Now that we have moved into summer, we are reflecting on the second stop in the Christine Haught, Ltd. journey. After working in Chicago for seven years, Christine and her new husband Michael moved to Atlanta, Georgia in the fall of 2001. Relocating a business can be challenging, both physically with moving samples, computers and paperwork and most importantly with regards to client relationships. Striving to seamlessly transition from an in-person relationship with clients and vendors to long distance requires patience and flexibility. Despite these challenges, satisfying past clients while searching for new clients and reputable vendors in the new location strengthens the knowledge arsenal business owners obtain through this experience.
Atlanta brought many firsts to Christine both personally and professionally. Christine’s work was featured in the Atlanta Symphony Associates Decorators Show House. Christine was able to meet fellow designers and business owners and the subsequent exposure also allowed new clients to find her in the pre-internet world. Atlanta has one of the most diverse groupings of design resources which includes architectural artifacts, antiques as well as modern pieces. The Atlanta Decorative Arts Center quickly became a hub for Christine and her business as it allowed her a one-stop-shop in a new city, similar to what the Merchandise Mart in Chicago had previously provided.
Christine Haught, Ltd. was the designer for a new construction home in which she assisted with the design of the kitchen, keeping room, as well as other featured points in the home. With this project, Christine was exposed to her first ground-up project and soon after she was referred to act as designer for her first large scale renovation. Christine learned skills such as project management as well as valuable client services skills as she was the main point of contact for the client, architect, contractors and vendors. She quickly learned that this would be the most valuable service she could provide to her clients. The business model she created remains in place to this day. Christine Haught, Ltd. takes as much of the headache away from our clients as possible to allow them to live, work and focus on enjoying their homes and families.
Christine has many things she is grateful for from her time spent in Atlanta. She grew culturally through attending business lunches and was published for the first time in Atlanta Homes and Lifestyles Magazine (pictured to the right). She continued to embrace other designers and business owners as valuable friends and mentors while learning many aspects of design from vendors at High Point Market. The design details that stand out most to her include those needed for draperies, custom pillows and cushions that skilled craftspeople pay extremely close attention to. As Christine learned new aspects of what it means to be a designer she also learned about marketing for her small businesses. Since her time in Atlanta, the skills she learned have been expanded upon and evolved into business practices and standards for the company. Our goal is to offer top quality designs while remaining approachable and affordable for our clients. We continuously hone our skills and practices to ensure we are offering nothing but the best.