Stella Taylor Hickey

A steaming cup of Earl Grey, with plenty of milk and sugar. A well-loved book. Sitting in a comfortable chair with a soft blanket with my dog lying at my feet.  Artwork made by family and friends, or collected on our travels, reminding me of where we have been. A messy bouquet of flowers, picked in the garden. These are the things that make me feel comfortable in my home. 

As a designer, I strive to discover what these things are for you - the small things that make your home into the place you most want to be. I don't want my clients to have a beautiful but sterile space - I want them to look around and see things they love, that evoke meaning to them. I strongly believes that our surroundings have great pyschological impact on us. Because of this, I try where possible to use honest, natural materials that respond to touch and look better with age - wood, stone, cotton, linen, brass, steel.

I've always had a great love for design. I grew up in Wiltshire, England: surrounded by English country homes, grand Georgian cities, humble Tudor villages and rolling hills and fields. After moving to Liverpool and attaining a degree in journalism, I knew I wouldn't be happy writing copy in an newspaper office. I headed South again, and went to work for a sustainable energy consultancy in a beautiful 14th century farmhouse. I realised I could combine my passion for the environment with a career in interior design, where I could have the chance to help people create beautiful homes. While advocating for sustainability in design, I could educate clients on the benefits sustainable products could bring to their homes. In 2006, my now husband, Terence, and I moved to Virginia, and I began studying interior design.

After graduating in 2009, I became involved with the ABC television show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition on the Fishing School build in Washington, DC through the design/build firm building the home. In 2010, I rejoined the EM:HE team as a Project Manager for an 11,000 sq ft build in Baltimore, MD for the foundation Boy's Hope, Girl's Hope.

I opened Vesta Interiors in March 2009, serving Northern Virginia and the Washington DC metro area.