It’s no surprise that during these last few years, many of us have spent more time at home than we usually do.
Not only are we more prone to hibernating in the winter, but COVID-19 has kept many of us inside, staring at the same few walls we do every day.
As a result, our environment can affect our motivation and whether or not we feel inspired.
This is partly what inspires Heidi Heckenberg-Gossen, owner of Inside Out Creatives, a local interior design business.
“Homes are beautiful reflections of ourselves… ever since the pandemic, so many more people are spending time at home and they want a cozy place that feels like them,” she said.
Born in Athens, Greece, Heckenberg-Gossen spent the majority of her childhood in Chicago, Illinois, before moving to Iowa, where she completed a bachelor of fine arts in design.
Later, she studied in France and then moved to England and began humanitarian work in art therapy with immigrants and refugees.
When reflecting on her moves, she said she’s realized that people tend to think the grass is always greener elsewhere. So instead, she’s chosen to live well wherever she is, instead of “thinking life could be better elsewhere.”
While in England, she attended a friend’s birthday hosted at a trampoline park. There she met a tall, bouncing Canadian - Andrew Gossen - and they married in the spring of 2018.
Once the pandemic hit, they decided to wait out the storm in his hometown of Williams Lake. Before they knew it, three months turned into three years, where they presently are.
With COVID shutting down many humanitarian efforts and unable to work while awaiting permanent residency, Heckenberg-Gossen began a design blog where she wrote about various topics, including the DIY projects she and her husband were doing in their home.
Once her permanent residency arrived, and with the birth of her newly arrived daughter, she began forming her business, Inside Out Creatives, while her daughter napped.
She booked her first official client in May of 2022 and, since then, has kept busy with word-of-mouth recommendations and people searching online for a design revamp in their own space.
One of the most wonderful aspects of having her own business is that she can set her hours, allowing her to spend more time with her daughter.
She said the juggle can be difficult, and at times, she finds herself doing both jobs at once, but that flexibility keeps her passion alive.
Not only is Heckenberg-Gossen able to work with her daughter present, but she also works with her husband, who provides many of the renovations for Inside Out Creatives. Heckenberg-Gossen said they have fun working together and can balance the workload well with one another.
On the weekends, they love to go outside for a family walk; that is when she’s not busy doing DIYs around her own house. She loves the intersection of boredom and limited resources, allowing her creativity to flourish.
“It is the sweet spot where brilliant design is born,” she said.
I asked her to share three design tips, and here’s what she had to say. Fill your space with bigger furniture than you think you need.
“People think that they need more space around them, but having an apartment-size sofa in a house will actually make the room seem smaller.”
Hang your curtains high and wide. Your curtains should not block any of the windows. Curtains should dust the floor and go almost to the ceiling.
Buy the biggest rug size you can afford. Similar to step one, a small rug will shrink your space. A bigger rug will make your space look bigger.
Will she be moving back to England anytime?
It sounds like no. She has developed a sweet spot for Williams Lake. She loves the benefits of living in a small town, seeing so many people you know around town, and having family to help raise their daughter.
You can see more of her day-to-day and fun design reels on her Instagram, www.instagram.com/inside.out.28.
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