Today we’d like to introduce you to Victoria Yoder.
Victoria , we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Looking back, it’s easy to see that much of my life prepared me for what I’m doing today. When I was growing up, we moved a lot, and my way of feeling at home wherever we were living at the time, was to paint my room a serene shade of ivory and accessorize with all of my favorite things. My father was in the roof truss business much of my life, and we would spend a lot of time during the summer running around the bunks of lumber and hanging out in his office. On top of that, my grandfather was a builder, who owned rentals. He would sometimes take me along to paint or help out in some other way when he was refreshing a rental for new tenants. Reading blueprints was something that I learned at a fairly young age, since I was surrounded by them constantly. My first official job was working in the office with my parents taking roof truss orders. Years later, when my husband and I married, we had a very small budget for our wedding. Using creativity and a ton of research, I managed to pull together a wedding for 350 guests, which, in our area at the time was a small wedding. One of the things that I did to save money was to figure out how to do my own flowers by getting books, studying them and just jumping in. My first arrangement was my own bouquet. After our wedding, friends and family started asking me to help them plan their weddings, and this became a big part of my life for the next number of years. It was during this time, that we went through some very tough years. I had two very difficult pregnancies, followed by our daughter having to stay at Akron Children’s Hospital NICU for a bit. A few months later, my husband, Marlin, was diagnosed with cancer. During that time, requests for my help only increased, and I found that it was a nice distraction from the doctors and hospitals we were surrounded with much of the time. When our children were born, I decided to stay home with them, and left the work force till they started school. I helped with the loss of income by shopping at garage sales and thrift stores (something I still love to do). I started volunteering at our church quite a bit during that time, and found myself, not only doing weddings, but other events, as well. Our church, had some very talented women who mentored me and showed me how to foster the gifts God had given me. Thankfully, my husband was declared cancer free a day after our youngest daughter turned a year old.
A few years later, I started working part time with my husband. We decided to remodel our home and went all out! We’ve always loved hosting people in our home, and, as we did, I started being asked to help others with their homes. We lived a distance from our daughters’ school so I’d spend quite a bit of time waiting around on them, since it was too far to drive back and forth. During that time, I started thinking about what my life might look like once my kids were grown, and took advantage of the time I was waiting to get an online degree in Design. As I finished up, I had to do a “real life” project to walk through all I had been learning up to that time. It went very well, and I started getting other offers. Unfortunately, my health took a turn just then, and I was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition that took a pretty big toll on me. For the time, I gave up the idea of design and went back to part-time work with my husband, and focused on getting well. That said, I never stopped getting requests from friends and family to help them with projects, whether it was weddings or homes. I’d continue to say I wasn’t doing either anymore, while actually never really stopping completely. I’d also still keep doing all the research necessary to stay up on all things design, just in case. Years went by, and the business my husband runs (a wood flooring distribution company) moved north to Medina County. After a short time, we decided to move up, as well. Since I was in a new area, and didn’t have any connections there, I kept working with my husband, but now full-time. I didn’t love the job I was doing, but I always loved working with my husband so I was content. Then, early in 2020, a friend reached out to me to work on a project. This time, it was a large commercial addition, and it was an hour away. Because of that, I said no at first, but, after changing my mind several times, I agreed to do it in March of 2020! Little did I know just how crazy that was going to be! Since I had turned it down initially, I started into it a little late, but quickly jumped in and did the best I could to get on top of everything. I worked on it for the next year and a half. While many were slowing down and working from home, I would work about four days a week at the office, and then work evenings and a day or two a week on the project to be able to keep up with everything. We dealt with all the supply chain issues that ensued during Covid, inflation that skyrocketed, having to stop and start due to contractors’ illnesses, you name it! By the time I was at the end of it, people were asking me, “Why aren’t you doing this all the time?” and, despite the challenges, I agreed.
Through the process, I began to realize that, each time I had dealt with a hard season in my life, God had given me some form of beauty to focus on to get through. God also used the wonderful people and environment I had been working in (a Christian Counseling Center) to do a healing in me, and to give me the courage to move forward. If I could manage a large project like this, in the middle of all that craziness, why couldn’t I do this all the time on a smaller scale? I wanted confirmation so I prayed and asked for it. The next day, I went to my office to find that there was a message from the people I had been working with fifteen years prior (which was when I had been hit with an autoimmune condition). They had tracked me down, and wanted to know if I’d take on a couple more projects for them! It was as if I was starting back exactly where I had left off so many years ago! I was blown away! I took their projects on, and never looked back. After completing the work for them, I made a Facebook post announcing to friends and family that I was starting a business, and almost immediately started getting more work. At the same time, my husband would tell customers that were coming into his store, that I had started a business, and, since I had been helping them with flooring choices anyway, some of them would hire me, as well. Since that time, I’ve gotten work word of mouth and stayed consistently busy. I thought, when I started I would have to do all sorts of social media posts or advertise, and I’d stress out because I wouldn’t have time to do them. Then it hit me one day, if I don’t have time to do them, I probably don’t need them. So now I post once in a while when the mood strikes me.
It’s been a long road, but I am truly so appreciative of every day that I get to do what I love. Life is short and there’s never a perfect moment to do the thing that you are dreaming of. At the moment, my husband and I have become grandparents and my father moved in with us, as well. I’m the in-between generation, and man does it keep me hopping! This past year, after many years of good health, I had a flare up, but, this time, I found a way to work through. I had to pull back other things in life, but I’m now past the worst of it. Despite that, God has blessed me so much! My husband and I love to travel, and we’ve found ways to work around that, as well. We both work while we travel so that we can travel. It works for us. Most of all, because I spent much of my life working on the things that truly matter in this world, I can be at peace knowing that, if this all went away tomorrow, my life is full. I have (mostly) good health, a loving family, many friends, a beautiful home over my head, food to eat, travel, nature… you name it! The years that were most challenging reminded me of what was important. I would miss this work, but it wouldn’t be devastating. If I could offer advice to anyone starting a business. You sometimes have to make compromises for a time when you are starting a business, but be careful not to do that for too long. Find a way to spend time with loved ones, take that trip, that walk, find your peace and always seek God first. If you do these things, you will keep things in perspective (I don’t always have this down perfectly; I often have to remind myself.) However, that being said, God opened a door for me after years of never quite getting there; I took it, and I’m so blessed to be walking that out each day now for as long as he allows me to.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
I guess I explained a lot of this in the previous question, but I’ve dealt with health issues, juggling kids and family, Covid craziness, “imposter syndrome”, you name it. While I love the interaction with people, the creativity involved in the process and seeing the end results, the business side of things is a struggle to me often. I grew up in the business world and have helped my husband run a business, but it’s still different when it is on your shoulders.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Despite the occasional commercial new build project, I tend to specialize in residential remodeling. I’m known for blended styles; I love to take what seems to be opposing styles that people will have and find a way to make all happy. I love Transitional style, and have loved it long before it was popular, as it’s a style that allows me to “play” and be creative. Although I’m not afraid of color, I truly love calm, peaceful spaces, possibly because my home has been a haven to me many times. I’m also known for murals; it’s kind of an obsession.
Despite having elements of design that I love, the most important thing to me will always be finishing a space and having others say it looks like my clients. A home should reflect those who live there, with a hint of the designer thrown in, not the other way around. I love to incorporate thrift store finds and personal items to make rooms feel loved and lived in, as well as unique. I’m most proud of the clients who come back year after year, project after project. They truly become friends.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
I love all things Jane Austen, classic movies (late 1920s to early 1950s), foodie things, Peter Santenello, Studio McGee, Ashley Childers, but I’m inspired most by all of our travels. Because our families came out of Amish and Mennonite backgrounds, I have a lot of resources for custom furniture, fabrics, seamstresses, upholstered items, you name it. On the more serious side, I try to read my Bible and spend time with the Lord on a daily basis, as well as listening to people that speak into my faith. A couple of my favorites are John & Lisa Bevere and Christine Caine.
Pricing:
- $350 for an initial consultation (includes a general presentation with project overview)
- $50 / hour, after consultation (for drawings, mock ups, site visits, etc)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://atmospheredecor.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_atmosphere_design7
Image Credits
Jamie Lynette Photography
