Balanced By Design
For Leeanne Rawson, great design has always been about creating something personal. After nearly 15 years in design, she realized that the same creativity she once poured into apparel could transform something even more meaningful: the place people call home.
As the owner of Balanced by Design in Dorset, Vermont, Leeanne helps homeowners bring their visions to life, whether they’re building a new home, remodeling an existing space, or furnishing a single room. While her medium has changed over the years, her outlook has remained the same.
In college, Leeanne studied communications with a minor in the arts before spending a year in New York City interning with NBC in video production. Although she loved the experience, Vermont always felt like home. After graduation, she joined Orvis, where an unexpected opportunity covering two maternity leaves launched her career in apparel design.
Over the years, her career in apparel design advanced to working on everything from shoes and handbags to shirts, jackets, and active apparel while traveling extensively for the company and learning valuable entrepreneurial skills.
“I really found my passion for design there,” she says. “Creating a plaid and bringing an entire collection to life with a thread tied my creativity and production sides together.”
When the pandemic shifted the apparel industry, Leeanne reevaluated her career. Around the same time, her husband, Carter, launched his construction company, Rocky Dell Construction, and the couple completed building their own home here in Dorset.
Designing their own home made Leeanne realize that her love for color, fabrics, and texture, translated seamlessly to interior spaces.
“It really felt like a natural progression. Instead of creating a collection of apparel, I was creating a collection for the home.”
Today, Leeanne offers full-service interior design, guiding homeowners from the early planning stages through the finishing touches. She particularly enjoys working alongside local builders, electricians, and plumbers to ensure every decision is both functional and deeply personal.
“I like to bring the whole project to life. Seeing it go from a little idea on a piece of paper or a small sample to standing in a finished home—that’s what gets me excited,” she explains.
Growing up in a family immersed in real estate also shaped her perspective. Her mother and grandmother were both real estate agents, and at a young age, Leeanne was tagging along to open houses throughout southern Vermont.
Now balancing a young business with raising two small children, Leeanne understands that every project is about more than finishes and floor plans. It’s about relationships.
“I really make a point to get to know my clients. I think it’s important to bring your personality into your home. Sometimes it’s a chair that belonged to your mother or an antique that tells your family’s story. Those personal connections are what I want to maintain as the business grows.”
That relationship-first approach also extends to the local building community. Leeanne encourages homeowners to lean on Vermont’s tight-knit network of contractors, designers, and craftspeople. “Vermont has a really special way of working. Everyone is connected. Have conversations, get recommendations, and lean on your local community. You’ll find the best people through those relationships.”
As Balanced by Design continues to grow, Leeanne remains focused on creating homes that feel authentic to the families who live in them.
“I like to think my approach is really collaborative and fun,” she says. “Designing your home should be something you enjoy.”
Leeanne Rawson
802-379-4414