By Lindsay Field Penticuff
Designer Cheryl Luckett, who says she’s always been a creative despite studying something quite different in college, admits there’s been a few twists and turns to her interior design story, but it’s one she enjoys sharing.
“I had educator parents,” says Luckett, Owner and Principle Designer of Dwell By Cheryl in Charlotte, North Carolina, “and they were serious about us getting an education and going to college and picking a stable career; and I was a big-time rule follower and over-achiever.”
That being said, Luckett attended Tennessee State University in Nashville, Tennessee, after high school and majored in family and consumer science, with a concentration in nutrition.
“My first career was as a registered dietitian,” she says. “I got a job in the corporate space in nutrition. It was a dream job, but I never really had a passion for it. Much like designers, dietitians are very passionate about their career field, so I always kind of felt that nagging feeling like I was faking it.”
After 15 years with the company, and opportunities mounting to climb the corporate ladder, Luckett decided to take a slight shift professionally and chose a role that gave her a little more free time to do the things she loves—like interior design.
During that time, she also took design classes at a junior college and started a blog, “Dwell by Cheryl.”
“I started a blog and made everyone I knew subscribe to it,” Luckett laughs. “I was a diligent blogger, going to school at night and work by day, and one thing led to another. I started to have friends reach out, asking about a dining room that needs a refresh or a kid’s room that needs some help.
“I started using it as blog content and, before I knew it, I had people that I didn’t know reaching out, and I realized I had a business.”
But because she had nearly 20 years of experience working in the Fortune 500 space, Luckett knew what starting a successful business should look like.
“The business was growing on the side while working full time and I realized I needed a pivot again,” she says. “I developed a 36-month strategy to leave corporate America and started to work that plan, and 36 months to the day I set that goal, I walked out of the doors … That was eight years ago on Jan. 1, 2017.”
Today, Luckett is applauded for her aesthetic, which is clearly influenced by her Southern roots growing up in Mississippi, and she’s been successful at incorporating these traditional elements while keeping spaces fresh and modern.
“I think the Southern home is all about heritage, history and legacy, and it doesn’t matter your culture, your upbringing or how much you had or have,” she says. I think there is just this notion that comes with a Southern home that home is important to us and sharing it is important to us, so we are always looking for ways to make spaces more welcoming and accommodating and cozy, and I think you can do that in a variety of ways.”
She has also been praised for creating “life-friendly” homes.
“I’m a function-first designer. That is the ultimate goal. … The challenge is how you make this function for the people who live here, and that function is not a canned thing,” Luckett explains. “I think we’re always going to check the beautiful box, that’s why I’m being hired. I’m more concerned about making sure the function really works. I want people’s homes to feel like a hug, like they are supported by it. That is the ultimate compliment that your home feels good, and that you want to be there. You always long to come back, because it’s just that good. That’s something that’s really important to me.”
In recent years, Luckett’s business has expanded to collaborations with top brands in the industry on product design, such as Wildwood.
“I love product design,” she says. “I kind of stumbled upon it as social media and people’s access became more prevalent; the whole influencer element became a thing, and brands and businesses started to take note. I am one who really built my business in the digital space and shared a lot of who I am, not just as a designer, but as a person, and that just happens to not only resonate with clients and followers, but also businesses and brands.
“So, I found them reaching out to me saying, ‘We love what you’re doing. We love that you use our product. We love that you have similar values to us, and we’d love to partner with you in some capacity.’ That is exactly how all three product lines that I have came to be.”
And she loves adding this opportunity to her passion for design.
“It gives me a chance to do something different creatively and fill any gaps I have in the space, while also helping other designers fill gaps, and to also be a champion, advocate and ambassador for the brands I love most,” Luckett says.
To learn more about Luckett, her product licensing and collaboration opportunities, as well as what inspires her and what’s next for her!
