Kylie Long Travels her Own Path with Long Road Home Designs

I am a creative. My poison is words. I love to style them into original pieces that evoke comfort, warmth, functionality and bit of sexiness. However, sentences are as far as my styling prowess goes. So, I am always in awe of those women who just ‘have’ the ability to design and style spaces. Cue my friend Kylie Long from Long Road Home Designs…

When a teenage Kylie Long was asked where she wanted to work by her high school careers officer, it is no surprise that her answer was “I don’t want to work for anyone. I want my own business!”.

While Kylie’s work history has taken her on a number of different paths, it was a rambunctious five- year old named Tyrone that set her on the track of personal satisfaction, where she creates uniquely worthwhile solutions to peoples work and living spaces as an interior designer and stylist.

“I had started study to become a primary school teacher and soon realised that it wasn’t for me. I take my hat off to the patient teachers who educate the little Tyrone’s of the world on a daily basis” says Kylie, with not even a hint of regret. It didn’t take long for her to realise that choosing a career for what seemed like the ‘right’ thing to do, was really choosing a career for everyone else.

Business Inspiration

Kylie’s favourite thing about running her own business is reflected in her bold and decisive choice to change study paths, saying “I love the freedom with my time and the ability to choose the direction my business travels”.

Long Road Home Designs has evolved from a retail shop in Long Jetty, at a time when the local area was just getting its fledgling credos as ‘trendy’. The eclectic mix of homewares reflected Kylie’s inspiration for design and style “I’m inspired by such a diverse range of things. Certain furniture importers inspire me with their custom-made pieces; how different artists mix colours and styles intrigues me; even the different elements that I see in day to day life”. The evolution of trends in style and design is something that Kylie finds both “a beauty and a beast” of the industry.

The constant change and new trends of interior design can be overwhelming, especially for clients who want to update their home without it outdating quickly. “I think it’s important to incorporate what you love with good quality pieces. My aim is to always mould spaces to suit each home so that it functions purposefully and ‘works’ for you.”

A typical day

“Is there ever a typical day to running your own business?” Kylie half jokes. “For interior design clients I will prepare a detailed design brief based on a discussion and consultation. This can take up quite some time depending on what they want to achieve with their space.”

As many know, running a small business is not your typical clock on-clock off style job. Kylie admits, “It’s constant. Constant emails. Constant quotes. Constant calls. Constant book work.” But she adheres to maintaining a healthy work-life balance by avoiding work on weekends and by prioritising important moments with her family.

Client Life

Some businesses have direct client contact, while others are somewhat removed. In Kylie’s case, she gets “the opportunity to impact how people love and interact with their home on a daily basis.” Kylie fondly recalls an older client who had an eye for detail and a special attachment to a brown velvet lounge. “I made some small changes to her décor, but really worked with her to keep the essence of her style in her home. While she was reluctant to part with her beloved couch, she was pleasantly surprised at the uplifting impact a few changes had to how she felt in her own space.”

It’s clear that Kylie’s skill and enjoyment are satisfied when designing interiors to suit the needs of her clients, but the real spark of joy comes from the client’s reactions. “She was just so appreciative. Working with people like her is a professional dream. She was just an angel in response to everything I did”.

Not every client is angelic. Kylie giggles at recalling difficult clients. “I have found that subtly is the key. After all, it is their home and I am there to satisfy their needs. Even if it conflicts with my professional opinion.”

Similarly, setting boundaries with friends is an important factor in small business. Kylie admits that this is still a learning curve for her. She naturally wants to help friends and family with their interior design needs but is learning to be wary of expectations of her time. “It can be a rabbit hole. I may offer to help but end up spending a lot more time away from my business in the process.” She warns “It’s probably a good idea to set limitations from the outset”.

Work Mojo

Staying motivated is easy when you are so passionate about what you do. The thing that keeps Kylie fresh, both in design and business, is her fear of being caught up in doing the “same-same” all the time. “I don’t want to get too comfortable, to ever stop mixing it up! My challenge is to keep pushing myself outside of that comfort zone.”

The future

A recent development for Kylie and her Long Road Home Designs business is the decision to close the doors on the property styling segment of her business. This decision seems less of a pivot and more of a laser focus to magnify what she enjoys most – Interior design. “I’m currently just riding the wave and seeing where it takes me. There are a lot more property stylists out there now, so I would rather grow my personal design clients. That’s the part of the business that gives me a buzz.”

When I probe a little deeper about her thoughts on competitors in business, Kylie adds “I feel it’s really important to run your own race, especially when it comes to competitors. Doing all the training and following all the rules is fine. But it’s knowing and using your unique qualities, both personally and in business, that will work best. Knowing your strengths is what will see you succeed.”

I have no doubt that this strong, inspirational woman will succeed, whichever way that wave takes her! Kylie’s best advice for any budding entrepreneurs is to “Plan but be flexible. Don’t get so stuck in your ways that you can’t navigate a different path”.

Look out for Long Road Home Designs online and on Facebook and Instagram.

Got questions of me or Kylie from Long Road Home Designs? Leave them in the comments and I’ll be sure to reply 😊 If you’re interested in being featured or having a feature article written about you or your business for your newsletter, blog or webpage let me know!