Mary Hampton of Hampton Design & Closets: 5 Things You Can Do To Help Your Living Space Spark More Joy
Have an item in every single room that makes you feel good. Think of a picture frame that encompasses a great memory, a blanket that someone special gave you or a handbag displayed in your closet that you worked so hard for.
As a part of my series on the “5 Things You Can Do To Help Your Living Space Spark More Joy”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Mary Hampton.
Mary Hampton is the owner of Scottsdale-based Hampton Design & Closets. Her eye for design and attention to detail has allowed her to transform spaces from bland to glam. Her passion for finding joy in every room truly shows up in every project. Visit myclosetcrush.com for inspiration and to collab.
Thank you so much for joining us in this series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
My love for homes and home renovations is really what brought me to this specific career path. What better way to impact someone’s life than remodeling their closet? You sure spend a lot of time in it, so you should definitely love it!
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started this career?
The most interesting thing that has happened to me since I started this career is a client called me a few years ago and thanked me for designing a Mudd room for her home. It really was a simple design and not too expensive, but it had hooks for her three kids’ backpacks and a space for their shoes. She said the fact that she doesn’t have to kick backpacks and have a messy house coming home from school every single day, eliminated the chaos and made such a difference in her time with her kids after school! She said it was almost enjoyable!
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
The funniest mistake I’ve made is when I was new to the industry and designing a laundry room/pantry the client wanted built around their stand-alone freezer that opened toward the ceiling. Every time I spoke of the room, I kept designing it with the countertop over the freezer. There were two or three more conversations before the client looked at me and said, “Mary this sounds terrific, but how would we open the freezer?” I was embarrassed, but I said, “Well, get a new freezer.” Moral of the story? Start selling freezers.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people?
The most exciting project I’m working on now is my own showroom! The showroom will be open early October 2020 and we just can’t wait! It’s fun and new and I’m bringing some rare innovative options to the space. I can’t wait to share it with my clients. I’m also working with some amazing interior designers and their clients. I love designing and branding! It elevates your life, so it’s been so rewarding to do projects that my clients are more excited than I am to complete. I love my work and love bringing new ideas to life in someone’s space. It’s so rewarding to see the end product and my clients so happy with the result.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“I don’t care what you think of me. I don’t think about you at all.” -CoCo Chanel
This quote often comes off snarky, however I am a firm believer that you need to do you and be who you are regardless of who is watching and what others may or may not think of you!
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I sold my first closet for $21,000 and it was a massive project. My first deal! I was so very excited. However, I didn’t even have enough capital to cover the materials of a project that large. I was at lunch with a friend and told him of my new sale, but that I would have to delay in order to secure funding for the project. He gave me the money on the spot that very day.
I’m not sure if in my life I have ever had someone believe in me more than myself at that time! It was a true testament that I was doing the right thing and it was a business that was going to work! I took that loan and did the project and paid him back. To this day, I will never forget two things. That there are people who are rooting for you and that you always have to take opportunities when they arise!
Thank you for that. Here is the main question of our discussion. What are your “5 Things You Can Do To Help Your Living Space Spark More Joy” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
- Have a space or spot for everything. If you don’t, toss it!
- Have an item in every single room that makes you feel good. Think of a picture frame that encompasses a great memory, a blanket that someone special gave you or a handbag displayed in your closet that you worked so hard for.
- Color, color, color!
- Make sure you have organizers in your closet pantry and laundry room. A little organization goes a very long way.
- Rearrange rooms often and change out just one item occasionally to make the space feel fresh and new.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
Thirty random acts of kindness at least twice a year. I think the most impact we can have in life is helping others with simple kindnesses! There is no greater joy than losing the excuses and helping others!
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might see this, especially if we tag them 🙂
I have never felt more love and stronger connection from another human like I have Tony Robbins! He is out to make a HUGE difference! His workshops have allowed me to do more and be more helpful to others.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
Instagram: @Hamptondesignandclosets
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hamptondesignandclosets
Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational!
Mary Hampton of Hampton Design & Closets: 5 Things You Can Do To Help Your Living Space Spark More… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.