With more than 17 years in business, Dennese Guadeloupe Rojas has become an indispensable design resource for newly minted wealthy moms of NFL players. Just knowing what is wood and what is not sometimes takes a little detective work, and Rojas provides the 411.
“I live here,” Dennese Guadeloupe Rojas exclaimed, starting an enthusiastic comic riff that included a bit about maybe selling one or both her kidneys. “I spend 12 to 15 hours a day here,” she said.
The “here” is the 48-year-old Rojas’ new baby and her work home, a nearly 3,000-square-foot design showroom outfitted with all sorts of home accessories, from teapot sets for two to sofas and side chairs to scented candles and aromatic oils.
Rojas has become an indispensable design resource for the famous and not-so-famous who are seeking design tips for both sensitive and aggressive budgets. Her client list, whose identities she guards, is seeded with working moms as well as mothers of newly minted NFL players. All seek her counsel on identifying quality goods for their homes.
Rojas leads workshops to teach how to select furniture and determine good price points. “Just being able to tell whether you are getting genuine wood furniture or pressboard is important to know,” Rojas said. And as you pull things together, “Sometimes you think you need more furniture, and what you really need is to accessorize,” she said, explaining her niche.
Had Rojas not been laid off from a corporate job 18 years ago, she might not have opened Interiors by Design or pursued the career she went to college to study nearly 30 years ago but did nothing with right away. Rojas’ enterprise is a different kind of design showroom specializing in home jewelry or accessories.
Born in Trinidad, Rojas grew up in the U.S. Virgin Islands and went to school at Miami’s Bauder College for interior design. After graduation, she went to work for public television in New York.
“I moved here when my daughter, Danielle (now 20) was 8, and I was always looking for the next best job to support us,” Rojas said. The opportunity to pursue the “next best” came in a lay-off notice. “I decided I needed to control my own destiny.”
“I knew I had to make sacrifices but needed freedom and flexibility,” Rojas said. She describes the job she created for herself as a free spirited opportunity that allowed her to get into the lives of people who ultimately became her clients and her friends.
With the help of her two assistants — Jenny Tanner, who travels daily to Rockville from Baltimore, and Meghan Bell — Rojas helps sort out other people’s design dilemmas so that wherever they spend large amounts of time it feels like home to them.
Her point of view
STYLE PHILOSOPHY: In all that I do, it has to feel right. My personal home is simple. Everything has a place. It is so much easier that way. After the hustle and bustle of the day you should be able to find what you need without the drudgery of searching for it.
STYLE SECRETS: A place for everything.
GOT STYLE FROM: My brother, Donald Guadeloupe, who is head fashion designer for the Misook label. I was exposed to elegance through him.
COMFORT VS. STYLE: Anything soothing and relaxing appeals to me in a big way.
FAVORITE COLOR: Earth tones with a punch of color.
WHAT DOES COLOR SAY TO YOU? Color does so much for people and they don’t realize it. If you have a color that is a driving force for you, it helps you relax. Live and express.
MUST-HAVES IN YOUR HOUSE: Comfortable bed.
WHAT PEOPLE WOULDN’T KNOW ABOUT MEP: I am conservative, but I let loose through my design which expresses a creative, funky side.
I WOULD NEVER: Do anything to compromise who I am or do something that does not sit well with me.
HOT TIP: Keep it simple.
