Creativity Over Coffee: Wendy Callahan

JOIN US FOR A FRESH INSTALLMENT OF CREATIVITY OVER COFFEE!

I’m delighted to introduce you all to Wendy Callahan, talented artist, interior designer, and owner of the South Shore Design Center. I had the pleasure of meeting Wendy after visiting her home on the Norwell holiday house tour last year.

Grab your coffee (or tea) and join us for the latest installment of Creativity Over Coffee!

I’m such a big fan of your interior design and your artwork. Can you tell my readers more about your journey to create beautiful interiors and art? 

Wendy – Thank you, Danielle! 

My mother found a note from my kindergarten teacher that said “All Wendy wants to do is stand at her easel and paint.” I guess I have been painting for a long time! Making artwork has always been in my life – I ended up majoring in painting at Syracuse, where I received my BFA then went on to Ball State University, where I received a full scholarship to get my Masters in Art. 

After graduate school, I lived on Nantucket and worked with a bunch of other artists doing decorative painting and interior, exterior painting. I also waitressed at the Galley in Nantucket, which is still there! I eventually left the island and made my way to New York City. 

In New York, I ended up getting a job at a sports marketing company called ISL Marketing. They were an international marketing company for the Olympics. I ended up being able to attend the Olympics in Barcelona, Spain and the Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway it was an amazing experience. During that time, I continued to paint and have house party shows where I would clear out the furniture invite all my friends and have art openings at my house. When I met my then-husband, we moved to Hingham, Massachusetts. 

I worked for an advertising agency for several years then stopped working for a short time to stay at home with my three boys. Soon after that, I started working in the interior design field. I had an awesome mentor Betsy McCall from McCall Designs who helped me get into the business. She is still a dear friend of mine, and although we have separate companies, we collaborate on projects together. Interior design gave me the flexibility I needed and allowed me to use my creativity. 

Were you painting this whole time? 

Wendy – So I took some time off from painting. Having the kids, the job, the design business was where I wanted to focus my attention. 

When did you start bringing your artwork back in? 

Wendy – Once the kids got a little bit older, I started painting again, and made a studio in the attic of our house. I have since taken over one of the rooms in the front of the house on the first floor because of the light. 

Now, I paint and do interior design and just opened up the South Shore Design Center in Duxbury. I love the combination of painting, interior design, and having the South Shore Design Center. 

When do you feel most creative or happy? 

Wendy – The ability to use my creativity to make beautiful spaces in other peoples homes makes me very happy. 

You work with so many colors in your art? Do you have a favorite color? 

Wendy – Yes, my favorite color is blue. For me, it is a calming color that is easy to live with. 

In terms of interior design and your artwork is it hard for you to switch between those roles or do you think they play into different parts of your personality?

Wendy – Yes, I think they play into different parts of my personality. If I’m designing, I use creativity to solve problems and create beautiful spaces for my clients that fit their personalities and their needs. When I paint, I can be totally free and create whatever I want and follow my ideas wherever they take me. 

Who, or what inspires you? 

Wendy – The South Shore inspires me. I love the area where we live. Life also inspires me. If there’s some challenge I’m working through in my life, it inevitably comes out in my art. 

How has social media helped or hindered your business? 

Wendy – It’s actually helped me a lot. I’ve found some amazing opportunities on Instagram as well as some great artists and interior designers to follow. Two summers ago, I found an artist residency in France on Instagram called the Chateau Orqevaux. I applied, got in, and went. It was an unbelievable experience. I was able to focus on just art for two weeks. 

I also found out about an interior design trip to India on Instagram that I went on last April. A designer named Grant Gibson puts together trips for designers to Jaipur, India. We saw how rugs were made in India; we learned about block printing and saw many incredible sights. It was incredible. 

I also sell paintings on Instagram. 

Do you have any funny interior design stories you’d like to share? 

Wendy – Yes, one time I was doing a vacation home in Maine on a lake, and the only way to get to the house was a 12ft. X 12ft barge across the lake. We had to bring all the furniture over on an open barge. 

Did it rain while you were bringing everything over? 

Wendy – Yes, the day we had the furniture scheduled to be delivered it rained and was so windy that I had to send the two trucks away because the waves were too big. Thankfully my friend lives in Portland, so I could stay with her and reschedule for the next day. We went the next day, and the furniture was on the barge getting splashed. It was all wrapped, so it was fine, and it ended up turning out beautifully. 

You run three successful businesses – artist, interior designer, and you also run South Shore Design Center. How do you juggle everything? 

Wendy – Well, a lot of it feeds into each other. I work mostly with designers. I have a design center where designers can look for furniture and can also see my art. I also love the collaborative experience of doing design work with other designers. It’s great to have other designers around like Jeannie of JMH Designs and Meghan of Meghan Lewis Interiors who also work out of at the SSDC. I can always ask them what they think and get their creative and professional opinion. I think it makes us better designers. I wanted to create an environment where designers can have access to upholstery fabrics, wood samples, wallpaper, rug samples, and everything that they needed to design a room. Designers can come to the South Shore Design Center to do their whole projects and be supported by other designers. That is my vision. 

This is such a beautiful space that you’ve created. What advice would you give to someone who is interested in becoming more creative, or following in your footsteps as an artist or interior designer? 

Wendy – Don’t follow my footsteps. (laughing). I would say start and see where it leads. If you want to get into design, talk to people that are in design and come to the South Shore Design Center, and I can talk to you about it! 

Growing up, I was a huge follower of INSIDE THE ACTORS STUDIO. At the end of the program, they would ask the interviewee these questions: 

What is your favorite word? Indigo 

What is your least favorite word? No. 

What turns you on creatively, spiritually, or emotionally? Traveling and being outside in nature. The ocean. 

What turns you off? Too many rules and too much structure. 

What is your favorite curse word? Ummm do I have to say? 

What sound or noise do you love? The noise of the frogs at night in the spring and the ocean.

What sound or noise do you hate? Jack-hammering. 

What profession other than your own would you like to attempt? TV interviewer. 

What profession would you not like to do? Prison Guard. 

If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? Welcome.– 

A huge thank you to Wendy for sharing so much of herself and so much of her story. I love her design work and her beautiful paintings.

Be sure to follow along with Wendy:

Website * Instagram * South Shore Design Center Instagram

If you’d like more Creativity Over Coffee you can read the full series here

* Photos courtesy of Wendy Callahan. 2nd to last photo by Tamara Flanagan, portrait and all other room photos by Elizabeth Thomas.