Sheffield Student Postcard: Audrey Jones


Some people find themselves browsing through the real estate listings on a Sunday morning, even when they've just moved into a new house. These people can be seen lurking around open houses, signing in on the brokers' sheets in ranch houses, high-rise apartments, and seaside cottages alike. It doesn't matter to them what sort of property is for sale, or whether it's too big or small for their family.

These people simply love dwellings, and love looking at them and imagining how they could be improved.


For Sheffield Graduate Audrey Jones, this kind of fantasy has become a reality, as she and her husband invest in real estate and then turn a profit on it — by buying, remodeling, decorating and then re-selling the spruced up homes.

And Audrey is loving it all.

"The work that we're doing now has been so much fun," she said. "I love to tear apart and redesign interiors of older properties."

Audrey's husband takes care of the construction end of the business, so remodeling costs are kept low and the couple has the confidence of knowing the work has been done to their own standards. And Audrey gets to have a ball putting her interior design skills to work, room by room.

"The final result is so satisfying," she said. "Not to mention the profits on the resale. Real estate has been booming and we've been fortunate with all the opportunity it has given us to show our talents."

When Audrey was seeking a career change, she knew the new career had to be flexible, and had to allow her to take care of her kids.

"I was drawn to the Sheffield Course because I wanted a career change," she said. "I'm home with young children and needed to be able to study at my own pace. The Sheffield Course allowed that."

With the Sheffield Course came not only knowledge about interior design, but the confidence about how to use that knowledge, Audrey said.


"The Sheffield Course taught me all that I needed to know to create beautiful spaces. After completing the Course I had the confidence that I needed to be successful."

Audrey found that the Sheffield Interior Design Course provides "all the basics you need."

"If you truly love the interior design industry, you will take in everything you need to learn to be successful."

Audrey finds that prospective homeowners respond to the work they do, and really notice that a place has been lovingly redone.

"When we list our properties for sale it's so satisfying when potential buyers walk in and compliment us on our work," she said. "The realtors love it too because it's an easier sale for them."

Because they work for themselves, Audrey has the flexibility she needs to be able to look after the children while they're young. But the interior design field is one in which a person can change and grow, and Audrey looks forward to continuing to stretch her decorating talents as her children get older. "In a few years when my youngest goes to school I plan to look for more work in the design industry," she said.

Even though she loves her work, that doesn't mean it's always easy. Audrey and her husband have to keep an eye out for the next investment, and have to try to stay ahead of the rapidly changing market.

"As much fun as it is to re-design everything, you still have to be careful where you invest and how much you spend," she said. "We have done a lot of work in shore towns. The properties have really increased in value and they are mostly sold as furnished. That gave us the opportunity to use our talents to make a lot of money."