Today we’d like to introduce you to Hannah Schwanbeck and Ryan Schwanbeck.
Hannah and Ryan, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Our House Your Home has been quite a “little engine that could” story. From setting up shop in our dining room selling curated rooms and home decor items by appointment only, to working with clients locally with our In-Home Design service and over long distances with our eDesign service, to now turnkey remodeling with our Design+Build service where we handle all of the details from inspiration to installation the last 19 months have been an wild, crazy, and faith-filled adventure for our family.
My childhood dream was to be in the interior design space but in the midst of growing up, I forgot all about it. But throughout our marriage, my husband uncovered it and cashed in his retirement account because he believed in my dreams and the beautiful homes I dreamt of helping others create.
We started out slow curating rooms out of our dining room and helping a few clients makeover various rooms in their homes, these humble beginnings supplemented my husband’s full-time salary and within eleven months became both of our full-time careers. We are grateful to have found a way to couple Ryan’s strategic and business talents with my ability to visualize what “could be” with design and style, fusing them together into our dream career of working together and helping other people making their homes both beautiful and functional.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has not been a smooth road. But we have found joy throughout the process. There are so many things to learn when starting a small business, not to mention the adversity of everything life throws at you in the meantime!
While we did start our business a year and a half ago just to make supplemental money, we quickly realized that we did not want or need another “side hustle.” Ryan and I knew we had to be all-in if we wanted it to succeed. Going all-in meant investing every single penny of the capital we had (which wasn’t much!) — in tools, inventory, website…… the list goes on and on.
There have been many times where Ryan and I have wanted to quit because the weight of the outcome and uncertainty seemed so daunting. For example, one time we purchased a paint spray gun plus tons of paint supplies and Ryan spent all of his job’s vacation time setting up a paint shop in our home’s garage. He spent hours and hours flipping a dining set for one of our first curated dining rooms, but when he was on his way to deliver it to our buyer, it started raining out of NOWHERE…. and rain with a topcoat that’s still curing is far from ideal. Hours and hours of work… ruined. Up until that point, that was the most discouraged I had seen my husband.
We have faced bigger giants since then. At one of our first remodel jobs, our client sent funds over for us to completely gut & redo her master bathroom but the large deposit was delayed for “processing time” for a painful ten days. We had already scheduled subs and promised our client a timeline. There was no going back instead of pushing back our subs or running the risk of not paying them on time, we sold furniture, rugs, and decor out of our home on Facebook Marketplace to bridge the gap, then everything moved forward as originally planned.
Owning our own business has certainly tested our resolve. We have had to make tough decisions to do business the right way and take care of many others who depend on us for their checks.
Our House Your Home – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
As a husband and wife working together, our “secret sauce” is definitely working in harmony, playing off each other’s strengths and filling the gaps for one another.
One of the reasons we started Our House Your Home is we truly love working with one another and running a family business. Our passion is to help people love their homes and to create spaces that encourage their families to come together and enjoy time with one another. Our House Your Home is a full-service residential design firm assisting clients with a wide range of challenges including large-scale remodels to a simple, quick makeover.
When someone chooses to works with us, they are getting a husband-wife general contractor and interior designer duo. As the general contractor, Ryan brings strategy, forward-thinking, clear vision, and a great team of trades to the project. And as the interior designer, Hannah will reflect our client’s personal taste and style then select necessary details and finishes, collaborating with trades as needed, and assist with decorating a functional beautiful space with furniture, fabrics, and accessories.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
Living out your dreams.
Freedom to make choices.
The ability to steward resources in order to benefit your family and your community.
The ability to give back and help others with their own dreams.
Contact Info:
- Website: ourhouseyourhome.net
- Phone: 8309985387
- Email: hello@ourhouseyourhome.net
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/ourhouseyourhome
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OHYH.ourhouseyourhome/
Image Credit:
Shelby Wittie of Rustic Charm Photography.
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