Environments for Aging - Summer 2019 - 64

THE SPARK

Follow
the signs
Faith Marabella, CEO of
Wellesley Design Consultants
Inc., found a passion for
sparking joy in others through
interior design

any may
know
me for
my colorful shoes,

EFAmagazine.com * Summer 2019

as residents settled in. I'd chat them up,
learning what brought them there, what they
like, and what they didn't. I finally found the
human connection I craved.
After three years, the partners of the firm
were looking to retire at the same time a
perfect buyer came along for my massage
therapy business. All signs were pointing
toward a new career path. I think if I hadn't
taken a detour through massage therapy
school, business courses, and real-life
business operations, I would have been
overwhelmed and run in the opposite direction. Instead, I said yes, becoming CEO of
Wellesley Design Consultants Inc. (Methuen,
Mass.) in 2010, which has put me in touch
with some amazing people in the senior living community. Their passion is contagious. I
found my people.
For me, delivering dignity through design
is the goal, but so is happiness. And happiness is elusive. The familiar phrase, "In the

pursuit of happiness," is easier said than
done. There's a lot that goes into it beyond
meeting basic human needs. I like to design
in a little whimsy, an unexpected twist. The
ultimate insult in our firm is to design "beigetecture." Our humor, laughter, and lightheartedness translate to our tools of pattern,
color, and texture.
And yes, that's why shoes are my thing. I
love their design. They're the foundation of
how I meet the earth. Over the years, it's become less about the shoes and pretty much
about the joy they bring others. It reminds
people to have a little fun. Crack a smile. Be
quirky. It's a great way to design, live, and
spark joy in others. EFA

If you're interested in sharing the story of what
ignited your passion for senior living design,
contact Executive Editor Anne DiNardo at anne.
dinardo@emeraldexpo.com.

YIFAN WU

quirky glasses, and
funky style. Well,
more about that
later ...
Much of my path
to senior living was
happenstance, as life often is. I was eager
to enter the world of design after graduating
with a bachelor's degree in architecture from
Iowa State University. I interviewed for my first
"real" job in 1997, at a firm that specializes in
senior living. At the time, I didn't realize this
was an industry that would interest me. But
I remember asking at the interview, "How do
you know when you've achieved a successful
design for the end user?" Right away, I was
interested in advocating for the resident, who
I knew may not be involved in the design process. After some time working for that firm, I
felt I didn't have an impact that reached the
resident. Our projects met all the codes, budgets, and programs and clients were happy,
but a human connection was missing.
After seven years, I decided to take a
break from design. I went back to school,
got licensed as a massage therapist, and put
out my shingle. But happenstance happened
again. One year later, an interior design firm
in Sommerville, Mass., that specializes in
senior living reached out to me to cover for
a vacationing employee. Within two weeks,
I was encouraged to stay on. I ran my licensed massage therapy business part time
as I devoted more and more hours to interior
design. This time, it felt different: Being one
of the last project team members on-site,
tending to the details of art, accessories, and
window treatments, I was often still there

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Environments for Aging - Summer 2019

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