Susan Sage - a Designing Woman

A desire to make curtains led Susan Sage to find her passion. Now she is an interior designer, business owner and consultant.

Susan knew how to sew, and had a degree in clothing design and construction. When she and her husband,

Susan Sage changing out a church banner

Terry, bought a house, she thought she would use that skill to make curtains, called window treatments. But making curtains is different from designing clothes, so she enrolled in a class offered at Johnson County Community College. “The class wasn’t what I thought it was,” Susan said. “I was learning how to measure and design, and I really enjoyed it. I started taking design classes (pre-requisites) so I could get to window treatment.”

In working toward the interior design degree, Susan was required to take two internships. The first was a job with a now-defunct decorating company, selling wallpaper, blinds and window treatments. Her second internship was with Rensen House of Lights. Here, she saw some of the same clients from the decorating company, many of whom asked her if she still made house calls for measuring and designing.

“It just started snowballing into designing basements, remodeling kitchens, master bedrooms, bathrooms,” Susan said. “When it looked like it wasn’t going to slow down, I applied for a business license.”

 With her interior design degree and business license in hand, Susan was off and running. Finding her passion when she was in her late 40s has given her renewed energy and drive. Life became quite different from what it had been, considering one year she went through five different jobs just trying to find something that fit. Susan started her own business, Casual Elegance Interiors on April 15, 1998. Whence that name? “I don’t really know,” Susan said. “I guess I’m a casual kind of gal who likes elegant touches.”

Word of mouth has driven business, Susan said. She does anything from a window treatment to selecting furniture to complete remodeling. “Last year, I converted a dining room into a library,” Susan said, referring to a private home in Leawood. “It was well over a $100,000 job. We built a whole new wooden staircase. We used 28 rolls of wallpaper in the entry. We used Jerusalem stone for the entry floor. It’s from Jerusalem and is incredibly beautiful tile.”

That project just won a NARI REMY award. NARI stands for National Association of the Remodeling Industry, and basically any remodeler who wants to be certified in the field aspires to be a member. “We won gold. First place for interior specialty,” Susan said. She has applied to become a NARI member, which requires a NARI sponsor, credit report, background check and a ‘yes’ vote by the board of directors, a process that can take 45 to 60 days. This award will surely help.

Kitchen Remodel

Susan is wrapping up a $140,000 job on a private home in Prairie Village. It included remodeling the first floor kitchen, living room and dining room, and three bathrooms. “I try not to act as project manager,” Susan said. “That’s not what I want to do. But I do consult throughout the project with the homeowners.”

Besides consulting and designing, Susan has a booth in the Mission Road Antique Mall, where she repaints and refurnishes furniture to sell, and does retail work for Picture Perfect Interiors in Overland Park. She also donates her talent as she can.

Susan has offered her design skills to help Blessings Abound thrift store arrange its furniture for sale, decorating tables and such. For about six or seven years, she has been the head of liturgical arts at Holy Cross. That translates into changing the banners in the sanctuary to correspond with the liturgical calendar, something that might seem challenging since Susan stands 4’10” and the banners are 9’ each, and also decorating for Christmas, Easter and other special events, and watering and caring for the seasonal poinsettias and lilies. Her busiest week is from Palm Sunday through Easter, which requires changes on Sunday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Since her work schedule has continued to increase, as well as time she spends to care for her mother, Susan is stepping down this year. She is confident that people will step forward to fulfill her role, one she said has been great fun for her.

Susan’s creativity is in part genetic. “My grandmother was an incredible dressmaker,” she said. “My father was an incredible craftsman.” Susan is glad she followed in their footsteps. “I love what I do,” she said. “I found my passion, though I wish I had discovered it sooner.”