Design Team Spotlight: Rebecca Kiszkiel, Design Coordinator
May 27, 2022
In this Pratt Home Builders Design Spotlight, we learn more about Rebecca Kiszkiel, the latest addition to our in-house interior design team. Originally from Upstate New York, she moved to Chattanooga twelve years ago, where several design jobs eventually led her to Pratt Home Builders. Transitioning from her previous position with Pratt as Closing Coordinator to Design Coordinator, Rebecca tells us about her excitement for this new chapter and provides us with some history of her love for design.
Rebecca’s passion for art and Interior Design goes beyond her time at Pratt but accelerated when she chose a major in college. She describes a pivotal conversation with her high school guidance counselor that helped narrow down the choice.
“My guidance counselor said to me, ‘I don’t want you to worry about what everyone else is doing. We’ve all been gifted with something, and you’ve got a natural interest and ability for something. What is it?'”
Knowing she was passionate about art, history, and animals, Rebecca deliberated her strengths and how they related to each passion. She narrowed the choice down to Interior Design, feeling confident in her ability to understand someone’s vision and turn it into something special. She attended RIT, Rochester Institute of Technology, in Rochester, New York, where she earned a Bachelor of Fine and Applied Arts and Interior Design.
Post-graduation, Rebecca had several jobs in the design world that soon led her to Chattanooga. In 2010, she moved down to Tennessee and began working for a small local builder, where she helped with the design selection process. Shortly after, she took a job with Yessick’s Design Center as a subcontracted Interior Designer. These positions complemented Rebecca’s understanding of design and her confidence in the field.
In March of 2019, Rebecca was hired as the Closing Coordinator for Pratt Home Builders. She stayed in that position until she was recently approached with the opportunity to be a part of the Pratt design team. Rebecca was excited to work alongside another division of Pratt and eager to engage with her passion full time. She has been working diligently to familiarize herself with the Pratt design process and describes the transition so far.
“Having prior experience with design, creating contract addendums, the software system used at Pratt, combined with my background, made for a relatively easy transition. It was just a matter of understanding more of the Pratt process, how they go about doing things, and what options are most appropriate for the customers’ needs,” states Rebecca.
She explains that as the Closing Coordinator, she still interacted daily with clients in the office, such as the title company, various lenders, and our sales/marketing team. This prepared her for the customer interactions she would soon have as a design coordinator. She expresses what has been the most rewarding part so far,
“Initially, when you meet with your customer, you find out what their needs are, and you can start helping them with their vision. The most rewarding part is seeing that vision come together in the end. What I envisioned with my customer is what’s there and that the customer loves it.”
Rebecca strives to “make a home a haven” for her clients and tends to pull lots of inspiration from nature. She seeks to bring those serene aspects of the outdoors inside a home, noting a certain peace that comes with it. She spends time outside hiking and camping, finding inspiration from her surrounding environment.
Rebecca enjoys various activities when it’s time to put work down for the day. From spending time with her 20-year-old son, Karson, cooking dinner with friends, reading, traveling, painting, game nights, or antiquing, Rebecca strives to live life to the fullest. She leaves us with a great reminder that when you recognize opportunities, most often, they can be rewarding and a blessing.
“Attitude is everything. You have to realize you can’t limit yourself. Always be open to learning something new every day, big or small. Just have fun. We only have one life here to live. So go live a little!”
If you are interested in purchasing a home that has been carefully curated by our in-house design team contact one of our New Home Consultants here for more information. Throughout this year, there will be several Quick Move-In homes that will be available for purchase. Our team of professional designers makes the process easy by preselecting all finishes and colors so customers can enjoy granite, hardwoods, and today’s most stylish color schemes.
Click here if you want to learn more about our design team and their process!
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This post was written by Sydnee Cearlock
