From Design Assistant To Lead Designer, Our Wonderful Julie Is Off To Start Her Next Exciting Chapter

Julie Rose started with EHD a little over 3 years ago. I remember her first day vividly, as does she I’m sure, because I had to leave her in my office, mid introduction to puke in the bathroom because I had overdosed on vitamins. What is worse is that I had to go back into my office and tell my new employee that I had just puked because I had overdosed on vitamins. It was pretty cool. We later laughed about it, but that must have been SO awkward for her. I hired her straight out of design school, with an impressive portfolio but no on-the-job design experience (or very little that I remember). She played it cool like she didn’t follow the blog or had seen the show (this is a normal trend with new employees but then I find out the TRUTH later :)). But she had good calm energy, like I said impressive interior architectural skills, and most importantly to me she hiked (by herself) the Pacific Crest Trail for weeks from Socal all the way North to… I don’t know where it goes but it’s LONG. I know that not every employer is like me and cares about “extracurriculars” but someone who can hike by themselves physically and mentally for weeks without seeing their friends and family (or sometimes a single human) is IMPRESSIVE. It told me about her perseverance, her willingness to put her head down and work and not to mention her love of nature and spirituality (which I think is a nice touch to a well rounded human being.)

But she started in the middle of a real EHD design panic (not to mention the physical vitamin OD). I was underwater on the and projects and needed help like ASAP. She was not the first nor the last person who I have interviewed on a Monday and asked them to start on a Tuesday (it’s not my best move as a boss, I know). So needless to say she was thrown into a company that doesn’t just design and we are not traditional in our work process. We had two projects going – one in another state that was supposed to be a “cute remodel” that ended up being a 5k square foot new build, and one where I had given the audience all design decision making ability (remember I Design, You Decide) thus us needing to design each room TWICE!! That’s all to say, she was THROWN into the EHD world and while I’m sure at home she told a different story, at work she was so on top of it and cared so much almost immediately about the projects. She was very often the first one in and the last one to leave (and trust me, people – your boss notices this). She even came in on a Sunday and worked all day with me because the bathroom sketches were due the week before and I couldn’t do it on my own. And on our many trips to Portland and the mountain house, I loved hanging out with her, working with her, and drinking whisky with her. 

She was very responsible for catching so many of my mistakes and we got to make so many more together!