Nothing makes more of a dramatic difference to a room after furniture is installed than window treatments, decorative pillows, and bedding. This blog post is going to focus on drapery hardware and introduce you to Metropolis Iron, Inc., owned and operated by Misti St. Pierre. I have mentioned her work in past blog posts relating to the ASID Show House and couldn’t wait for this opportunity to spotlight her company in more detail. I hope you enjoy her story as much as I did, especially after you see photos of her work below.
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| Misti and her daughter with their dogs Mosley (beagle) and Annabelle (poochie). They are part of PAWS, Pets Are Working Saints and go visit local nursing homes. |
Misti St. Pierre graduated from college in 1996 ready to jump into the corporate world. In the years following graduation she worked jobs in property management and project administration. Four years later, Misti accepted a Branch Management Position with then GE Modular Space for their local Fort Myers Branch. In her first year she earned “Rookie of the Year” for the entire Southeastern Division of the United States and was on the fast track to moving up that corporate ladder. During this time with GE Modular Space, she expressed how she grew both professionally, personally and spiritually. In 2004 Misti was due to give birth to her first child, a baby girl. “About a month before her birth I got this intense feeling that I should not be going back to work full time…I should be home to be her Mommy,” Misti recalls. This was a huge decision in her life since she had to consider factors like the generous salary she was making, the fabulous benefits she had secured for her family and being employed by one of the nation’s most desirable employers. In the end, being a Mommy won out over the corporate world.
As fate would have it Misti’s daughter had some medical difficulties and probably would not have been an ideal candidate for daycare. “In reality she would have been in daycare for 60+ hours per week between my schedule and my husband’s schedule,” she added. Misti took this opportunity to work as a consultant for a general contractor and help out her husband’s business with her daughter in tote the entire time. “I loved being able to take my daughter to work and really be there for her”.
“As my daughter became healthier and busier, I realized it was time for day care, so she could play and learn. With this prospect at hand my husband and I began to pray about what the next stage of my professional life should be. Should I go back into the corporate world, should I work for him or….GULP should I open my own business? With a lot of prayer it became clear that I should be a business owner. Now I had to decide what kind of business. I didn’t want something common…I wanted a really cool niche…something non-traditional and out the ordinary.” Misti continued to tell me how the future of Metropolis Iron, Inc. evolved.
Fate stepped in and brought a business owner into Misti’s life that had owned and operated a decorative metal products business, fabricating metal furniture, drapery hardware and many other decorative elements. She catered mostly to interior designers and drapery workrooms and was looking to exit the state and the industry. “She asked me if I’d be interested in this business venture. It was everything I had prayed for but definitely an industry I had never considered. I decided to shadow her for a couple of weeks to see if it was something I could and wanted to do.” Misti said YES! This business owner mentored her for 18 months and she then took the plunge and went out on her own. Metropolis Iron, Inc. was born!!
In 2006 Misti started the process of creating her own drapery hardware catalog. “There were piles of iron all over my house while I explored them with my hands and mind to decide what I would put into my catalog. I wanted to offer designers all of the traditional drapery hardware items, but also wanted to give them items they could not find anywhere else.” Msiti continued to elaborate, “I designed and printed my own catalog with my kitchen and a white pillow case serving as my studio. To this day I admit that I am self-taught. I go through model homes, attend lots of seminars, worship HGTV and listen to lots of “design” related conversations. I study different styles of design and their applications. I buy things and take them apart to see how they work and I just flat out ask for divine creativity and knowledge. I am always trying to learn more and be better.”
The summer of 2008, during the worst economic times our area has incurred since the 1990’s, Misti set out to start introducing her company and acquiring clients. “It has been a slow and tedious task to build clientele in a market that really didn’t exist. However, my years of hitting the pavement, utilizing social media, e-commerce and local networking are starting to pay off. This year has proven thus far to be a good year.” Misti is earning the trust and business of many talented designers in the Southwest Florida area. “I have found a creative side of me that I never knew existed and I LOVE it. I love being able to give a customer a custom piece that I have poured my heart into. I love that I make my own hours and rules. I love that I can make my customers happy without getting permission from six levels of management or go through lots of red tape to make an off the wall project happen (I love off the wall projects by the way!). I love that I can volunteer in my daughter’s classroom, can be home with her when she needs me and still be a business woman. There is no better feeling than being able to sit at the table and help her with her homework while faux painting an order for drapery medallions. In my book, it’s the best of both worlds.”
Misti contacted me soon after I opened my business. Coincidentally, I had the experience of working with her mentor for many years. She and I met for coffee, had a wonderful conversation about her career path, being woman business owners, and mom’s. When the opportunity to participate in the ASID Show House progressed, I knew exactly who to call. Misti and I designed out of this world custom drapery hardware and a custom sofa table together.
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| ASID South West Florida 2011 Show House – Family Room Custom Drapery Hardware |
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| Left Finial |
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| Right Finial |
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| ASID South West Florida 2011 Show House – Custom Sofa Table |
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| Detail Of Brackets |
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| Detail Of Leg and Foot |
When I took my client to the show house during one of our first meetings, she also fell in love with her drapery hardware and her work. When it came to selecting drapery hardware, it was a no brainer to use Metropolis Iron, Inc. Check out what we came up with for my client’s home!!
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| Leisure Room Custom Drapery Hardware |
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| Dining Room Medallions |
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| Study Drapery Hardware |
Next week I will take you through the stages of how we developed this custom drapery hardware for the family room. If you have missed any of the previous posts in this series, check out these posts below:
I have two beautiful daughters and a wonderful husband. Being the best mom and wife I can be is my first priority. I have been given an incredible opportunity to open up my own Interior Design company doing what I love. For over 19 years I have been designing breathtaking spaces, working with outstanding clients, and building long lasting relationships.
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Great article about an amazing woman! She works hard and it shows. The pieces you included really show her talent and how anything is possible when your imagination is at work.
I completely agree Dena…Thanks for leaving a comment!!
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