Heather Colp is no stranger to working in a male-dominated industry.
Twenty-five years ago, Heather, who lives in Glastonbury with her husband, David, and the couple’s two boys, ages 10 and 9, graduated college with a bachelor's degree in interior design, earned her license, and entered a field in construction, that at the time, was largely dominated by men.
Unlike interior decorators, interior design is a tradecraft defined as “creating spaces that anticipate our needs while pulling from a broad set of skills and technical knowledge.”
“I was definitely one of the few women in the field of construction.” Heather says. “Licensed interior designers tend to focus more on the nuts and bolts of interiors. We work with contractors, architects, engineers, craftsmen, and property owners to ensure the sustainability and safety of the interiors of where we live, work and play.”
In 2022, after working in China for nearly 20 years with her architect-husband on the building of a large commercial and manufacturing spaces for Corning Inc., the couple returned home with their two children and Heather decided to build on her experience in the construction industry and launched a business even more unique for a woman.
She opened Colp Design & Consulting, a project management and owner's representative firm where she oversees commercial and residential building projects, coordinating all elements of the projects.
“The interior design aspects are now a small portion of what I offer. As a project manager I work with architects and general contractors, providing continuous coordination on projects large and small, holding weekly meetings, providing progress reports to the client, and handling the flow of pay requisitions, to just name a few things. Basically, I handle the day-to-day stresses that the owners of these projects either don’t want to deal with or don’t have the expertise to deal with. It’s a real challenge bringing everyone together on building projects under one umbrella. This is where I excel in being able to keep everyone on the same page, and the lines of communication open”
Some of her more recent projects included overseeing the conversion of a 40,000 square-foot former factory building into a self-storage facility, the renovation of a 17,000 square-foot commercial space for a national payroll firm and a $3 million commercial construction project for a health care firm.
Her experience as an interior designer, a business owner, a collaborator with architects on commercial buildings, and even as a wife and mother, means she brings a unique perspective to her job as a project manager.
“I’ve worked on all sides of the table. I have a perspective that a lot of people don’t have and I pride myself on being transparent, open and fair.”
Recalibrating her life and business after returning from China represented a new phase of her professional life, one she says she is proud that her children recognize was a major undertaking for a woman making career inroads later in life.
“My boys are now seeing that it’s possible for me to start from scratch later in life and that I’m building a successful business. I’ve launched a second career and they have reached an age where they see that and they understand what that means.”
Contact:
Colp Design and Consulting LLC
2842 Main St., Suite 288
Phone: 860-430-6815
Online: Colpdesignandconsulting.com
Email: Heather@Colpdesignandconsulting.com
I pride myself on being transparent, open and fair.