Designing Women Inc., A NC Interior Design Firm to Know!

When it comes to female entrepreneurs in the design industry we LOVE hearing their stories and sharing them with you! So when we heard about Designing Women Inc. we couldn’t wait to introduce them.
Meet Designing Women Inc.
For over 30 years, Designing Women Inc. of Hickory, North Carolina, has delivered premium design services to clients from across the globe. While the firm’s home office is located in the Hickory Furniture Mart, Designing Women Inc.’s client base includes people from across the country and overseas.

Fluent in Remote Design
An array of digital technology including Zoom, Skype, WhatsApp, and Facetime aids Designing Women Inc. in working with clients in distant locations. The ability to communicate remotely has been essential to Designing Women Inc.’s growth. And it is especially important given the recent quarantine orders in place across the world.
“We are still open and available for business, despite our home office in the Hickory Furniture Mart being closed through the end of April,” said Founding Owner, Sally Bentley. “We work in many different states and countries, so for us to work with clients remotely is something we do every day.”
An Inspiring Founder
Bentley, who founded Designing Women Inc. in 1984, believes in offering a design process that’s both personal and enjoyable. She has built relationships with many families through the generations, first designing the main house, then the downsized house, the vacation house, and then the children’s home as they grow to adults.
“We know people all over the world that by rights we should have never met,” Bentley said. “For me, it’s a beautifully designed space but more importantly it’s the relationships.”
4 Questions to Ask Before You Hire and Interior Designer
Extensive Services and Resources
Designing Women Inc. offers a range of services from total home renovation to seasonal decorating. In addition, other specialty services are available and easily accommodated. The team works on houses of every style with the flexibility for every budget. And project costs are always discussed upfront so there are no surprises.
With their own drapery and bedding workrooms, clients can choose from a vast array of options when selecting fabrics. Additionally, Designing Women Inc. provides clients with direct access to their own trucking and moving company, drapery installers, and building contractors.

The team also has direct access to luxurious and quality products only found in the Catawba Valley region of Hickory. Many of the most popular furniture designers and manufacturers within the industry proudly call Hickory their home including, Stanford Furniture, Cox Manufacturing, Pearson Furniture, Century Furniture, Hickory Chair, Hickory White Furniture, Wesley Hall Furniture, and Vanguard Furniture.
A Powerful Team of Women
In addition to Bentley, Designing Women Inc.’s team includes designer, Donna Chamberlain, and Operations Director, Becky Stokes. For the past 15 years, the firm has been privileged to have talented interns from design programs throughout the Southeast and will soon be welcoming a new designer once the current quarantine orders have been lifted.
Donna Chamberlain
Chamberlain joined Designing Women Inc. after spending 21 years as an owner and buyer for high-end furniture stores throughout the Southeast. The ability to help each client incorporate their unique style into a project sparks her passion for interior design. “I enjoy and appreciate all styles of design including contemporary, traditional, and eclectic,” Chamberlain said. “Blending fabric, finishes, leather, rugs, and accessories is not only my profession, it’s a passion!”
Becky Stokes
As Operations Director, Stokes keeps all engines running at Designing Women. She has over 17 years of experience in managing operations and training. Most recently she spent 10 years in the executive office suite industry in Maryland. “One thing I love about my role, is that I can help each designer stay on target and organized with their individual projects,” Stokes said. “This allows them more time for focusing on the client while I handle behind the scene details.”

Each person at Designing Women Inc. plays an integral part in working to provide clients with a space that functions for their lifestyle. It is the firm’s goal to connect with clients personally – whether it be in person or digitally – in order to gain an understanding of how they live. Whether interested in decorating one room or an entire household, the ladies of Designing Women Inc. personally guide their clients through the process.
Learn more at www.designingwomenofnc.com!
Feature Image: A cozy living room furnished with Century sofa designed by Designing Women Inc
Thank you so much for sharing information, all this can be easily applied in any business!☺️👋😅
Yes indeed, well done now the time for business opportunities is very much, take it and do it! 🤩👍
Yes indeed, well done now the time for business opportunities is very much, take it and do it👋🤩🤩
I hope that we are all carefully reading what we find online, many times we find hidden failures and believe that it is a good thing.
Even though the shift to remote business is challenging, I’m finding that people who are already good at what they do “live” are just as likely to find ways to deliver using technology. The Designing Women team has always had such a solid reputation in the industry. Thanks for the focus here. It was beautifully done.
My heartfelt greetings to all those people who write good posts, I have got a lot to learn by looking at your posts and I hope you keep writing more beautiful posts in your life in the same way.
thank you so much