Slate Design & Remodel
Chantilly, VA

Shannon Embly likes to recall how while growing up she would pick such bold paint colors for her bedroom walls and rearrange her furniture so often that her parents never knew what they were about to walk into. But these days, as Lead Designer for Slate Design & Remodel in Chantilly, VA, her focus is translating a client’s vision into reality. “My favorite part of the job is seeing a client’s reaction once their space comes together,” she says. “Knowing I helped improve their daily lives in even the smallest way makes everything worth it.”

Shannon, who says she always knew she wanted a career in a creative field, studied Interior Design at the Art Institute of Washington, but it was during an internship with a lumber company that specialized in kitchen and bath renovation that she realized remodeling was the right fit for her. She accepted a position at Slate Design & Remodel in 2018, shortly after it was founded by owner Adam Smith, and has helped build the company via design solutions that deliver what the client wants—even if means making the seemingly impossible happen. She says her most memorable project was a small bathroom remodel in a Virginia condo. “To say this bathroom was small would be an understatement,” she says. “It was unusable.” The solution? A completely new floor plan that extended into an unused closet and “brought together the client’s personal style while still honoring the style and location of the condo.”

“My favorite part of the job is seeing a client’s reaction once their space comes together. Knowing I helped improve their daily lives in even the smallest way makes everything worth it.”

As for her own design preferences, Shannon leans toward Bohemian with a small touch of Mid-Century Modern. “I love layering bold colors, with natural textures and wood tones,” she says. “I find the clean lines, bold color and organic shapes to work so beautifully together to create a unique style that’s easy to identify.” It aligns nicely with the word “passionate,” which she uses to describe herself, and with her favorite city, San Francisco. “I finally had the opportunity to visit last year and fell deeper in love through the freedom and individuality this city represents,” she explains. “Every neighborhood has its own personality and you can feel the different vibes though the culture, buildings and people that make each one up.” 

Nature is also important to her and she and her husband of three years, Evan, spend weekends hiking, camping and exploring the craft brewery scene. When indoors at home, they are joined by their two cats, Figaro and Crash Badicat, and an extensive succulent garden, which Shannon says she “thinks count as ‘pets’ based on how much attention they need.”