den has the buying power of a national company.
•I-In-home decorating: Design decisions are made in your home, in your existing lighting, working with what you already own.
•F-Free consultation: Not only does Debbie come to you, there is no cost for the consultation nor will you pay hourly fees for her time.
•T-Training: “This is a very fashion-forward, trendy business,” Debbie says, “so we attend conferences, have private showroom tours, and decorators from all the regional franchises work with each other to share ideas and collaborate.”
•Y-Your lifestyle: Debbie makes your likes, dislikes and budget her highest priority, to be sure that your home reflects your personal taste, not hers.
One client who has recently taken advantage of these benefits is Marcia Mann, a Tampa Palms resident who has lived in her home since 2001. She’s the former secretary of the Florida Lottery and recently retired as a USF professor.
“Politics is my hobby,” she explains. “I knew I wanted to entertain and host fund raisers, and I wanted my home spruced up.”
Marcia’s experience with interior decorators at previous homes made her somewhat leery about hiring someone again. She says she had worked with designers who made her feel like her budget wasn’t big enough and what they wanted for her home was more important than what she wanted.
“Because Decorating Den comes to the house and gives free estimates, I thought I might feel more comfortable with them,” says Marcia. “And, I can’t say enough wonderful things about Debbie. She is down to earth, not at all pushy, makes me feel comfortable, works within my budget and has all kinds of great ideas.”
Marcia says she then hired Debbie to decorate her living and dining room.
“I didn’t like that my dining room was raised off the floor so you had to step up to it,” Marcia explains. “The estimate to remove the concrete and make it level was $40,000, so we had to come up with another solution. Debbie’s idea was to swap my living room and my dining room. Now my grand piano is raised up in the living room, and my big dining table and gorgeous chandelier are right at the entry of my home. It turned out absolutely beautiful.”
Marcia was so happy with her experience that she asked Debbie to also decorate her master bedroom and that also expanded to include the other three bedrooms in her home. She says she is looking forward to continuing to work with Debbie as she plans to improve her kitchen and pool area in the future.
“Debbie has lots of experience, and her ideas never stop,” says Marcia. “She works with what you already have in your home, and can take anything and make it look good. Another thing I love is that she doesn’t nickel and dime you.” She says she and Debbie agree on a budget for a project, and then Debbie includes accessories and accents and doesn’t constantly ask to add to the budget throughout the project.
Debbie says she enjoys working with Marcia, too, and explains that the variety of clients she works with is one of the things she enjoys about her job. “Every day is different, every client is different, and that’s what I love about it.”
Christmas In July?
“Every year, I offer my ‘Christmas in July’ free fabric sale,” says Debbie (see ad on page 18). “I obtain lots of fabrics from vendors and contractors that are leftovers or discontinued lines, and provide those fabrics absolutely free to my clients.”
The client then pays only for the labor to turn that fabric into the window coverings, pillow covers, upholstery, or whatever else they need.
Decorating Den comes to you at your home or office in Wesley Chapel or New Tampa. For more info, call Debbie at 817-2264 or visit DecDens.com/DebbieD.
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