Twenty-three years ago, Faye Ellingson founded Design Studio in Turks and Caicos. Today, the interior design business has two flourishing locations, one in the Cayman Islands, the other in Providenciales, with a combined staff of over 20.

For Faye, it has been a journey that has spanned several countries and exposed her to many different aspects of development and interior design.

She first became involved in development in Victoria, B.C., in 1971 at the age of 20 when she and her partner began purchasing and renovating rental properties, then developed a subdivision, followed by a small apartment block.

In 1977, the couple moved to the Cayman Islands, where they worked in the development of eight condominiums on Seven Mile Beach. Faye’s main participation was the interior design of the units and the procurement of all interior fixtures and furnishings, as well as setting up accounts with the managers of each new building.

After a decade in Cayman, she returned to Victoria and pursued her passion for design, taking on high-end home renovations and a few of her own new builds.

Despite being self-taught, Faye has an innate ability to visualise architectural drawings in three dimensions, enabling her to work through any potential problem areas before construction begins, and perfecting the details for her clients.

Faye also learned to draw her own home plans to scale. This was prior to computers so was accomplished the old-fashioned way: with a scale ruler and pencil. She loved this work the most as designing a home from scratch was the ultimate creative challenge for her.

Faye’s restless spirit took her off once again in the late 90s for a brief stint in Arizona. However, she soon found out she did not enjoy the desert and sought out island life once again – this time in Turks and Caicos, where she partnered in the construction of two condominium complexes on the beautiful Grace Bay Beach in Providenciales.

At the time, there was a gap in the market for a furnishing and interior design business, just waiting to be filled. In 2001,at age 50, Faye opened Design Studio.

This was no easy task. The business of supply and tracking of all the products that a turnkey project involves was often almost overwhelming and, along with having to quickly become computer literate, she also had to learn the ins and outs of shipping, customs, and logistics when operating a business from a remote island.

She worked long hours operating out of a tiny space to begin with. Working alone for the first five years was a struggle but her passion for her work sustained her through the early days.

Design Studio soon became known for its fresh and updated approach to interiors on the island. As she took on more and more projects, Faye was able to hire additional staff, most of whom have been with her for many years and are the ‘heart’ of Design Studio.

In 2008, Faye’s daughter Michelle Butler, who holds a master’s in architecture, and her husband David Wilson, who has a degree in interior design, were living in Toronto but were ready to escape the cold. As Michelle is Caymanian, the natural move was to return to Cayman, where they established Design Studio Cayman.

Although Faye retired from the day-to-day running of the businesses a couple of years ago, she continues to lend ongoing input and support. At 73, she is still brimming with energy and enthusiasm. Not to be slowed down, she is about to undertake yet another personal home, which she has designed from scratch and is itching to see through from drawings to blocks. Her decades of experience, and her love of every stage of development and design, will shine through in this new creative endeavour.