Bezalel Interiors opens at Sisters Art Works

Black Butte Ranch resident Paula Perkins loves the freedom of owning her own business.

"It's so nice to have my own place, with my own hours and my own style," she said.

While opening Bezalel Interiors this summer at Sisters Art Works she's also opening a new stage of her life. Perkins returned to the United States in 2007 with her husband, Sisters High School Mandarin Chinese Language teacher, Dave Perkins. The couple has spent the last 23 years living in Taiwan and Hong Kong.

"The best part about living in Asia was the friendly people. They treated us Americans so well, they made you feel welcome. And I do miss the food," she said. "I was ready to come back home about eight years ago, but it just wasn't the right time for us."

Wanting to do interior design since high school, Perkins earned degrees in that field and in marketing and business. In Asia she did commercial design (offices) and mostly worked for international companies such as Kodak and DuPont. Perkins also partnered with an Asian commercial design/build firm who benefited from having an American in their ranks when working with American businesses.

"The fact that I've lived overseas for nearly 25 years gives me an international perspective on design," said Perkins.

Bezalel Interiors is open to architects, builders, business owners and home owners. Perkins enjoys space planning, material selections, and a challenge. The oddest job she's ever done was to design a Hawaiian American restaurant in Wuhan, China, called Aloha Diner that's located in a French community.

She's eager to work in the Sisters community.

"I'm looking forward to having fun, getting to know people. In some respects, even though I've been doing interior design for so long now, I feel like I'm just starting my design career because I'm now in the U.S.," she said.

Perkins has a lot of ideas and she's working some of those now in her new office. There will be an Open House on October 1 from 5 to 7 p.m. Bezalel Interiors is located at 204 W. Adams Ave., Suite 203 in the Sisters Art Works building.

Bezalel Interiors is open by appointment only; call 350-9349.