Today we’d like to introduce you to Joy Maier.
Hi Joy, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
Thank you for this wonderful opportunity, I have always loved design and DIY – even before I knew it was a thing. At the age of 5, I was the little girl making beds out of shoeboxes and making lamps out of pleated notebook paper, a pencil, an empty thread spool, and a whole lot of Elmer’s glue. This wasn’t because I cared for playing with dolls but because I loved making the “houses “(a spot on my little bookshelf). I was always, trying to create, build, and sew – remind me to tell you the story of the rag bag pistachio green poly, think “leisure suit” material, and what I did with it, ha!
After earning my degree in Marketing, I married at a young age and made the move from Biloxi, Mississippi to Midland, Texas. I discovered a talent for event designing and planning, specifically weddings. I absolutely loved helping the bride and groom create their perfect day, not a copycat of someone else’s. Designing these beautiful, unique events on a budget was a calling card of mine. I was fortunate to be able to both have a successful business that made so many happy and to bring a sense of calm to what was often a very stressful situation.
I continued in my role of event/wedding designer & planner for the next several years. This time included five years in southern California where I discovered the LA Garment District and reignited my love of fabrics… As the years rolled by and the third kid arrived, I longed to create more permanent designs and started bringing my love of color, fabrics, and styles into homes. My clientele was small, based on purely word-of-mouth, and had to fit into the confines of being a mostly stay-at-home mom.
In 2005, we made what we thought was our last move to Houston, Texas and I decided to relegate my event planning/designing skills to that of a volunteer, although the dramatic scale of the events did not decrease. I jumped in every chance I could to support my community, making the most wonderful friendships along the way. I also took this time to earn my certification as an interior decorator which ultimately led me back to school to pursue my degree in interior design.
I started The Aspiring Home Blog in 2012 as a creative outlet. The blog gave me a chance to do something else I love, which is encouraging and empowering others to create a home that reflects who they are. Here, I shared the lessons I learned from my mother, grandmother, and my personal experience in the art of hospitality and making a house a home.
The Aspiring Home blog brings clever ideas for transforming a house into a home through DIY projects, simple recipes, design tips, and encouragement for daily living. I have built up a national and international following which has led to the most touching emails and messages from folks recreating projects from the blog or who were inspired to be bold in their homes and lives.
The website also allows me to work with a variety of companies in sponsored posts sharing my thoughts and opinions on their products.
In 2018, I took a leap of faith and partnered with a friend to create a viable business. I brought the design side, and she brought the home staging side. Then in mid-2019, life threw a few curve balls (actually I felt like I was at the batting cage with a rogue pitching machine), to be honest, it got pretty brutal. One of the crazy pitches came in the form of a big move due to my husband’s job change. So, we pulled up our deep roots in Houston and made our way to the Dallas area. In early 2020 we unloaded the last boxes on the weekend that the world shut down due to the global pandemic.
There I was…surrounded by boxes and with no way to safely explore our new surroundings. It was lonely and I missed the creative process. Amid the busyness of settling into a new home & community, a friend from Houston reached out to ask me if I would consider designing their balcony space. Thus began my jump back into design…but this time, virtually! I quickly adapted to what E-design would look like in the emerging pandemic world. Supply chain problems had begun, but, we were able to make her balcony “escape from the world” dreams come true.
With many happy E design successes, I decided in 2021 to take another leap of faith and hang my shingle out to offer more than E-design as The Aspiring Home Interiors, a full service interior design studio. My vision is this: taking The Aspiring Home to a whole new level while honoring my heart’s original intent of being a place where house becomes home.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My journey hasn’t been an easy one but isn’t anything of great value and blessing birthed from struggle and persistence? And you can quote me on that, haha.
In 1990, at just 18 years old, I had a terrible car accident. Surviving the wreck was a miracle, but I was left with many challenges. I needed several surgeries to my right leg and my left wrist. In 1997 I was diagnosed with Keratoconus leaving me legally blind in my left eye and in need of a cornea transplant. I underwent the transplant and was able to see again.
Due to the injuries I sustained, I developed Osteoarthritis and was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder. I have spent countless days facing the struggle of only being able to walk and hold simple objects yet having to persevere in order to care for my family and clients. Thankfully, with proper diet, exercise, and positivity the good days far outweigh the challenging ones.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
We all have the ability to make a home that is both a haven and a launching pad that reflects our family’s passions and interests in a bright, bold, and beautiful way.
“Where house becomes home” really does encompass everything we love about pursuing all things home, by providing DIY project tutorials, inspirational encouragement for purposed daily living, or through creating intentional curated interiors via our design services, The Aspiring Home is here to help you truly make your house into the home that you and your family long for – a space unique to you. The Aspiring Home Interiors is based in Dallas but we have helped clients all over the nation.
I am an active member in the Interior Design Society (nationally & locally) and in the National Kitchen and Bath Association, allowing me the opportunity to continue my education and stay “in the know” on all the latest product lines and innovations. Recently, I had the opportunity to travel to Paris with an amazing group of designers from the Interior Design Society to explore Design Week – what an inspirational adventure it was!
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Every day is an opportunity to dream a little bigger, dare to go a little farther, and allow hope to grow stronger. Why not seize the moment, the hour, the day?
I love this quote: “Begin doing what you want to do now. We are not living in eternity. We only have this moment, sparkling like a star in our hand and melting like a snowflake.” ~Sir Francis Bacon
Time is ticking away and we need to approach it with a sense of urgency as the quote suggests. When you are operating in your calling and using your gifts it doesn’t feel so risky. How do you know that you are operating in your calling and using your gifts? That very thing that you would happily do for free because it just comes so naturally, take that passion and turn it into your job and you will never work a day in your life. Be aware that doubt and fear will come to steal your opportunities but don’t allow them. To me, this is when it feels “risky” at least until you believe in yourself and just move forward. Sometimes, you will have to believe in yourself 100 times a day and you know what, that’s okay.Moving forward may feel risky but staying “still” will not produce growth or build character, it will only feed fear and build deep regret.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.theaspiringhome.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/theaspiringhome_
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/theaspiringhome
Image Credits
Aaron Dougherty Interior Photography
