Meet Melissa Totton | Interior Decorator / Construction Project Manager

We had the good fortune of connecting with Melissa Totton and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Melissa, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
When I graduated from my post secondary training in Ottawa, I had two options when it came to entering the Interior Decorating industry.

I could choose to work with another firm, gain some experience and decide if making the leap to being self-employed was worthwhile in the future. Or I could decide to start building my name, my brand and my portfolio from day one – which is the route that I decided to pursue!

I was raised in a small town in New Brunswick, CA but was born in Ottawa, ON and always felt tied to returning there for post-secondary training. Once I decided to launch my own business instead of building someone else’s – it was a no brainer to return to New Brunswick instead of remaining in Ontario.

Although the risk of less opportunity existed in the decision to return to New Brunswick, I felt that the ease of word of mouth promotion and overall less competition were enticing reasons to make the move.

Honestly – being a creative individual, the thought of working to create for anyone else’s decorating firm would never have worked and I’m so grateful that I took the leap of faith and started Decoria Interiors in 2013!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I absolutely love what I do – something that I couldn’t truly say about any “work” in my life prior to being 100% self-employed. I always struggled in the traditional work environment to feel excited about each day, but I can truly say that I look forward to starting each new work day as owner of Decoria Interiors!

I am so proud that I will be reaching the massive milestone of 10 years in business in 2023 – a success that I certainly didn’t know would be possible when I started out in small town New Brunswick in 2013.

Reaching 10 years in business was certainly not easy – I had to accept that my ambitions would have to be regulated and I’d have to be patient and wait to jump into being fully self-employed until the time was right. I worked full-time for another employer for the first five years in business, then transitioned into working a part-time roll with a different employer until I reached year eight in business. Since then, I have been so proud to be able to focus soley on building Decoria Interiors and thankful for the incredible volume of clientele that reach out to work with me.

One of the biggest challenges for my business was navigating the 2020 pandemic shut-downs. Although my industry was considered essential due to construction services, I had a newborn at home and had to make some difficult decisions about my exposure and that of the trades that I work with. As a result of the pandemic, I made adjustments to the method in which I work with clients – mainly introducing a fully virtual planning process to replace my in-person method of pre-2020. This virtual planning process allows me to work with several clients at the same time, take advantage of working in the evenings once my daughter is in bed and clients are home / ready to discuss their project and has expedited the planning process on projects due to less in-person scheduling and back and forth.

This challenge of navigating the 2020 pandemic that should have set me back, and for many did – ended up creating an incredible valuable change for my business that has helped to make my life and running my business easier.

I’ve been lucky to have access to some wonderful mentors throughout my growth as an entrepreneur and Interior Decorator. Having access to their support has been so helpful in navigating situations as they arise and gives me perspective to get outside of the situation and see it from a fresh perspective.

Some of the biggest lessons that I’ve learned as an entrepreneur either through experience or through my mentors are:

– It is ok to say no. It went against every fiber of my being to turn away business as a small business owner, however since 2020, it has been impossible to keep up with the inquiries for projects. Once I learned that it is ok to not bite off more than I can chew, I’ve been able to schedule these inquiries for when I am able to accommodate them and learning that clients will be willing to wait to work with me has been a huge boost to my confidence and my ability to focus more on projects at hand vs. spreading myself too thin.

– Build strong relationships. I’ve been so thankful to have a team of incredibly reliable and talented tradespeople to bring to each project. Primarily, my contractor Adam from A.H. Custom Cut Construction and his red seal carpenter D.J. The fact that I have two talented carpenters to execute my vision for each space is such an asset and through the years, we’ve been able to learn how each other works and use that knowledge to ensure that we provide end results that we and our clients are proud of. By remaining loyal to the tradespeople who are reliable – it allows me to stand behind the service that they offer and vice versa.

If I had to share one thing about my business that I’d want the “world to know” is that Interior Decorating / Design services are so misunderstood. What we offer as an industry is so much more than just picking pretty pillows for your space. There are so many elements of a home or commercial project that require consideration not just from an aesthetic standpoint but from a functional one as well.

By working with Decoria Interiors – it doesn’t just allow you to be confident that the end appearance of your space will be everything you’ve dreamed of – it can provide you the peace of mind and confidence that every decision along the way is made with consideration for function, longevity and practicality.

I work with clients on projects from big to small – whether it is decorating a living room where the budget doesn’t allow for new large furniture pieces, or working with clients on reviewing the blueprints for their new build, making suggestions for adjustments to improve function and picking finishes / furnishings from the ground up – all projects are treated with the same level of care and enthusiasm and I am so proud to be included in every project brought to me regardless of the scale.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I am a lover of history and living in “New Brunswick’s First Town” provides plenty of opportunity to explore and learn about the rich stories of our area.

Our first stop would be the walking tour of the historical architecture in the downtown area. This great walking tour provides the opportunity to check out the exteriors of some of the town’s oldest homes and learn more about their past.

Up next, a stop at Creek Village Gallery and Cafe. They serve the most delicious Caprese Paninis and have some of the best selection of local artwork and artisan products in the area. A great place to refresh and pickup a keepsake!

We’d pack up and hit the road from there – exploring other areas of New Brunswick including my favorite – Fundy + the Hopewell Rocks and some camping in the beautiful provincial parks!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I have to give so much shoutout love to one of your former featured entrepreneurs, Ashley Ketch of Ashley Marie Creative Studios.

Ashley and I connected years ago and have spent so much time not only supporting each other as friends but providing insight into the various angles of being self employed.

She is such an incredible sounding board for new ideas, creates time in her busy life to help me build and grow my own brand, provides valuable perspective when handling complication work situations and on top of everything, takes the most stunning photographs of my work which are such a huge part of my marketing and brand recognition.

Website: www.decoriainteriors.com

Instagram: @decoriainteriorscanada

Facebook: www.facebook.com/decoriainteriors (@decoriainteriors)

Image Credits
Photo Credit: Ashley Marie Creative Studios