My story
My decorating career began in England in the late 1980s. Selling my London flat during the property boom gave me the freedom to step away from a sensible office job and travel. When I returned, I made a deliberate decision to move into a creative trade.
Leonard Pardon’s School of Specialist Paint Finishes in Knightsbridge, London, was already on my radar. I was fascinated by the idea that paint could be used to convincingly replicate materials such as wood and marble. Leonard is a master of his craft, and the intensive training I received there gave me a strong technical foundation and a deep respect for the discipline of specialist finishes.
My first projects were highly visible — a friend’s restaurant, followed by a shopfront — and the work quickly led to further opportunities. I went on to subcontract for a custom kitchen cabinet shop, gaining referrals and expanding my range with each project.
In 1998, I moved to New York, where I met my husband, Frank Anselmo. His wallpapering expertise complements my own work, and together we collaborate through The Decorating Business on residential and commercial projects. Our work often overlaps, but we also support one another’s independent roles.
Over time, my involvement in projects naturally expanded. Alongside hands-on work, I began taking on more responsibility for coordination, sequencing, and problem-solving — ensuring that ideas were not only well conceived, but carried through to completion. This combination of craft, organisation, and follow-through now underpins how I work.