Woodbury's Pomegranate returning to roots with furniture sales

Roxanne Potter, right, with sister/co-owner Carol Williams of Pomegranate Designs Ltd. in Woodbury. (Courtesy photo)

If cabin fever is setting in, you might as well enjoy your indoor living space. Interior designer Roxanne Potter helps make that happen by making homes across the metro stylish, cozy and welcoming all year long.

We caught up with Potter, who co-owns Pomegranate -- a home store, design studio and warehouse in Woodbury (710 Commerce Drive; 651-738-4898; pomegranatedesignsltd.com) -- with her sister Carol Williams.

Potter, 61, talked about how she got her start in interior design and the latest home trends she's a fan of.

Q. How did you get your start in retail and design?

A. My first career in retail was in women's fashion, and I've always had a love for interiors. I started at age 16. I worked in the Oval Room at the old Dayton's in downtown Minneapolis. Some of the designers would come in and do trunk shows -- it was great to be in the middle of it all. I continued working there when I went to the University of Minnesota for a business degree.

I later was a department manager at Target and district manager for the TJX Companies, the parent company of T.J. Maxx and Marshalls. At the time, they had a specialty chain store called Hit or Miss, and I oversaw 15 stores in the Midwest. After my second child came along, I decided to take time off and go to school for interior design.

My sister Carol used to live in California and was a radiology technologist. She started making a career change, too, and went to school to specialize in paint finishes. She's back in the Twin Cities now and does all of the paint finishes for our clients. Two doors from our showroom is the warehouse, where we do paint finishes for furniture or cabinetry.

Q. How has your business grown over the years?

A. We opened 12 years ago. We started out selling home furnishings, had a gift area and design studio with two designers at our original location on Valley Creek Road and County Road 19 in Woodbury. We eventually needed more design and showroom space. So after four years, we moved about three miles to our current location. We've also added a lot more, including gift items, such as jewelry and candles.

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Woodbury's Pomegranate returning to roots with furniture sales