Billee J. Smith, President and Senior Designer of Distinctive Décor Ltd. Showroom & Design Studio, has been decorating her entire life because she grew up in a family of women who were all designers in their own right. With so much creativity in the household, Billee says that she “was always inspired and continues to be inspired by them.” This native of western Pennsylvania has been in the design industry for well over fourteen years, starting her own business in her home in 1997 and in 2005 moving her business to its current location in downtown Havre de Grace.

When conceptualizing her business, she knew that she did not want it to be a “cookie-cutter” approach to design – she wanted her work to be distinctive. Billee was pondering this while on hold to register the name of her business, thus the name for her venture – Distinctive Décor, Ltd.  

Billee’s attention to detail and passion for her work are readily apparent throughout the showroom. The appointment of the furnishings and vignettes within the studio are designed to help visitors visualize those settings in their own homes. She wants her customers to be inspired when they walk into Distinctive Décor, Ltd as she strives to make them feel special and convey that their business is valued and appreciated. Billee’s many repeat and referral clients are a testament to her success, along with those folks just traveling through that return to the showroom because they found a special piece on their previous trip, or are looking for something specific, either way they reap the benefits of advice and personal attention that Billee and her staff bestow on every prospective client.

In a time when many stores are simply trying to sell something to every customer, it is refreshing that Smith asserts, “if all customers leave with is a good idea for their home, then I am successful.” It is clear that Smith thoroughly enjoys meeting everyone from new clients to casual browsers, and she gets great satisfaction from overhearing someone in the showroom discuss how something they have seen inspires them. From consultation to completion, at Distinctive Décor, Ltd. the offerings range from updating paint colors and remodeling spaces to the designing of new homes’ interiors.

Distinctive Décor, Ltd.’s upscale merchandise includes fine upholstery lines, accent tables, luxurious fabrics, unique accessories, custom window treatments, luxury bedding and linens, unique lamps, and artwork that ranges from decorator art to original oils. However, Billee’s approachable demeanor quickly shakes off the whole design stereotype of the elitist design industry. She views her work as building relationships and trust because “when you are working with a designer you need to be able to trust their advice while knowing that your project is very personal and an investment.” She has cultivated relationships with qualified craftsmen and is able to share that expertise with her clients.

At Distinctive Décor, Ltd. it was Billee’s first decorator showhouse in Harford County in 2000 that provided the studio with its adorable mascot, a pig with a purse. Billee’s parents are an integral part of her support staff, and as her mother looked up at the cracked plaster falling off of the ceiling in the challenging room they were about to make over, she turned to her daughter and said, “I don’t think you can make a silk purse out of this sow’s ear.” Billee did indeed transform that master suite, and has continued to “Make it Beautiful” ever since!