When Mary and Dave Bogle wanted to repaint their house, they wanted colors that would pop and add to the beauty of their Gainesville home.

That’s when they called Tracey Smith of Rachel Remington Design. The business helps homeowners design projects from new buildings to renovations or smaller projects such as window treatments, accessories, rugs, lighting and furniture.

Tracey Smith and her boyfriend, Mike McCormick, own the business, which is named after Smith’s daughters, 21-year-old Rachel Collins and 22-year-old Remington Collins.

While Rachel Remington Design has a small retail sales business at  28 Grove St. N, Suite 300, in Dahlonega most of its work comes from designing the interiors and exteriors of homes.

Smith, 51, has worked in the design industry 10 years, after attending American InterContinental University in Atlanta. She said college wasn’t easy, but it was worth it.

“It was so much work,” she said. “It paid off because you learned technique, all the rudiments, color theory and the importance of presenting.”

From there, she started her career at White Interiors in Dawsonville in 2006 with McCormick. Then she opened her own business a few years ago, followed by a brick-and-mortar store in October 2016.

“When you’re creative, you have your own vision for things,” Smith said, adding she and McCormick have always wanted to own their own business.

“Plus, my daughters were finally coming of age and they’re both very talented and creative,” she said. “I want them to be a part of my business.”

Smith added her daughters’ artwork inspires her. But she also looks to nature, using water, trees, animals, sticks and stones for inspiration. Smith examines the way they are constructed and color combinations.

Smith specializes in design. She’s known for taking inspiration from nature as well as combining masculine and feminine elements, such as mixing crystal and industrial.

McCormick hangs all the window treatments for the business. Smith said he has a good eye for it and is good with measuring. He also builds a lot of industrial displays, pipe media centers and industrial desks and shelving.

Smith’s daughters Rachel and Remington help wherever they can with elements such as color selection, painting or picking up supplies.

“I actually love working with my family,” Smith said. “That’s why I named it this.”

She said her favorite part is seeing the finished product and ensuring homeowners are comfortable in their redesigned space.

“Solving the problem, making things look great, making them function, making clients happy, all of that comes together with execution,” she said.

Smith said she’s always been a creative person and has always enjoyed photography, graphics and sewing. She incorporates those elements into a design for a client.

But first she meets them, preferably in person in their home, to get a design idea.

“Sometimes they’ll say things and that’s not exactly what they mean,” she said. “But you can usually tell by being around them what they say.”

After figuring out a client’s wishes, Smith throws out ideas. That came into play for the Bogles. When they built their house, they noticed cracks in the stucco. Their painter told them to wait a year to repaint. So, they hired Rachel Remington Design to help choose colors, eventually selecting browns and beiges for the exterior.

“(Smith) came and gave us ideas about the house,” Mary Bogle said. “We were so pleased. She even told us to go look at this one house she did in Alpharetta.”

The Alpharetta house was painted the same colors the Bogles chose. Mary Bogle said seeing the house in person helped with the decision as it can be difficult to choose a paint based on the small samples.

“When we saw that house, we fell in love with those colors,” Mary said.