Rebecca Merola and Ted Fisher like to tell a funny story about coming to the realization very early on in their relationship that they have vastly different personalities. Fortunately, they were able to look past their contrasting styles to form a thriving partnership in life—and now in business, too.

The happily married couple, parents to two young children, dove into an exciting new home improvement venture earlier this year when they opened the first Pennsylvania location of a national franchise known as The Designery. The company helps clients transform their homes with stunning custom designs for kitchen and bathroom remodels, as well as closets, while also providing a unique selection of high-quality products in cabinetry, flooring and countertops.

Merola had worked for the past 16 years in a corporate setting as an engineer, while Fisher was a schoolteacher before transitioning into a stay-at-home dad for their kids. When Merola was approached by a franchise consultant and started learning that there were plenty of opportunities beyond the glut of restaurant chains, she found one that spoke to her and made the bold decision to leave her job.

"The Designery just really stood out to me," she says. "I liked their quality of product, and I liked their overall objective of being customer-centric. Meeting with the president and founder, Casey Ridley, I got along well with him: He's got great vision, energy and passion. It's also backed by a larger team—it's part of a group of franchises called Homefront Brands—so having that extra support just sealed the deal."

With their youngest child entering preschool, Fisher was seeking a way to reenter the workforce, and joining his wife just made sense. While she is the owner and handles such responsibilities as communication with the corporate office, business strategy and networking, he is the boots-on-the-ground manager overseeing the launch of their new showroom.

"This gave us a chance to do something different and to do it together," Fisher says. "It has definitely been a leap of faith, but I've been pleasantly surprised with how well we work together, and I think the differences in our approaches have been good so far."

Those differences first came up when they started dating as students at Lehigh University. One day they were doing homework together for a math class they were both in, and needless to say, they weren't exactly on the same page.

"Him and his friend were kind of goofing off a little bit and they weren't getting all the right answers, and I just looked at him and said, 'I thought you were a math major and that meant you were going to be smarter,'" she recalls with a laugh. "We still got married despite that."

"She saw then that we worked in different ways, and that's helped her gauge where she needs to be stronger and where I can do more with the business," Fisher adds.

The third member of the team is designer Liz Laurito, and Merola raves about her contributions since joining the company five months ago. Everyone has been going the extra mile for customers while the showroom was being prepared, from doing virtual consultations to making in-home visits with cabinet selections.

Now, with the grand opening of their showroom in Quakertown in early December, customers will be able to touch and see the products for their project up close. There will be kitchen, bathroom and closet displays, along with a range of countertops, cabinet doors and drawers.

"Also, one of the really cool differentiators of The Designery is our use of technology to bring the customer's space to life," Merola says. "We use Oculus virtual reality—our software will take the design and you can walk around in the room in 3D, which is helpful, especially for folks who have trouble visualizing it on paper."

Merola loves helping people achieve the kitchen of their dreams—after all, it is the heart of the home—but she is quick to recommend closet organization as well, just because of the peace of mind it can bring during a busy morning.

No matter what space a client is looking to update, though, The Designery can eliminate stress from the process. Not only can they create a spectacular design the homeowner is going to love for years to come, but thanks to their relationships in the remodeling industry, they can find the right contractor to bring the vision to life.

Merola and Fisher are eager to offer those services to customers from all over the region, including parts of Bucks, Montgomery, Lehigh and Northampton counties. They have hit the ground running with this endeavor and are proud to be building a solid reputation in the area.

"It's been amazing to see how much small business owners are the lifeblood of the community," Fisher says. "I think we knew that before, but didn't really appreciate the networking and the teamwork involved and how great it can be to have a support system even among business owners."

The Designery
280 N. West End Blvd. | Quakertown, Pa.
(267) 386-3556
TheDesignery.com

Published (and copyrighted) in House & Home, Volume 24, Issue 1 (November/December 2023)
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