by Christy Heitger-Ewing | photos by Adam Grubb Media
Sometimes in life we find ourselves on long and winding paths that lead us to the perfect destination. Such is the case for Alexis Rhule, who entered a series of male dominated industries before landing her dream job as an interior designer.
After earning a degree in chemical engineering from Penn State, Rhule worked as a sales engineer, in an office environment where she primarily communicated with men.
“Out of my 35 coworkers, I was one of two females,” says Rhule.
A career change couldn’t come soon enough. During COVID, she meshed her passion for racing and photography when she began doing social media management and content creation for motorsports. But this wasn’t Rhule’s final stop – not yet.
A few years ago when she purchased her first home, “a total gut job,” as she says, the renovation sparked a passion in her that had long lain dormant. She turned the home into an AirBnb and then took a leap of faith to pursue a career as a designer, landing a job with Home & Willow Design in February 2024.
“I’m glad I had so many different experiences because each one shaped me into the way I operate today,” she says. “I learned a lot of problem solving and communication skills by being a sales engineer that has translated nicely into working with clients in the design world.”
Owning and operating her own business also honed her project management skills. As a photographer, she had to have a particular eye for perspective.
“Designers are constantly having to solve problems. They may run into an issue in a renovation or they may see a vision nobody else can. I learned all that from engineering,” says Rhule.
Her favorite thing is fusing functionality and creativity.
“The goal is to make somebody’s home as functional as possible for their lifestyle” says Rhule, who is thrilled to be a team member at Home & Willow.
“I wake up every morning gung-ho to go to work,” she says. “I’ve never felt that in any of my other careers. I’m constantly inspired by the atmosphere and people around me.”
To learn how you can create a comfortable, functional, and beautiful design for your home, contact the team at Home & Willow Design.
