Jackie Teague believes in serendipity. After all, her current professional identity is the result of an extra dose of the stuff. Teague enjoyed a 20-plus-year career in upholstery-fabric sales and furniture-covering selection for prominent manufacturers, followed by a stay-at-home-mom stint until her daughter entered high school.
When she noticed that the Airport Design Center — Asheville’s answer to the one-stop interior-design emporium — was being built, she wanted in. Fast forward seven years, and her store, Design Avenue Home Furnishings, is a successful and bustling component of the Center. She offers an expansive range of Made in USA furniture, artistic home accessories, and superior curatorial services of every scope — whether a customer is looking for one perfect piece of wall art or seeking to fill an entire home with furniture and accessories.
CH+G: What inspired you to start Design Avenue?
Jackie Teague: Furniture is in my blood, and I was itching to get back into the field. When I learned about the Airport Design Center, I loved the concept of one-stop shopping for the home. If you’re building, renovating, or just looking to give your home a little life, you can do it there.
What is Design Avenue Home Furnishings’ mission?
My mission is to make your home your haven. My philosophy is that it’s your home and money, that you should spend your money any way you want, and fill your home with things you love.
As a “civilian” who loves design and doing DIY home projects, I feel excluded when I see the phrase “to the trade only.” Do you bridge the gap for those looking to beautify or change their homes, but who don’t plan to hire a professional designer?
I offer free design consultation and space planning. You can make as many or as few changes as you want, as your budget allows. I do not charge for my design services; that way my customer has a larger budget to spend on new items.
What’s your favorite part about your work?
I love people and the opportunity to be creative, all while building a relationship with them to create a place they consider home.
Your work is so hands-on. You actually bring merchandise to clients’ homes so they can see exactly how it will work, or not work. Does this strategy reduce buyer’s remorse?
Yes. Sometimes you just have to see a piece in your home to fall in love.
How do you develop a relationship with clients that inspires their trust?
Listening to my customer is the most important thing I can do. I try to focus on exactly what the customer is saying when they talk about their home and lifestyle.
What’s the most essential element to a well-designed room?
Space planning. We all need to make sure the room can breathe by not overcrowding it.
What’s one of the most practical pieces of upholstered furniture?
The cocktail ottoman. Who doesn’t like to put their feet up occasionally? You also have the option of [making it] a table for that cup of coffee or glass of wine. And a nice tray can convert that footrest into a table for serving hors d’oeuvres or a place to neatly hold magazines.
Why do you love fabric? How does it give a room character?
I’ve always been in love with fabrics. I have wonderful childhood memories of going to fabric stores with my mother, who was a very gifted seamstress. Fabrics can bring an inviting quietness to a room or make it come alive with color. You can define your personality with a simple pillow.
Does Design Avenue skew toward any certain aesthetic?
We have a wide range. It’s OK to mix it up and add a touch of contemporary to a traditional room, to make your own statement. There are no rules.
What’s your favorite place to relax in your own home?
My bedroom is the one place at the end of the day where I can take a deep breath. My living area is alive with color, fun, and happy, but my bedroom’s quieter. The colors are more toned down, and it’s relaxing and inviting. Of course, after a day of assisting customers with creating their own special places, I’m usually too tired to do much more than fall into bed for a night’s rest. I have to recharge my batteries.
Visit Design-avenue-asheville.com or call 828-687-3690.