Success By Design: Complete Interiors Celebrates 20 Years in Avalon
Andrea Powell of Complete Interiors
Nothing says “Welcome Home” like the friendly greeting of a tail-wagging dog. So, then it should be no surprise that not one, but two lovable pooches often greet customers at Complete Interiors, a store dedicated to creating beautiful, stylish, welcoming homes.
The store and the dogs belong to owner and interior designer Andrea Powell, who is thrilled to be celebrating Complete Interiors’ 20th anniversary this summer. “Sometimes I have to pinch myself, I’m just so grateful,” she says.
A peek inside Complete Interiors’ spectacular 7,000-square-foot showroom explains both her gratitude and her success. The store is chock full of interesting accessories and artfully arranged furniture, where the latest trends in home furnishings mingle with coastal classics, contemporary pieces enhance traditional designs, and it all mixes together to showcase the best in beach-house design and decor. The store serves as both a shopping destination and the headquarters for Powell’s interior design business.
It all began with a big leap of faith. Powell had been working locally as an interior designer when a local realtor suggested she open a showroom in Avalon.
“He found a spot and I opened in March 2000,” she says. “There was an opportunity to open this business and I just jumped in. I signed a lease that was for more money than I had paid for my home at the time. But the business was very well-received from the get-go and it just took off from there.”
During her first year in business, she met her husband, Dan, who also is a designer and today runs their Coastal Designer Outlet store near Sea Isle. Together, the duo stays very busy running their businesses, raising their teenage daughter, and doting on the aforementioned “shop dogs,” Roxy and Coco.
As their family has flourished, so has the business, quickly outgrowing the original storefront.
“The original showroom was 2,000 square feet and it was on 27th and Dune,” Powell says. “I was there for 3 years, and while I was there, I met Tom Welsh of Tom Welsh Builders and starting working with him. Then we contracted with him to build a store and that’s how I got the location where I am now.”
She feels pairing the showroom with the interior design business creates a synergy that benefits both.
“On the retail side of the business, you can come in and purchase a set of PhotoPhocoasters or a whole house full of furniture,” she says. “We have samples of all the vendors we carry so you can touch and feel and sit on things, but we also sell lamps, artwork, area rugs, and bed linens.”
For her interior-design clients, Powell believes the showroom provides a sense of comfort when they are selecting furnishings for their homes because they can actually touch and see the products from different manufacturers.
The showroom can also entice prospective clients and give them a preview of the Complete Interiors experience.
“I think that by having the storefront, it enables people who might not be thinking of a job right now to just come in and see and walk around and get a feel for what we do, how you can mix things up, and that not everything has to match,” she says.
When it comes to working with clients, Powell along with her sister, interior designer Veronica Manzi, provide insight and decades of expertise.
“With new clients, it’s kind of like an interview process,” she says. “We sit and talk about who is using the house. Is it an investment? Is it a family home? Are there children or grandchildren or grandparents? What type of visits are going to happen? We want to know the uses of the house and how they want it to operate, then we work our way to the aesthetic. It’s really function before form.”
Next, Powell presents options.
“I come up with an overall plan, then present my thoughts, fabrics, and colors that fit the criteria we discussed,” she explains. “What I do is really driven by the individual client, though, because everyone’s taste is personal.”
With her own personal style leaning more contemporary, Powell is pleased and intrigued by the latest design trends.
“Navy blue is always very popular, but we’re seeing other blues as well,” she says. “Turquoise is coming back, and some nice, bright greens are coming into play. We are seeing a cleaner-lined beach look, with lacquered pieces thrown in, acrylic pieces coming back into fashion, and brass, of course. I like the shift because it’s different and fresh.”
Of course, keeping the store fresh and selecting inventory is a labor of love.
“It’s fun! It’s the ultimate shopping experience,” she relates. “All of my vendors come to me with the latest and greatest options, and we also go to furniture shows. We pick what fits the trends, but more importantly, what works with the design aesthetic that we see down here at the beach.”
Shifting trends and new styles are only part of what has made the business exciting to her for 20 years, though.
“I love that it’s never the same thing twice. My workday is never the same,” Powell says. “It’s always interesting. I get to meet wonderful people, who are excited about building, or buying, or renovating their vacation homes. It’s their happy place. They are happy.”
And Powell is optimistic that this summer Avalon and Stone Harbor will be a happy place to be after months of shut downs and social distancing.
“Of course, we will adhere to whatever guidelines are in place by the state as far as social distancing and wearing masks in the store,” she says. “But my anticipation is that once some of the restrictions are lifted, people are going to be so anxious to get to their beach homes and start freshening up. We don’t know what the future holds, but I hope to see a lot of familiar faces and new faces soon.”
In keeping with current restrictions, Powell has been offering virtual meetings with clients throughout the spring, and she will continue to do so as needed to accommodate guidelines and client preferences.
Looking forward to this summer, Powell admits that the 20th anniversary “kind of sneaked up” on her. While a cocktail party has been discussed, plans for a celebration are on hold for now. However, she will be featuring 20% off pop-up sales throughout the summer to commemorate the milestone.
And whether she’s buying, selling, planning, designing, chatting with customers virtually or in the store, Powell is doing what she loves and is grateful for all of it.
“From my drive to work on the Parkway every day – it’s beautiful. I get to see this wildlife, and I’m on this beautiful island, and I get to work with nice people,” she says. “I’m completely, totally blessed.”
For More Information:Complete Interiors
2320 Dune Drive, Avalon
609-368-6390
completeinteriors.net
A Few of Andrea’s Favorite Things
• Favorite Color: Turquoise
• Favorite Design Trend: Lean toward more contemporary
• Favorite Room to Design: Bedroom. “There’s a lot of layers in a bedroom. You can do an upholstered bed, and then the bed linens, and the side pieces.”
• Favorite Business Memory: The grand opening of their current location. “It was a big accomplishment as a business, to be moving into this beautiful space in Avalon.”
A Little Expert Advice
With 24 years of experience in interior design, Andrea offers a little expert guidance to homeowners. “Declutter,” she says. “People often want to have a lot of stuff out and I think that sometimes less is more.”
Thinking about a big project? “Hire someone,” she says. “Having a designer work with you on a project, someone who is willing to hear what you have to say, they will guide you as to how to invest properly into what you are doing. It will be money well-spent.”
