Teri Kallem: The Interior Design Prodigy

Ever wonder how some people end up with the most interesting jobs? The kind of jobs it seems impossible to train or plan for? Like being an interior designer?

Well, Teri Kallem, owner of Kallem Interior Design, didn’t just wake up one day and decide to start her own interior design company. No, that she has become one of the most well known interior designers in Des Moines is no accident. After all, she’s been preparing for it since she was 10 years old.

Go clean your bedroom.

Children have feared these ominous words since the beginning of the bedroom’s time, ever since little cave children were first scolded for leaving their corner of the cave in chaotic disarray.

Which is what made Teri Kallem such a unique child. She actually enjoyed organizing rooms and embraced the art of arranging furniture. Whereas most children would shudder at the thought of helping parents re-arrange rooms – Teri loved it.

By age 10, she recognized her affinity for interior design. Not only did she enjoy helping her mother re-arrange the rooms of the home and demand that she be in charge of her own bedroom’s layout, Teri paid close attention to the details, ensuring every item was in its proper place.

“No one could place an ornament on the Christmas tree without clearing it with me first,” Teri said with a laugh.

So when it came time for college, she didn’t go back and forth in selecting a major. She enrolled in the Interior Design program at the Iowa State University School of Design and began absorbing everything there is to know about fabrics, lighting and colors.

Then, it came time to take the NCIDQ exam – which is like the Bar Exam for interior designers. Weekends at the library. Hours of reading each night. All to become a certified interior designer.

These certainly aren’t the steps one takes if only partially committed to their trade. And Teri Kallem has never been one to undertake halfhearted pursuits. Her passion for interior design is sensed by her residential and commercial clients alike. And that’s likely why the referrals keep streaming in.

“Teri never failed to take time to answer phone calls, visit the house if necessary, or meet somewhere,” said Suzanne Orr, a client of Kallem Interior Design. “She has great taste, technical expertise, and truly cares about our satisfaction.”

Teri’s great customer satisfaction rate is a testament to her willingness to fully engage clients. To know their tastes and understand their challenges, she must know them personally.

From the initial 25-question questionnaire new clients fill out to subsequent meetings onsite, Teri is continually acquiring the information needed to really know a client. How else could she choose the perfect window treatments or just the right cabinets and counter tops?

“I love the personal interaction of getting to know my clients on a personal level and helping them create a space they will love living in,” Teri said.  ”I consider my clients life-long relationships.”

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