Hidden Gems: Meet Julie Rill of Rill Life Design LLC

Today we’d like to introduce you to Julie Rill.

Hi Julie, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My first words were “home builder,” and as a child my favorite thing to do was tour model homes, so you could say I started at a young age. I spent my summers at my great-grandmother’s house in Nogales, Arizona. Her land abutted the border, and many families on the other side of the fence lived in cardboard houses without running water or electricity. I would spend hours designing houses for them to live in, and then I would get the Sears catalog and make lists of items from furniture to towels to dishes- of course, all with a cohesive design palette and theme! These Sears catalog items weren’t just a mere shopping list but an early exercise in creating spaces that functioned for a specific client. If I imagined they had three children who liked sports, there was a space for them to store equipment; if they liked music, I included a piano. I didn’t realize then that I was doing something more than designing a house. I was attempting to create a home in which families would thrive. Even at 7, I innately knew that feeling at home would change their lives. Changing your space will change your life in ways far beyond the aesthetic effect. Changing lives is still what drives my interior design business to this day.

Would it have been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I married a homebuilder and had an outlet to express my design and homebuilding skills. We built many spec and custom homes together and or remodeled many homes. I loved learning how to build a house from start to finish and walking through a “finished” space while it was still only an architectural drawing. When that partnership and story ended, I gave up on being involved in the design world and pursued other interests. I found out, however, that your life purpose doesn’t simply go away. Circumstances brought me back into the world of design and remodeling in my hometown of Phoenix, and I am so excited to be back here!

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Being equally left and right-brained is an asset in my business because a successful design project goes beyond the visual and functional effects. Attention to detail, communication, and focused editing of materials are crucial elements in a project. My 27 years of experience in luxury homebuilding is an asset to my clients because I understand the process and it gave me the ability to read plans and visualize a finished space while it is still on paper. For this reason, creating finish packages for new home construction or remodels is my superpower. I offer many different design experiences through Rill Life Design, both at home and virtually. My design philosophy is not one size fits all; I am solution focused, so after identifying the design problems within the space, I present my clients with options that will be both beautiful and functional for their lifestyles.

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love the energy here- Phoenix is a melting pot of influences, but everything takes place against a backdrop of acceptance and vibrancy. There is a forward-looking feeling, a feeling of freshness. Something exciting is always either going on or on the way; but being a relatively young city, that forward-looking mentality came at a cost. Many of the iconic spots of my childhood, including some significant architectural achievements, were lost to the wrecking ball. Perhaps developers and city leaders didn’t realize we had much of a history because it felt like we were still beginning. Fortunately, awareness of our shared heritage in this beautiful city is rising and I look forward to being a part of it.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.RillLifeDesign.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rilllifedesign/