Photography by David Huffines / Aesthetic Images

Anne Marie Davis isn’t afraid of what’s hiding in your closet. In fact, she finds her best treasures in there.

Davis is the owner of Good Medicine Redesign, an interior redesign and staging business. A lifelong artist, Davis began her career teaching middle-school art before moving to counseling. “Then, I hit a midlife place where I was hungry to create,” she says, referring to her self-proclaimed “interesting journey.” Davis got a studio at Lyndon St. Artworks and delved into collage and paint.

Then, her father told her about interior redesign. “I had lots of irons in the fire at that point,” she recalls. But soon, Davis found herself certified and starting her own company.

Although she still works part-time in the school system, Davis says her design projects feel more like play than the typical job. “You get to choose how to invest yourself in life, but don’t try to direct the outcomes,” she says, “or you’re sure to miss surprises along the way.”

What is interior redesign?
The trend toward redesign started about seven years ago. The process involves shopping your home for furnishings and accessories to give new life to your space. In an economic climate like this, you don’t have to buy all new things. When a redesigner walks out of your home, you’re guaranteed a new — and better — look.

Tell me about the process.
When I first see a room, I usually get an immediate sense of what the issue is. Typically something will stick out like a sore thumb — either not enough lighting, or oversized furniture. It generally takes three to five hours to finish a room — and it’s amazing what you can do in that time. First, I completely empty the room. Then, I’ll evaluate the space, establish a focal point, and then bring items in as I piece together the puzzle. Often I’ll ask the client to leave while I work, so the result will be a complete surprise.

What do you look for when you “shop” a client’s home?
The things that people buy themselves are part of them — they’re things they’ve chosen, they’re things that represent who they are. But people get wedded to having their belongings in certain places. I can come in with fresh eyes, move furniture in new ways, mix rugs between rooms. It’s almost like trying on Mom’s clothes when you’re young; it’s a creative process.

How do you know when you’re done?
I’m finished when I complete all the steps and am pleased with the way the room feels. I also try to leave suggestions for other changes or accessories that the client could make, if they so choose. In that way, then, a room is never done.

Who is your typical client?
Middle-aged women on a budget; single, or recently divorced men; people who know what they want, but can’t pay a fortune. And I’d say very often there’s a transition going on in a client’s life — and it’s not always positive. A lot of times, when we shift on the inside, we do it on the outside too.

How do clients react to your work?
Going into someone’s home is an intimate process and I’m sensitive to that. But I try to remind people not to be shy — everyone has babies, cat hair, dogs, and diapers. The home is the heart of the family, it should look like someone lives there. I feel truly honored when people invite me in. Completing a project is like giving your client a huge gift.

What is your biggest design challenge?
No question about it: the recliner.

Explain your business’s name.
I once met a man who told me that “medicine” meant “way of life” in Native American culture. He said that you’re creating good medicine when you’re doing what you came to do.  I know I’m here to create. What a blessing. 

For more information about Good Medicine Redesigns, call 336-549-8379 or go to http://www.goodmedicineredesigns.com.