Sheila Ward Hesting, CID

After graduating from UC Santa Barbara with a bachelor’s degree in Art Studio, Sheila Ward Hesting spent over a decade in high tech. Yet, her underlying passion for architecture inspired her to take evening classes in interior design.

“I was so enthralled with the design process that, in my spare time, I’d redesign homes just for fun. Every home I walked through – friends, family, neighbors, random open houses – sparked my imagination,” Sheila recalls.

Wanting a real-life challenge, Sheila put her burgeoning design knowledge to the test when she purchased and remodeled a “scary commune house” that literally had mushrooms growing on the kitchen floor and onions sprouting from the wood windowsills.

Once the dot.com bubble burst, Sheila decided it was time to leave the tech realm and pursue design full-time. She attended UC Berkeley to formalize her Interior Design and Interior Architecture education, landing a job with a San Jose residential building designer soon after. She learned the nuances of space planning and structural engineering, working on various home addition and remodel projects.

An adventurous entrepreneur, Sheila launched her own design company, serving clients around the Bay Area. In 2006, she joined Harrell Design + Build, drawn by the unique Design + Build partnership, the superior quality of their work, and collaborative, client-focused, “can do” company culture.

“Everything about the Design + Build format spoke to me,” says Sheila. “When I joined Harrell Design + Build, I finally found team collaboration and creative problem-solving that I’d been searching for. The integrity and quality of the work are truly unparalleled.”

When her husband received a job transfer, Sheila reluctantly left her position at Harrell. The couple went to Indiana, leaving Silicon Valley for a small farming community of only 700. Sheila’s new rural lifestyle didn’t stop her from working as a designer, and she continued to serve clients in the Bay Area, San Diego, Santa Cruz, and Texas.

Upon their return to California in 2012, she continued to work part-time while starting a family. Her impressive projects included a Carmel Valley winery guest house, retro Atomic 50’s whole-house remodel, and the rebuild of a home in Napa Valley destroyed in the fire of 2017.

With her son now in school, Harrell Design + Build is fortunate once again to have Sheila’s award-winning talent on our Design Team. She is an award-winning Certified Interior Designer (CID).

Fun Fact:

Away from work, Sheila loves spending time with her family, immersing herself in classic novels, and musing about all things Design – great and small.