Inspiring Conversations with Lanada Chanel Duncan of B.E. Decors Interiors

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lanada Chanel Duncan.

Hi Lanada Chanel, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My love for home styling dates to growing up in Philadelphia with my sister, whom I later shared an apartment with when we moved South. As children and young adults, we’d often switch our bedroom and apartment around to create new looks. We shopped gently used furniture and décor items and styled it alongside things we already had. I learned a lot back then about curating décor and maximizing budgets to make a space look and feel cozy and updated. I later learned that functionality is also a key factor when decorating because you can waste money buying the wrong things if they don’t serve the right purpose in your living space.

When a 13-year marriage suddenly ended, I was forced to re-establish myself and my career while re-creating a home and living environment my then two teenage sons and I could enjoy. So I relied on the skills and experiences I brought from that earlier period of living with my sister.

Over the years, I’ve come to see decorating as a skill and opportunity for me to influence the way in which people live in their homes and the experience they have while doing so.

Today, I mostly focus on styling spaces so that they appeal to one’s total well-being. By this, I mean transforming a house to a home and creating spaces with a calm, peaceful aesthetic; functional spaces that look and feel better to the person dwelling in it. I think creating this kind of experience in your home is a form of self-care, a practice I have had to learn and now hold extremely relevant to being and living well – especially during pandemic times.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Design and decorating have become my passion. I decided to use this passion and my skills as a means of extra income about six years ago. And no, while it hasn’t always been easy, it has been worth the efforts I’ve made to get to where I am today.

Now, as a full-time small business owner who happens to be a female in a heavily populated industry, I push myself every day to stay informed and aware of new things happening in the world of design. There’s always so much to know and so many things going on. I learn by staying connected to valuable resources, friends, and acquaintances that I’ve made over the years. It’s about relationship building in this trade, and you must keep at it – all the time. For information and referrals. You never know where your next client will come from, so being engaged and aware as much as possible is key if you want to grow and become good at this. I still have a ways to go, but I am not where I was six or even two years ago.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
B.E. Decors Interiors is a design firm specializing in finished spaces. We provide decorating services to professionals who prefer to dwell in environments that cater to their total wellness, personality, and lifestyle. We eliminate stress and indecision from the design process by providing customized design plans, project management, furnishing and décor curation, and decorating services that produce cozy spaces that present a tranquil feel and peaceful living experience our clients seek and deserve.

b.e. decors Interiors offers four levels of design, from virtual to onsite, and from our website, we offer online shopping experiences for those seeking quality handmade products and curated furnishings and accents sold by trusted trade industry brands.

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
I don’t consider myself a pro when it comes to networking, but I do enjoy and look for opportunities to build relationships with others in my profession and in business in general. I think a valuable business relationship is one where you learn things from each other, and I don’t ever want to come off like I know everything there is to know, so I stay open to meeting new and different people – from all walks of life.

Although the pandemic has made this more challenging over the past two years, I have had to find other ways to stay connected with people like reaching out to them on Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn, and it has been beneficial. I’ve been able to form good connections with some wonderful people that way.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.bedecors.com
• Instagram: @b.e.decors
• Facebook: @b.e.decors
• SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/she-cavelady