womenIN BUSINESS special advertising section
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L-R Leslie Stachowicz, Spencer Sowell, Jennifer Kraner
It’s no secret that constant changes in the economy and com-puter
technology are influencing the way people do business. As
such, Big Sky Design is adapting in order to best serve its clients.
“We will continue to offer full-service interior design services
where we work with commercial and residential clients from begin-ning
to end,” explains owner Jennifer Kraner, “but we are also
embracing the online evolution.”
How Big Sky thinks technology changes what they do has more to
do with accommodating the on-the-go client.
“We are trying to be more accessible for people so that they know
about our design services but can also see our product offering. The
color and design consults are still best done one-on-one, if possible,
in our new studio space.”
Big Sky has expanded its website to showcase design services
and introduce a new way for clients to purchase and peruse quality
pieces. BigSkyShop is a new e-commerce area on the website where
Kraner and her team share some of their favorite resources. Many of
the items are available for immediate purchase. And the shop will
also display items from the specialty lines Big Sky can provide.
This virtual shop brings a new level of accessibility to professional
interior design. “We want clients and prospective clients to become
familiar with us and see some of the great resources we have to
offer,” Kraner says. And while the website is a great resource, she still
invites you to drop by the new BigSkyShop studio where hands-on
swatches and samples are available to touch and see.
SHERI CHISHOLM
As a woman in a male-dominated industry, Sheri
Chisholm proves herself as a solid, skilled contractor
while designing gentle, lovely and memorable spaces.
“I always think of my background,” she says. “I am a physi-cian’s
daughter who grew up on a sustainable farm, showing
up for private school with dirt from the cow pasture embedded
in my sneakers.”
That’s an unusual dichotomy that has served her well in
this industry.
Chisholm is the owner and landscape designer at Flora
Landscapes, a design, build and maintain company. She
installs large- and small-scale residential and commercial
landscapes, both new construction and renovation. The com-pany
opened in 2008, but Chisholm has been in the business
more than 25 years.
Flora Landscapes sets itself apart with meticulous atten-tion
to detail.
“We truly cater to our clients’ sensibilities and spe-cific
needs,” Chisholm says. Plus, her Master of Science in
Horticulture gives her the know-how to offer designs that are
rooted in plant science and designed for longevity.
Chisholm’s green, giving values extend beyond the business
doors. Flora Landscapes landscaped for Habitat for Humanity
in the Home Builders Blitz 2012, Chisholm has been “locked
up” for MDA, and her family regularly donates to Greenpeace.
Her spare time is filled with her children, Naomi and Heath, and
husband and business partner, Brock. She also reads and works
in her vegetable garden, and practices yoga.
www.wrightsvillebeachmagazine.com WBM
Flora Landscapes
1313 Old Lamplighter Way
(910) 350-3297
www.FloraLandscapes.com
JENNIFER KRANER
Big Sky Design
4037 Masonboro Loop Road
(910) 793-3992
www.bigskydesignonline.com