"Every Piece Has a Story — and So Do I”: How Design Helped Me Navigate Cancer, Chaos, Motherhood, and the Miracle of Making Home Feel Like a Hug.
I Love Pretty Things — But I Know What Really Matters
I’ve always loved beautiful things—rich fabrics, layered interiors, and thoughtfully arranged tables. But more importantly, I believe deeply in creating spaces that wrap around you like a warm embrace, silently assuring you: you’re safe, you’re loved, you're home.
My life has been rich, challenging, messy, and incredibly fulfilling. Through it all, I’ve learned that beauty is more than a luxury—it's essential. Thoughtfully designed spaces offer healing, comfort, and a refuge from life's storms.
Design Has Always Been My Anchor
Interior design spoke to me long before I pursued it professionally. While raising five children, including walking alongside my daughter Ashley through pediatric cancer and twice battling cancer myself, design became my sanctuary. Through divorce, single parenthood, and later finding love again, crafting meaningful spaces was my therapy and joy. My experiences living abroad and traveling the world for fifteen years as a flight attendant infused my style with global sensibilities and timeless depth.
Life's challenges taught me resilience and the importance of seeking silver linings. In 1991, after Ashley's remarkable recovery from cancer, I co-founded what is now the National Pediatric Cancer Foundation with another dedicated mother. Though I eventually stepped away from active involvement to focus on family demands, this experience forever shaped my approach to life and design—purposeful, compassionate, and authentic.
Today, happily remarried and a grandmother to nine incredible grandchildren, I’ve realized a lifelong dream by launching Risa Cermak Interiors. My style is deeply personal, blending soulful antiques, vibrant colors, and whimsical glamour—each piece holding its own story and meaning. Through my curated offerings in The Collector’s Caché™, I help others create spaces that feel joyfully collected, effortlessly stylish, and richly lived-in.
More Than Just Beautiful Interiors—A Space for the Soul
Risa Cermak Interiors isn’t just about aesthetics; it’s about creating rooms that uplift, soothe, and inspire. It’s about beauty infused with meaning, warmth, and welcome—spaces that truly feel like a hug.
This story isn’t merely about launching a brand—it’s the journey of a woman whose life experiences taught her to seek beauty, resilience, and purpose in every corner of her home. If you’re navigating challenges, I genuinely hope you find comfort, inspiration, and a touch of joy within your own walls. And if you ever need help creating a space that feels deeply personal and warmly inviting—RCI is here, with open arms and thoughtfully chosen treasures.
P.S. The palm tree in our logo symbolizes resilience—bending gracefully in storms but never breaking. It's a meaningful nod to faith, family, and Florida, the roots of my strength and inspiration.
Below is a snapshot of who truly inspires my designs—four of my beloved grandchildren, reminding me daily why creating meaningful homes matters so deeply.
