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BY SADIE GAYHEART, Smoke Signals

Bored in the house? Not this GRC student.

For Haleigh Riddell, quarantine called for some change and a lot of Pinterest-inspired projects.

What better opportunity than quarantine to bring her artistic ideas to life?

With all this time on her hands, she felt this was the perfect time to do some huge projects around the house.

“I thought that it would be a fun challenge to take on since I’m home because of quarantine and I love to do interior decorating,” she said. “It was a good way to transform all the spaces around my house.”

While working on such time-consuming projects, such as her remodeled bathroom, Riddell had to contain her excitement and have patience along the way. After almost two weeks, she was able to do the final touches and reveal the finished project.

“The project that took the longest was my bathroom because there were a lot of things that needed to be done for it to be complete,” she says. “When I painted the tile it took me about a week, almost two.”

However, having this patience isn’t new to Riddell. She has always had a true passion for decorating.

“I started my house renovations four years ago, but I have really always had an eye for decorating since a young age,” she said. “My mom has always said I am not your average teenager or kid.”

Considering she began this journey at a young age, being crafty has always been up her sleeve; it’s basically what makes her who she is.

“When I was in fifth grade I made literally anything out of duct tape, such as lanyards, wallets, cardholders and checkbook holders,” she said. “This was when I really started to enjoy making things.”

You may be wondering, does Haleigh do this for other people in the community? The answer is yes! She spends much of her time making signs and selling them.

“The projects I do daily are my wooden door hangers,” she said. “My dad cuts wooden circles, and from there, I paint different designs on them and sell them for $30 each.”

With all this experience and creativity, pursuing a career in interior design would be right up Riddell’s alley.

“I plan to attend EKU to become a paralegal,” she said, “but I think I will have a side hustle for interior designing.”

Riddell is already well on her way to having a successful “side hustle.”

Sadie Gayheart is a senior at George Rogers Clark High School and is arts and entertainment editor for Smoke Signals.