AROUND THE PARK AGAIN by Sharon Lee Tegler
Nestled in the historic Winkelmeyer Building at 540 Baltimore Annapolis Boulevard, the design studio of Karen Renee Interiors has hosted many a celebration. Just five years ago, the community gathered in the studio to mark the firm’s quarter-century as one of Severna Park’s most outstanding businesses. Every bit as festive, the 30th Anniversary Open House on May 23rd brought home just how much founder Karen Renee Osborne and her family have meant to the community. It also highlighted how, in spite of a tragic personal loss, Osborne has moved ahead taking her family and firm forward in new directions.
As always, Karen Renee Interiors’ parties are a treat for both the eye and the tastebuds and this one was no exception. There was a sumptuous buffet of easy-to-eat finger foods for guests to enjoy.
Guests included family, friends, clients and former clients, as well as business and political contacts from around Anne Arundel County and beyond. They quickly divided into large or small conversation groups.
Osborne and husband Scott circulated through the room greeting guests as did Scott’s mother Betty Winkelmeyer Wells. When not busy serving drinks from an impromptu bar, so did designers Stephanie Simmons and Sophie Honeywell and other members of the Karen Renee Interiors staff.
They all had fun meeting old friends and business acquaintances like Anne Arundel County Economic Development Corporation’s Anita Dewling and Greater Severna Park & Arnold Chamber CEO Liz League. A highlight of the anniversary open house was to be a celebratory ribbon cutting ceremony conducted by League.
Members of the media circulated throughout the event and cameras flashed from time to time as the celebration unfolded.
Floating here and there through it all was Betty Winkelmeyer Wells, the individual who inspired daughter-in-law Karen to start her own business and provided a place for her to do it.
In 1947 Well’s father, Walter “Wink” Winkelmeyer purchased the building then on the site, collapsed it into the basement and constructed the current Winkelmeyer building over it. Operating as Severna Park Coal & Feed, the company handled supplies brought in by train. It gradually transformed into a hardware store. Today Wells leases the building to several businesses with Karen Renee Interiors a continuous tenant.
Karen Osborne moved between her family and her guests catching everyone up on what’s been happening over the past five years. Most significant was the fact that, after careful consideration, the Osbornes moved to Florida. Their decision was partly based on the need for a fresh start for the family – a place in which to heal following the death of their son Justin. It was also based on the fact that Karen had gravitated, almost entirely, to designing interiors for model homes that are primarily located out-of-state.
“We’d discovered during the pandemic that we all could work remotely more than we thought we could. I was traveling much of the time anyway for my model home installations in Ohio, North Carolina, Indiana and elsewhere,” she said. “I found that I could conduct Karen Renee Interior’s business just as easily, efficiently and productively from wherever I was working or from Florida, especially since we can conduct weekly staff meetings via Zoom. Our family still has homes in both places, so I come back to Severna Park once a month to work with my staff in person.”
For residential designers Simmons and Honeywell and the rest of the staff, the arrangement has worked out well.
Honeywell concentrates on residential design for homes in the Severna Park and Annapolis areas as well as other parts of the county. Simmons focuses, to a large extent, on designing interiors for waterfront homes. In fact, her designs for a home in Bethany Beach (one of which is pictured below) are featured in the current edition of Annapolis Home Magazine.
Scott Osborne, a pilot for Jet Blue, caught up with longtime friend Larry Sells who told him about a country music event he and Mike Hall of Severna Park Lanes have teamed up to produce as a benefit for the Baltimore Washington Medical Center Foundation at Severna Park Taphouse on July 9.
At 4 pm, Liz League caught everyone’s attention as Karen, her family and six members of her staff lined up across one wall of the studio and were introduced. Asked by League how she came to start Karen Renee Interiors, Osborne related the somewhat surprising story.
Returning home to Severna Park in 1992 from Alabama where Scott was in flight school, she couldn’t find a job. The first Gulf War was going on and it was an economically difficult time.
“I was looking for employment as a designer and nobody was hiring,” Osborne said. “My mother-in-law Betty asked, “Why don’t you start your own business?”
The comment spurred her into action. Once she set her mind to creating the business, quitting wasn’t an option. She worked day and night and took a part-time job drafting systems furniture by hand in a commercial design firm to help things along.
“It took me a year and a half to get the company off the ground. Soon, I moved into my studio in the Winkelmeyer Building where I’ve been ever since,” the designer said.
She emphasized her gratitude for her mother-in-law Betty’s help, for her children Ryan and Kaitlyn’s willingness to share her with a career, and especially for Scott’s unwavering support of her dream.
“Scott and I are also celebrating our 30th Anniversary. On this day 30 years ago, I applied for my business license and our marriage license all on the same day in Annapolis two floors apart,” she said. “Without my husband and my family and my wonderful staff I couldn’t have done any of this.”
A number of representatives from state and county politics were on hand to present citations honoring Karen Renee Interior’s 30th Anniversary. They included Maryland State Delegates Brian Chisholm and Sid Saab and Anne Arundel County Council member Amanda Fiedler. Before presenting the citation on behalf of the council, Fiedler regaled attendees with a hilarious tale about an attempted decorating scheme carried out with her husband that turned out badly.
“Our first mistake was buying the red velvet couches. The second was painting the walls bright yellow. We ended up with a living room that resembled a McDonald’s,” she said.
An official ribbon cutting, held outside the studio, came next. But one of the best parts was yet to follow. Dessert was served with a special 30th Anniversary Cake with icing and trim in Karen Renee Interiors’ signature color, Tiffany Blue.
A champagne toast by Karen and Scott in honor of the 30th Anniversary of Karen Renee Interiors and of their marriage was the perfect capper for the celebration.
Cardboard boat race makes buoyant return
Monday, May 23 was a beautiful day and an exciting one for students watching a St. Martin’s-in-the-Field Episcopal School tradition – the annual Cardboard Boat Race. Two seventh-grade classes, totaling 25 students, competed in groups of two or three. The teams had spent months engineering boats to race on the Severn River using only cardboard and duct tape. The students launched their craft from the Cleven family dock with a bit of trepidation but much laughter.
While some boats were successful, others were not, but all the teams had fun trying. Adding to the fun, St. Martin’s eighth-graders also constructed boats that they used to spectate from the water. Fifth and sixth grade students watched from the shoreline and cheered on their friends.
Unfortunately, the boys piloting the losing boat below went into the drink.
Luckily, all of those who raced arrived safely back at the dock to hurrahs from the sightseers along the shore.
Country music artist Chad Bearden to headline benefit for BWMC Foundation
Country music fans will want to Save The Date for a fundraiser for the Baltimore Washington Medical Center Foundation being held at Severna Park Taphouse on July 9th from 12 to 8 pm. Nashville recording artist Chad Bearden will headline the event along with special guest Brent Stover.
Two Good Guys Productions partners Larry Sells and Mike Hall, in coordination with Severna Park Taphouse, are in the process of lining up additional bands and will have an update shortly. They’ll also feature a 50-50 raffle and are selling 100 raffle tickets for $100 with the winner getting a crab feast for 10 at Donnelly’s Dockside.
Tickets are $20 in advance ($25 at the door) and can be purchased on-line at Severna Park Tap House Fundraiser | UM Baltimore Washington Medical Center (umms.org) .
