Happy Sweet 16 to RCL: Our Journey of Strategic Design Excellence

Jennifer DeWitt
Sep 1
3 min read

Rachel Cannon at time RCL Interiors was founded.

Sixteen years ago this month, I hung out my shingle with nothing but a portfolio of dreams, an unhealthy obsession with Sherwin William paint chips, and the kind of confidence that only comes from not yet knowing how much you don’t know.

Today, RCL Design celebrates 16 years of strategic design excellence, and honestly, I’m still pinching myself.

When I started this journey, “strategic design” wasn’t even a term people used. Interior design was often seen as decorative afterthought—the pretty finishing touches you added once the “real” work was done. But I knew, even then, that good design was about so much more than making things look beautiful.

Good design is strategic. It solves problems. It enhances lives. It creates value.

Over these 16 years, we’ve had the privilege of working with incredible clients who trusted us not just to make their spaces beautiful, but to make them work better. The busy executive who needed her home office to support both productivity and video calls. The growing family who wanted their kitchen to function beautifully for both Tuesday night homework sessions and Saturday dinner parties. The empty nesters ready to create spaces that reflected this exciting new chapter of their lives.

Each project taught us something new about the intersection of function and beauty.

We’ve learned that the best spaces aren’t just gorgeous—they’re intuitive. They anticipate needs. They grow with families. They support daily routines while also creating those magical moments that make a house feel like home.

We’ve discovered that color psychology isn’t just academic theory—it’s a powerful tool for creating environments that make people feel their best. That lighting design can literally change how people experience a space throughout the day. That the right layout can turn a house into a place where families actually want to spend time together.

Most importantly, we’ve learned that truly great design is deeply personal.

It’s not about following trends or recreating magazine photos. It’s about understanding who you are, how you live, and what makes you feel most comfortable in your own skin. Then creating spaces that reflect and support that authenticity.

Looking back over 16 years of client relationships, the projects I’m most proud of aren’t necessarily the most photographed or the most published. They’re the ones where clients call me months later to say, “I still smile every time I walk into this room.” The ones where families tell me their kitchen has become the heart of their home in ways they never expected. The ones where busy professionals finally have a bedroom that actually helps them sleep better.

That’s strategic design in action.

As we look toward the future, we’re more excited than ever about what’s possible. This year, we’re expanding our services to include seasonal color analysis and personal styling—because the same principles that make a room work beautifully can help you feel beautiful and confident in every room you enter.

Here’s to 16 years of strategic design excellence, and to all the beautiful possibilities ahead.

Thank you for being part of this incredible journey. Whether you’ve been with us since year one or you just discovered us yesterday, you’re part of the RCL family now. And in this family, we believe that everyone deserves to live in spaces that make them feel absolutely wonderful.