Meet Our Designer: Deana Stevison

When Deana Stevison studied cost accounting as a student at Jones County Junior College, she never expected to become one of Laurel, Mississippi’s most preferred specialists in home design at a time where the town sits in a national spotlight. Having inherited a hard work ethic from her father, Deana claims that starting her career with a boss who took her under his wing was a major factor in inspiring her to always be eager to learn new things. This has positioned Deana as one of the most knowledgeable and coveted home designers in the community.

Throughout her career, Deana has worked for a fabric manufacturer, a carpet company, a furniture store, a paint and decorating store and, now, at City Home Center. “Looking back, every place I worked through the years seemed like a new opportunity to hone my craft and improve upon my design skills in different ways,” said Deana. In her roles at each company, she felt a consistent thread of ‘outside the box’ learning, even to the point of completing numerous sewing and art projects as the bookkeeper at McLaurin Carpet in Soso. 

 For the last eight years, Deana has been become a fixture as a lead designer at City Home Center. While most schedule appointments to get Deana’s undivided attention, any given day, you will notice people waiting in line outside Deana’s door to pick her brain on their design projects. Perhaps one of Deana’s most coveted skills – the ability to make a project work well for the client rather than simply to look good. “I’m about the pretty, but I’m also about the functional and technical,” said Deana. 

After nearly 34 years in the business, Deana has been involved in both commercial and residential projects throughout the state. She is now finding that many of her new clients are often children of couples she helped design homes for decades ago. She has also found that repeat customers become the norm. “I have several clients I’ve done four or more homes or projects for over the years,” Deana said. “My clients are like family."

Her jack-of-all-trades reputation has been especially beneficial for customers of City Home Center. Regardless of the need, customers can expect Deana to play the role of measurer, designer, painter, contractor or just a friend with a knack for what flooring works best for pets. Needless to say, everyone needs a Deana. 

Deana notes that, after years at City Home Center, she is surprised to find that people underestimate the selection available that is available right here in Laurel. “We not only carry new, unique inventory available, but we carry discontinued lines, which means we can offer really great prices on our products,” she said. “The selection at City Home Center is as good or better than anywhere in the country.”  

As far as her family life, Deana is proud to call Jones County home and have three daughters and three grandchildren who live close to her. “Family is so dear to me, but I often feel like I have little pieces of my heart scattered all over our community,” Deana said of the many projects she has worked on within Jones County. “I drive around town with a grin from ear to ear knowing that I had a hand in helping make so many houses dream homes for my clients.”