Meet Jessica & Eliana

Alicia Hylton-Daniel is an interior designer and general contractor who has carved a unique path in a field where she often stands alone as a Black woman. Her journey began unexpectedly after a house fire in 2002 prompted her to reassess her career goals. She subsequently enrolled at Meredith College, graduating in 2008 with a degree in interior design. For the first decade of her career, Alicia focused on commercial interior design, gaining valuable experience that would later influence her distinct approach to residential projects. Her transition into general contracting was inspired by her husband, Roger. This step allowed her to manage her designs more comprehensively and to establish her worth within the industry. Shortly after becoming a licensed general contractor, she launched her own design/build company, Hylton Daniel Properties, also known as Hylton Daniel Design + Construction, which has now been in operation for over five years. Alicia's initial goal was to design and construct modern houses for sale, a pursuit that offered her significant creative freedom, free from client constraints. She named her first project 'Modernist 1,' anticipating a series of similar ventures. To date, she has designed and built six modern homes, which she considers her artistic expressions. While Hylton Daniel Properties accepts client work, it primarily focuses on mid to large-sized renovations and additions, with a preference for renovating older homes, particularly those from the Mid-Century Modern and 1970s architectural eras. Alicia intentionally avoids designing and building ground-up houses for clients due to the complexities of client input combined with subcontractor management, choosing to prioritize her creative autonomy. She distinguishes her work from typical 'flips,' which she views as quick and thoughtless, emphasizing a meticulous design and construction process. Her projects involve extensive site study to ensure optimal house placement, visual integration, and consideration of height and scale in spatial layout and exterior design. Her commercial design background also enables her to incorporate non-standard and experimental finishes into her residential projects, offering a unique edge. Hylton Daniel is a small team of five, including Alicia and Roger, handling a maximum of four client projects annually. This controlled workload ensures detailed design, quality construction, and exceptional project management. Alicia emphasizes that she charges for her time and talent, clarifying that her services do not align with the often-unrealistic expectations set by HGTV. She also requires homeowners to vacate the premises for extensive renovations, particularly those involving critical areas like kitchens and bathrooms, to maintain project efficiency and safety. Alicia takes pride in her problem-solving abilities through spatial layout, and her enjoyment of lighting and finishes. She dedicates herself to understanding clients' emotional and cultural backgrounds to achieve successful designs. Alicia recently shared a story of resilience, recounting an incident where she discovered she was being targeted by a neighbor during the construction of her 'Modernist 4' home. She publicly addressed the bigotry, refusing to be silenced or conform to societal expectations of 'professionalism' that she felt had historically disadvantaged Black women. Her outspoken stance garnered widespread support from both Black and white women, validating her decision to advocate for herself. She highlighted the importance of unlearning the societal lesson of 'not talking money,' particularly as a Black woman who, like many, has experienced underpayment. She now unapologetically discusses her rates, refusing to compromise her self-worth. In addition to her design and build work, Hylton Daniel has expanded into a short-stay portfolio, offering a renovated 1940s post-war house and two of her modern homes, 'Modernist 5' and 'Modernist 6,' for short-term rentals, allowing guests to experience her unique designs. #InteriorDesign #GeneralContractor #ModernArchitecture #DesignBuild #ResidentialRenovation #Entrepreneurship #BlackWomanInBusiness #SpatialLayout #Resilience

Stephanie Jackson, a former fine artist, transitioned from an unlucrative art career to become a successful entrepreneur in sensory interior design. For two decades, Jackson dedicated herself to painting and writing, even founding art spaces in San Francisco and New York City, and living in Mexico for an artist's residency. Simultaneously, she became a licensed massage therapist, building a business called Practical Bodywork focused on pain relief. The financial crisis of 2008 and the birth of her daughter prompted a significant shift in her career path. Recognizing that art alone could not support her family, Jackson pivoted to learning business skills. The turning point came when a client, impressed by the art in Jackson's massage office, requested she paint her staircase risers. This project, initially declined due to Jackson's decision to leave art, became a revelation. By integrating her understanding of the client's personality, space characteristics, chosen colors, and desired outcome, Jackson found a natural aptitude for design. This experience led her to launch Practical Sanctuary, Sensory Interior Design, a business dedicated to creating spaces for highly sensitive individuals, including those on the autism spectrum. Jackson, a highly sensitive person herself, observed a significant gap in the architecture and interior design industry regarding spaces accessible to people with sensory issues. Her mission is to address this gap, drawing on her accidental expertise in neurodivergence, cultivated through close relationships with neurodivergent friends and family. Building Practical Sanctuary presented numerous challenges, particularly the lack of initial capital. Jackson started both her businesses out of passion and necessity, acting as her own IT, web designer, marketing, sales, bookkeeper, strategic planner, client fulfillment, and janitor. This self-reliance allowed for slow, organic growth and experimentation without risking the entire enterprise. A personal crisis, including a marriage implosion and subsequent debt, further complicated her journey, taking five years to overcome. By 2020, debt-free and credit repaired, she remained cautious about business loans. The pandemic prompted a shift to virtual client work, and a small EIDL grant provided the first experience with capital, enabling her to hire professionals and expand her network. A primary ongoing challenge is convincing institutional decision-makers that sensory interior design is a necessity, not a luxury, despite general enthusiasm for the concept. Jackson's approach to sensory interior design integrates her diverse creative skills. Her background as a painter informs her understanding of color and light's emotional impact. As a dancer and massage therapist, she gained insights into the human nervous system and how environmental cues like sounds, textures, layout, and light influence well-being. Her experience as an early blogger honed her ability to craft engaging narratives that inspire clients' transformations. She takes pride in achieving significant positive changes for clients through subtle adjustments. Jackson is also launching a book titled "The Eccentric Genius Habitat Intervention." An unexpected detail about her past includes creating a blogger persona named Pretty Lady in the mid-2000s, who disarmed right-wing extremists online with charm and unconditional love, ultimately empowering herself and others. #SensoryInteriorDesign #NeurodivergentSpaces #StephanieJackson #PracticalSanctuary #EntrepreneurshipJourney #CreativeBusiness #AccessibilityInDesign #StartupChallenges #PersonalTransformation