I've had quite a few people ask where the name "5 O'Clock Design Co" came from so I thought it would be fun to tell you a little bit of the meaning behind it and why we settled on it as the name for the business and blog. I'm also excited about the opportunity to show you a little bit of who we are and why we do what we do.
Naming a business is no easy task! It was important to us that the name had meaning and conveyed a sense of our values and design philosophy. It also needed to indicate what our business does while leaving us room to grow into future ambitions. Some designers, whose work I greatly admire, have gone the route of using their own name as their brand. I like this, but it didn't really tell the story I was hoping to.
We want to help you tell your story, not ours.
We really hope that you love your job and your co-workers--that if your profession requires you to put on real pants and walk outside your front door every morning, you are passionate about what you do and derive great pleasure and satisfaction from doing it. BUT, even if you are working in your dream career, we would bet that you still look forward to coming home each evening.
Because we all know there is something special about coming home.
Maybe children clamor for kisses when you walk in the door, maybe your furry friends are waiting by the window, perhaps dinner is already sizzling on the stove, or maybe your favorite chair is waiting with open arms--whatever welcomes you when you walk in the door, home is the place where you are loved and accepted for your truest self.
We understand that not everyone starts work at 9am and heads home at 5pm, but even if you've never been caught in rush-hour traffic, we're sure you'll understand the metaphor. 5 O'Clock--the time you exhale whatever the rest of the day may have held and let yourself relax.
Your home should be your retreat, a place of rejuvenation and inspiration. When things are cluttered, chaotic, or just "not you" it's hard to get excited about spending time there. We love helping you identify how your home best suits you and how you can create a place you can't wait to come back to.
We design spaces that celebrate all the reasons you love coming home.
A few ways we accomplish this are:
- We really listen when you tell us what is important to you and then make sure the finished design reflects your priorities.
- We set the desired mood and tone of your home by choosing appropriate colors, scaling furniture and accessories accordingly, and then layering just the right number of details.
- We remain true to our design philosophy: People Matter Most.
Because we think having a place to call home (and really feeling like you fit there) is so important, we've also made it a part of your mission to give back to the community in ways that directly impact this idea. You can read more about how we do this on our community page.
So there you have it--while there are no silly stories about scratching the business name on a cocktail napkin while sipping happy hour specials, (yes, someone asked that) we were pretty excited when the inspiration struck, and we're pretty proud of what it stands for.