The world of construction has traditionally been a man’s world. But, for Celina local and owner of Humble Home Designs, Trisha Puente, the construction field has become her new stomping ground. After starting her business, Trisha said she stumbled upon her work in construction through her work in interior design.
“I had a client that called me and wanted me to come do her kitchen. I had done some design work for her before, so I had just assumed I was going to decorate her kitchen,” Trisha said. “When I got there, she started to say, ‘Okay, I want new countertops, new cabinets, new backsplash...', I got really excited and decided that was a fun challenge and I wanted to do it.”
Through this unexpected step into new territory and by leaning on her husband and his construction experience, Trisha found an open doorway leading to a new opportunity to flex her talents and expand her skills.
“I did what I needed to do, and I brought my husband in with his knowledge. He's been in construction forever, so I was able to lean on him for the learning curve and the things that I didn’t know,” Trisha said. “I jumped on that, took off running, and have loved it ever since.”
What started as one project has now changed the shape and structure of her business.
“I’ve grown that side of the business quite a bit where it’s pretty much 50/50 with interior design and remodels and construction,” Trisha said. “So, I’ve got a really good crew that I’ve built up over the years, and I can rely on them a lot for help with the things that I don’t know: the in-depth construction side of the world.”
Mastering the art of construction as an addition to her list of services was already challenging, but the reality of being a woman in a male-dominated field added an extra layer to the struggle.
“It’s frustrating being a woman in this field because I think so many people have a hard time wrapping their head around the fact that I am capable of doing construction, project leading and project managing remodels because I AM a woman,” Trisha said. “So, that part of it’s hard.”
Women in the field of construction are so few and far between, Trisha says that she still has yet to work with other women in her field since dipping into construction 4 years ago.
“I have not yet [worked with other women in this field], but I told my husband just the other day, ‘Do you know how amazing it would be if I could get an all-female crew?’” Trisha said. “If I had a tile person that was a woman and someone that does paint, texture, drywall. I think that would be such a cool way to run the business: sort of a bucket list kind of dream that I’d like to try to find. I haven’t really worked with other women in the industry, but I would love to do that.”
Trisha says women are needed in the industry because of what she and other women bring to it to make it better.
“I think one of the biggest things women, in general, [bring to the field] is attention to detail—the woman’s touch of how we see things,” Trisha said. “Myself, as a woman, [what I bring to construction] is the interior design—the fact that I have that background and can provide that, whereas a lot of contractors are like, ‘Okay, here’s how much it’ll cost to rip everything out and put it in new, but you’re on your own. Go find everything.’ It’s a bonus that I can help pick out things and help put together what your vision is as opposed to a lot of contractors that don’t offer that at all.”
While Trisha’s team is working on multiple projects around the DFW metroplex, Celina is where the heart of her business is.
“We moved from Frisco and decided we were going to raise our kids here and made it home,” Trisha said. “We love it here. It was important to connect our business to the town we were raising our family in and are well-established in. Although we work in lots of surrounding areas, Celina is definitely our main area of focus—our main clientele. It’s our home, so it's where we want to do most of our business.”
Since moving here and starting Humble Home Designs in 2015, the business has evolved and grown. Recently, Trisha’s team finished out the new Lone Star Vision office in Celina, showcasing an example of the unique skillset Trisha brings to the field as a woman, particularly through her favorite aspect of the build out: the butterfly wall. She designed this sitting area as a tribute to the owner’s late wife. She has hope that her field will include women more in the future.
“I would really love to get more people to be open to the idea of women in this field and trusting that we can do it,” Trisha said. “All the clients that I do have, I’m very grateful for because they don’t bat an eye or think twice about it. But, I feel like I don’t get calls a lot for that part of my business [construction, project management, and remodels] because I’m a woman, so it’s challenging.”
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Trisha Puente
Owner/ Designer of Humble Home Designs
214.934.9012
TrishaEPuente@gmail.com