Meet Rachel Chester | Interior Designer, Allied ASID

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

Hi Rachel, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Our thought process behind starting Behind the Badge and Blueprints was honestly rooted in one simple question: What if home could be both a safe place and a healing one?

As a married queer couple, one a luxury interior designer, and the other a crisis intervention trained police detective, we saw a gap where mental health, first responder life, and soulful design rarely overlapped. We were living proof that safety isn’t just tactical, it’s emotional. And home isn’t just beautiful, it’s therapeutic.

So, we built a brand that was a blueprint for just that; a space where mental wellness, design, and identity coexist with intention. At its core, Behind the Badge and Blueprints is about reclaiming softness as a survival strategy for all, especially those in high-impact roles like first responders.

Often, vulnerability is usually the last thing you’re taught to show. But for us, leadership means putting mental health on the table and talking about it. We’ve felt the emotional weight a first responder job can carry, and we’ve made a choice to be real about it. Honest. Open. No shame. Because when first responders, nurses, teachers, or anyone holding it together for everyone else, feel seen and understood, that’s when healing starts.

We didn’t just want to design homes. We wanted to design healing. We wanted to offer emotional armor. This business is our way of saying: you deserve to come home to a space, and a life that supports your nervous system, honors your identity, and holds you through it all.

Ultimately, Behind the Badge and Blueprints is a movement disguised as a lifestyle brand. It’s a call to come home, to yourself, your space, and your softness. Because at the end of the day, the real power isn’t in pretending we’re unbreakable, it’s in designing a life where we don’t have to be.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My career in interior design has been more than a job, it’s been a calling. I’ve always had an eye for details that make a space feel like something, tell a story, or offer a sense of calm. Growing up in Arizona, I was surrounded by organic textures, clean lines, and raw, honest materials. That connection to the land and to quiet desert beauty still shows up in every project I touch.

I earned my degree through a combined program between Scottsdale Community College and Northern Arizona University, with a focus in design and a minor in business. That foundation gave me both the creativity and the strategy I needed to turn passion into profession. I’ve spent over 10 designing luxury homes with Ownby Design and I’m incredibly proud of the portfolio I’ve built at this astounding firm.

I think what sets me apart is my ability to merge structure with soul. I can lead a project, manage deadlines, and execute at a luxury level, but I never lose sight of the human behind the home. I ask questions that go deeper than paint colors and layout because what I was taught and what I believe is that good design should support you as a person, not just your aesthetic.

It hasn’t always been easy. Interior design is a competitive, fast-paced, and often high-pressure industry. As a woman navigating leadership in this space, I’ve had to prove my value through action, not assumption. I’ve worked late nights, managed complex builds, and learned how to advocate for my vision while staying collaborative. The biggest lesson I’ve learned is to trust your gut, and trust your gift. The right clients and teams will feel that energy and mirror it.

Sam grew up in Cleveland, OH and always knew she wanted to do something “bigger than herself”. Falling in love with psychology in high school started her path down the long road, leading her to exactly where she was meant to be. Currently she is working on her Master’s in mental health counseling to become a therapist while continuing her work in crisis intervention and negotiations in her career in law enforcement.

Everyone deals with mental health struggles at some point. Sometimes they are a result of a mental illness but many times they are a result of life’s obstacles that just become too overwhelming to bear causing people to make emotionally charged decisions. In those times of crisis, having someone there to bring calmness to the situation and walk them out of the darkness, gives them strength to see to the other side. This is what drive’s Sam’s passion and her reason for this career choice.

Now, through our brand Behind the Badge and Blueprints, I’ve been able to infuse even more meaning into my work. Sharing this journey with my wife, a first responder, has shown me how much design can intersect with wellness, service, and healing. Our story is proof that beauty and purpose can coexist. That a home can hold you through life’s hardest moments.

So, if there’s one takeaway, it’s this: I’m not here to decorate for the ‘gram. I’m here to build spaces that feel like an exhale and look like a wow. And we’re just warming up.

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.
First and foremost, there is SO much to do in Arizona. If a friend was visiting, we would take them hands down to our favorite area, Sedona. On the 2hr drive up, we would stop at Rock Springs Cafe for breakfast on our way up and maybe a piece of their famous pie for the road as we drive up to the Red Rocks. Once arrived in Sedona we would take a hike- there are so many to choose from but some of our favorites are Devils Bridge, Soldiers Pass, and Westfork. After the hike we are grabbing a bite at The Hidden House which has fantastic food and amazing views while you dine. After than, a secret spot we love, L’Auberge. L’Auberge is a beautiful resort with Oak creek running through. ITs can be pricey to stay, but we love going to grab a drink at bar and sipping it Creekside. They have many Adirondack chairs that you can pull into the creek to sit with your feet in and take in the beauty of Sedona. Once all rested and relaxed, we would head up to Sedona Airport Vortex. The drive up to the airport is breathtaking and they have a view overlook that is always nice to take it. The trail to the vortex is about 20 minutes but the experience at the top of the vortex once you get there is surreal and MUST be experienced by anyone visiting. After soaking in all the renewing energy, we are headed in to the great old world Mediterranean shopping area of Tlaquepaque Village to have dinner at Oak Creek Brewing Company. Sam and I are big craft beer/brewery fans so a local brewery stop is a must! We love getting away to Sedona as it can be done in a day, but we love to extend it to a few days when we can! Sam and I love Sedona so much we eloped there in the fall of 2024!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Our shoutout goes to the people who have lifted us up personally and professionally, as well as bring inspiration to us each-and-every day.

Our community, made up of family, friends who feel like family, LGBTQ advocates walking brave paths, first responders who never know what they are walking into, and designers turning creativity into sanctuary is the inspiration in everything we do. This brand wouldn’t exist without the love, support, and shared strength of those who have walked beside us and with us through some of life’s toughest challenges.

Sam’s shoutout goes to someone who has not only shaped her career but also her everyday mindset: Lorenzo ‘Enzo’ Ortiz, a fellow officer and the author of Bringing Hope: One Police Officer’s Journey with Empathy on the Path to Service. Enzo has been more than a mentor, he has been a shining example of what a true leader looks like.

My shoutout goes to my wife, Sam. Working in interior design, I thought I understood hard work. That was until I witnessed the heart, sacrifice, and strength it takes to be a first responder. Sam shows up every single day with this quiet courage and the biggest heart, serving her community with passion, consistently. She’s a fierce, fearless woman thriving in a male-dominated world, and still leads with so much empathy. It’s impossible not to be inspired by her. Because of Sam, I’ve become a more thoughtful designer. Her ability to truly see people has taught me to slow down, listen deeper, and connect more meaningfully with my clients. Her love fuels my creativity in ways I never expected. Truly her unconditional love and belief in me makes everything feel possible. She inspires me to be a better human, to be the good, because you never know who needs it.

His leadership encourages our negotiations team to show up with empathy, integrity, and a deep belief in the power of the team. He doesn’t just talk about doing the job well, he lives it through every training and late-night callout, sometimes running on only a few hours of sleep. In doing so, he inspires everyone around him to strive for that same level of excellence. Enzo has built a culture where strength and compassion don’t just coexist, they thrive together.

For Sam, watching Enzo lead with true passion has been one of the greatest privileges of her career. He is the kind of leader who inspires those around him to elevate their craft. He leads by example and brings out the best in his colleagues through his integrity and dedication. Sam is both endlessly grateful for the example he sets, not just in the badge he wears, but in how he treats people behind it.

Instagram: @badgeandblueprints