There’s rarely a straight line to finding the right career and Cortney’s path to Smithouse Design + Build is a perfect example.
With a background that includes Art History, a Master’s degree in Architecture, and experience in sales and marketing, Cortney brings a unique combination of design knowledge, communication skills, and client perspective to her role as Project Developer at Smithouse.
As one of the first people many prospective clients will meet, Cortney helps them begin to understand not only what’s possible for their homes, but also what makes the Smithouse design-build process different. As projects move forward, she stays involved through the design and project development phases, working alongside our Sales and Design teams, assisting with preliminary budgets and timelines, and helping clients navigate those important early stages before construction begins.
Interestingly, Cortney was familiar with Smithouse well before joining the team. A friend’s Smithouse renovation—and seeing firsthand both the finished project and her friends’ experience with our team, first put the company on her radar. Years later, the timing was right to make a return to the residential design world she had always loved.
We sat down with Cortney for seven questions about her journey to Smithouse, what she’s learned from her own renovation experiences, why curiosity and listening are so important at the beginning of a project, and why working here may be making it increasingly difficult for her to leave her own house alone.
1. Tell us a little about your background and the path that eventually brought you to Smithouse Design + Build.
I studied Art History in college and went to Architecture school in my late 20’s. I had my first child 10 days after I graduated with my Master’s degree and pivoted to raising my kids for the next few years, taking jobs that allowed for a flexible schedule. I worked in Sales for entrepreneurs in the health coaching and business coaching fields, where I discovered a love of marketing and sales. Once my youngest left for college last year, I decided it was time for me to shift gears. I have always loved residential architecture, historic homes and design and had always wanted to revisit working in the residential design field. When I met Dave and some members of Smithouse at a friend’s party celebrating their Smithouse renovation, it put Smithouse on my radar as a place I would love to work. Two things stood out to me: the first is that their remodel was creative and beautiful and the second is that I saw how thrilled my friends were with the team and the process, which is definitely not the norm in the renovation business. A few years later, I’m lucky enough to say that I work with an incredibly talented and kind group of people here at Smithouse.
2. You’re joining Smithouse as a Project Developer, working with both our Sales and Design teams. How would you describe your role and what you’re most excited about?
I love that I wear multiple hats here and get to be involved in both client relations as well as design and project development. I would say that a good way to describe what I do is that I’m responsible for communicating what Smithouse does and the value we offer to prospective clients. Once they become a client, I help navigate their process through the design phase of the project, while also supporting the designers with the amazing work they do on the our clients’ homes. In addition to those roles, I’m also overseeing preliminary budgets and keeping tabs on timelines as we move through design and prepare for the build phase of the project.
3. You’re often going to be one of the first people a prospective client meets at Smithouse. What do you hope clients take away from those early conversations with you?
My hope is that I am able to clearly communicate what sets Smithouse apart from other design-build firms. I’ve done quite a few renovations on my own, and have been in the very common scenario of a stressful renovation where I ended up becoming the project manager, the designer and the site supervisor. Having been through those experiences, my hope is that I can help our future clients understand the value behind the services they receive from our amazing design team, our project management team, and our on-site team. Just as importantly, I hope they come away from our conversation confident in the high-quality craftsmanship our team of builders provides.
4. Coming into Smithouse with fresh eyes, what has stood out to you most about the company, our team, or the way we approach our projects?
There is so much! One of the things I’ve been most impressed with is the service, design expertise, and craftsmanship I alluded to in my previous answer. Beyond that, I have been pleasantly surprised by the company’s culture, which has been intentionally created to be both hardworking and fun, as well as supportive. One of the reasons I wanted to work here is the integrity present in how we approach our projects, and the company’s culture of giving value not only to clients but also to employees. The culture here has been a great fit for me.
5. Working across both Sales and Design gives you a unique view of the beginning of a project. What do you think makes the early planning and discovery process so important to a successful renovation?
I think what makes us so successful is the inquiry we make into the motivations behind why our client wants to renovate their home, and what they are hoping to gain from their project. The curiosity we bring is essential to a successful design, and that curiosity leads us to consider solutions for both existing problems and ways to bring the clients’ wish-list to life. We roundtable as a team to discuss each project that comes through our door, which allows us to bring multiple creative solutions to each project we take on. I also believe this helps our clients feel that we are listening to their concerns and desires – that we care – which is so important in the renovation process.
6. Now that you’ve had a chance to get to know our team and see some of our work, is there a Smithouse project, design feature, or type of project that has particularly caught your attention?
Let’s just say that my constant itch to redesign my own house has gotten worse since I started working here. I want built-ins everywhere, and a complete redesign of my house. I’m still new so I have yet to see some of the projects I’m working on come to life, but we are currently working on a whole-house renovation that is going to be stunning, and I can’t wait to see it in real life!
7. We always like to finish with something outside of work. When you’re not at Smithouse, what are we most likely to find you doing?
There’s a lot I love doing, but big on my list are hiking and backpacking, visiting historic homes and gardens. My local favorite is Ladew Gardens. I also love music, dancing and reading. I play tennis and pickleball, and I have a weekly Mahjong game with friends. I love spending time with my family, so any chance I can get I will happily hang out with my adult kids and my husband. I’m also pretty obsessed with my french bulldog, so you’ll find me hanging out with her as much as I can.
