A longtime Colorado Springs interior designer has taken her business from virtual to physical, opening a storefront in the heart of downtown. Nicole Hammond, who has been in the interior design business for 25 years and has run Love Your Space for 10 of them, has now opened the company's first brick-and-mortar store at 18 E. Rio Grande St. Her store continues a string of business openings in the city's core.
On Aug. 31, Hammond threw a grand-opening party to celebrate her customers from the past 10 years and give visitors ideas for how they can spruce up their spaces. While the store carries furnishings, Hammond will continue to do professional consultations.
Hammond said she has long worked to broaden the perception of what interior design means and who it is for. "When you say 'interior designer,' it has connotations to it," she said, noting that people may worry about cost. "If you have the right interior designer, (they) should save you money. You're not going to make as many mistakes, you'll get things right the first time and you'll get it done with confidence."
Generally, she lets clients lead the way. People know their spaces and what they like — as well as the vision of what they want — but may not know how best to tie it all together in a way that works for them. Hammond starts with a lot of questions and learns her client's personal style, and after uncovering it, works to create an endearing and functional space.
"I am here to facilitate good design, to make sure the function is good and that the design is good based on what you want," she said. "To me, functionality is most important, how it works is the most important thing. Then we start layering things" — including the texture of fabric or upholstery on a couch or the color of painted walls.
Chelsea Gondeck, the CEO of the Downtown Partnership, celebrated Hammond's decision to select downtown for her store, noting that Hammond created a shop that is "inspiring, welcoming and distinctly her own." "Celebrating entrepreneurs who invest in Downtown is one of the best parts of what we do," Gondeck said in a news release. "It's businesses like this that strengthen Downtown's unique character while giving everyone another reason to shop local."
How Love Your Space's retail presence performs amid downtown Colorado Springs's ongoing commercial evolution will be worth monitoring in the months ahead.