Pipit: Spacemaking For Every Person!

The Case

These days, the average adult across this country struggles to pay monthly bills (the findings of a handful of recent studies, when averaged, conclude that somewhere around half of American adults are living paycheck-to-paycheck and still more beyond that may only have small amounts in savings). 75% of Americans are unable to purchase a house, and with the general rise in the cost of living even an adult who earns $75K-$100K annually may not be able to comfortably purchase a brand new sofa, let alone prioritize revamping their entire home.

I cannot stress enough how powerful a personalized, put together home is on the heart and mind of the average person. A person’s living space is the only sanctuary they have, and potentially the only aspect of life that can reasonably remain consistent and be controlled. If someone doesn’t love how their home feels it can be unnerving, distracting If they’re someone who struggles financially, it can feel like a direct reflection of failure. Even without financial struggle, a home that doesn’t feel right affects a person’s productivity, their self-view, and their outlook. It makes the world outside of their home where they go for comfort and peace instead of the other way around.

But most interior design and decorating services are expensive, and so are totally inaccessible to the average person. In most cases, contracting a design firm means a long-term commitment, third-party contractors, and money. Loads of it. Even without hiring someone, totally refurnishing a home can, through normal practices, cost tens of thousands of dollars and an excessive amount of time and stress.

And So Here We Are!

Beyond cost and bandwidth, a major obstacle that stands between a person and really investing energy into their living space is that they don’t have a sense of what their own personal aesthetic is, or at least how to achieve it (and affordably, at that).

Whether you rent or own, the Everyday person should be able to have support in building their safe space. Good design and peace of mind should not just be a luxury only some people can afford

Pipit provides customizable, flexible, and affordable interior design services, home transformation coaching and support for households of any income. This is done through addressing pain points with quick fixes, developing super personalized designs, an aesthetic guidance process, detailed plan-making, and hands-on assistance in sourcing. The end result is a lot of major changes within a quick turnaround, and a client who is motivated and equipped to complete the transformation largely on their own after our time together comes to an end.

This isn’t just for folks who struggle financially. It’s for anyone seeking a better space and a process that isn’t overwhelming but which is, in fact, pretty freakin cathartic.

Who Am I To Offer This?

As a perpetual renter, I’ve occupied and decorated twenty-four living spaces within as many years. Each have been entirely decorated with the barest of budgets by hunting, thrifting, and using whatever hacks and tricks I have picked up. Additionally, I have done freelance interior design for several friends and strangers using these methods, and am confident in my skills as not only a source of quality secondhand and affordable new elements, but in being able to draw from inspiration and help others articulate someone’s needs. I feel I am not only qualified for this, but am passionately and personally connected to it. To be blunt, I know first hand and intimately the empowerment and positive impact a well-curated home can bring to a hard-working person’s life. It is a wonderful thing, to start with something that doesn’t feel very glamorous, but to transform it into something magnificent.

The Ask

At the beginning of May, I left a career in the nonprofit industry in order to pursue this long-held dream. Part of what took so long to make the jump was the threat of losing our known monthly income. If you know me (or if you’ve read the above About Me section!) you know that I’ve scraped together a living my entire adult life. When I finally received my first Living Wage salary job in 2021 (so recent!), I swore I’d never go back to not knowing where rent was coming from. Yet, here we are, jumping out of the plane!

I’ve spent the past two months working hard to create a structured business plan and have already obtained a small handful of marvelous clients who are, whether they know it or not, helping me build the parachute on the way down. It has been such a wonderful feeling to dive headfirst into this work.

However, as of July 30th what financial reserves we have will be emptied. In order to continue toward fully and officially launching this venture - and to do so as quickly and sustainably as possible -- it is crucial that I work 40 hours per week toward this launch, in terms of creating in business’ infrastructure and templates, trial-and-erring my rates and services, troubleshooting logistics, and essentially piloting the entire process in order to work out kinks. In short, if it’s going to work, I can’t get a service industry job to supplement. I am unable to take on other supplemental part-time work in order to not only float our living costs while simultaneously building the business, but also cover the costs needed to build the business itself.

For this reason, I am seeking backers (or sponsors, which I like better!) to help me reach my startup budget goal of $12,795, which covers the costs for the next three months of the business’ launch and operations, and my basic living expenses during that time - which will allow me to devote myself entirely to this work.

In exchange for your contribution, I am offering some of my basic services to you as perks for support. Before you think I'm insane for that, consider that this too will help my launch - by adding to a growing portfolio and giving me opportunities to fine tune my process.

(The only catch is that I ask for a bit of grace in terms of when these services are delivered. See details in the link mentioned below)

I have zero doubts that by the end of November, Pipit will be fully operational and sustainable. The amount of contact and interest I have received already since beginning this work has assured me that there is, indeed, an eager market for what I am doing. It’s extremely exciting!

Please take the time to review my entire Pitch with all information, services, pricing, and perks for backers below.

LINK TO ALL INFORMATION HERE

All contributors will receive by email the full document which outlines the vision and the services, and a first round of contact from me to loosely schedule your benefits.

In the meantime, thank you for considering your SUPER IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTION and please, please, please share this with your friends, neighbors, and family.

NOTE: An official site is in the works. Please visit @Pipit_Spacemaking on Instagram for more samples of work, clues to how this will work, and other offerings! Pipit will officially launch and open for new clients (beyond you wonderful contributors) on August 13th.