How She Made it in San Angelo's World of Interior Design

"Hello! Your husband called and said to buy whatever you want!” reads a printout posted in a large window at 59 N. Chadbourne St. Through the glass, both muted and vibrant home accents ranging from modern tables and chairs to rugs a and a turquoise chandelier are visible in complementary clusters, each arranged with elements that echo a unique and somewhat rustic style.

A sign overhead reads Bella and Olivia Interiors, where storeowner Michelle Chapa displays just some of the items she uses in her interior design company.

“We kind of focus on some modern, and also, kind of like a rustic/urban/industrial [look],” Chapa says of her business. “Industrial would be like pairing a metal top table with some wood legs, and we’ll do some rustic. We’ll add a cowhide rug with some very modern chairs. We do a lot of mixing. We don’t have any rules. To me, as long as the colors flow, then everything else will fall into place.”

For the past two years, Chapa has occupied the space on Chadbourne street with her company, which started in 2008 when she bought a window treatment franchise. After working out of her garage and offices all over town, she began looking for a larger physical space, and first set up shop on Abe St. before moving to Chadbourne, where the shop stands now.

“I worked for Verizon for 11 years, and I was in management and I was doing a lot of traveling,” Chapa said. “I was working terrible hours, like over night, where I would go in at 11 at night and get out at 7 in the morning. With kids it was really tough. My husband’s a firefighter, so he’s not home every day, so I would have to find people to come and help me…”

Still working at Verizon, Chapa purchased the window treatment franchise and began taking appointments on the side, working lunch breaks, after hours, and on weekends and holidays. Finally in 2009, she quit her job at Verizon and that’s when business really picked up.

“It picked up because I had no choice,” she said. “I had to hit the pavement. They say if you want to do something to the best of your ability, just focus on that, so I quit my job and it was sink or swim time.”

Initially only working on window treatments, Chapa began gradually doing full interior design around 2010 at the request of some of her clients and started her own company under a new name.  

“Bella and Olivia is basically like the umbrella for everything,” she said. “Those are the names of my daughters. My youngest, Bella, she is 8, and my oldest, Olivia, she is 16. I also have a son named Michael, but I don’t have anything for him yet. So I tell him the little Michael’s craft store is his.”

With roughly five years experience under her belt, Chapa has been commissioned to do work statewide, including several contracts in Midland/Odessa and a few in Dallas in the past. Now, she focuses primarily on San Angelo and the surrounding area, giving her time to be home with her family when she’s not at work.

Her contracts vary from commercial to private and residential projects, some of which are single phase, while others are completed room by room over the span of years, she said. Her favorite type of design, however, is working with special needs patients who have to work around obtuse medical equipment that is oftentimes unsightly.

“…those are the most meaningful,” she said. “Because it’s always a stressful situation for them when they’re in those environments. You think of hospital things that don’t look pretty, you know, like hand bars, grab bars, you have to have enough room for a wheelchair, but my favorite is making those look really pretty but making them functional. I don’t want it to look like we designed it for someone in a wheelchair. You would never know.”

In order to achieve that flow, Chapa said, creativity is instrumental.  

“The hand bars, you have to have those, but we’re going to take the focus away by doing a really cool mosaic in the shower or on the wall,” she said. “Something that just takes your eyes off of it. Those are my favorite: when it’s needed, but it’s also going to look great afterwards.”

The majority of Chapa’s work is on done on a special-order basis, she said, however she tries to offer unique items in her store for those who want something other than the traditional western look.  

“We go to Dallas market a lot,” she said. “What I try to do is I try to find stuff that nobody else sells. Sometimes, unfortunately, it’s a little more expensive, but that’s the gap that I’m trying to fill. I’m trying to sell the things that people are going out of town to buy.”

Working with a team of at least three designers, Chapa says the focus of her work is on the customer and their needs and wants. She carefully selects sub-contractors to complete things like tiling and other projects based on their expertise, and always seeks the feedback of her clients when making decisions about accents and furniture. 

“Homes are so personal. And when someone’s inviting you into your house…and you’re kind of just being vulnerable and you let them see everything, I just feel like, ok, you’re already giving me that. It’s a nice process to be able to do what we need to do so that they enjoy their house. I don’t want them to hate it and thank about me all the time,” she laughed.

Recalling her childhood, Chapa said she’s always known she wanted to work in interior design in some capacity, and has always enjoyed moving things around and painting.

“…since I was little—my mom always let me—I was always painting my room or moving my furniture around,” she said. “She even let me move stuff around [in the house], furniture and stuff. I just like getting a different look out of the same stuff.”

Bella and Olivia Interiors is located at 59 N. Chadbourne St. On Oct. 21, Chapa will be hosting “Girls Night Out”, which will run from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30. A trunk show featuring local women’s jewelry and clothing will run during the night out, and Chapa said several of the items in her store will be reduced to a special price. Cocktails and hour ‘douvres will also be served during the event.

“I think people have the misconception that we’re very expensive or we’re intimidating and it’s not like that all,” Chapa said, inviting all to visit. “We work with everybody’s budget…and my store is a fun environment. Everyone is welcome here.” 

For more information about Bella and Olivia Interiors, or to visit their gallery, view their website here.