Today we’d like to introduce you to Ave Zuccarino.
Ave, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Like many landscape designers, this was a mid-life career change for me. I’ve always had a passion for design and had wanted to major in art in college but was told over and over again that art wasn’t “practical”–that the chances of earning enough to support myself were slim. So, I ended up working in a cubicle in a large corporation writing employee communications. Practical but not my passion.
After my second child was born, I stayed home for a few years and then, when my husband was considering a career shift to a job that would have paid a lot less, I started looking at re-entering the workforce. The thought of going back to a corporate environment was all I knew but made me literally nauseous. Listening to me despairing over a cubicle-bound future, a close friend suggested I go into landscape design.
She knew that I loved gardening to the point where I had started helping friends plant their yards once I’d run out of space in my own. At first, I dismissed the idea. I couldn’t imagine anyone paying to have something done that I thought was so much fun. Some research, however, convinced me that there was enough of a market to give it a try. I had an MBA so thought I could handle the business side of things and took a few courses at the local community college on drafting and horticulture.
I started Kiave Design in 2006, right before the recession hit. What could have been disastrous timing turned out to be a blessing because I was able to negotiate a steep learning curve and build the business slowly rather than growing too fast? I started with just word of mouth, building my reputation as someone who listened well, new plants and could re-imagine spaces creatively. I am proud to say that I still get almost all my work through referrals.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Learning how to value my time and skills was a real challenge. At first, I charged very little for my designs, aware that I was just starting and believing that others were more experienced and better educated in horticulture. As I persevered, however, I slowly became more confident that I had a real talent for envisioning outdoor spaces. My prices increased steadily as I learned what other professionals in the industry were charging and how my work measured up to theirs.
Another challenge has been how to manage the workflow. Landscaping is seasonal with the main planting window in Chicago squeezed into just a couple of months. It can be really stressful to get all the designs done, paperwork completed and plants sourced so that we can use that planting window as efficiently as possible.
Please tell us about Kiave Design.
I do residential landscaping, primarily in the Oak Park/River Forest area, and specialize in finding creative solutions to meet specific site requirements and client wishes. I have worked with the same installing team the entire eleven years I’ve been in business.
I am proud of the fact that almost all my work is through referrals. It’s the best compliment and surest sign that I’m doing good work. And I am proud of how varied my designs are, how I don’t simply repeat a formula but enjoy the challenge of transforming a space with plants and hardscaping into a unique expression of the client’s lifestyle and taste.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
Building houses. I was always dragging logs, rocks, branches, whatever I could find, and making little spaces. Pretending pine cones were salt and pepper shakers and geranium petals were nail polish. To this day, I use those memories and suggest clients leave an area of their yard for their kids to interact imaginatively with nature instead of putting in a single-use swingset or plastic playhouse.
Contact Info:
- Address: 730 N. Marion Oak Park, IL 60302
- Website: kiavedesign.com
- Phone: 708.790.6407
- Email: avechiara@aol.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KiaveDesign
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