Cherie' Paro has been able to turn her knowledge of fashion into a thriving 'home' business. Cherie' started Design Furnishings in 1996 after studying fashion at Tyler Junior College in the late 1970s.
She rented a booth at an antique mall on S. Broadway Ave, thinking she would do granite and iron tables. However, her business soon expanded. A builder's wife came through and started looking at tables and asked "Why don't you do countertops?" "I figured out how to price granite, I found installers and fabricators and I probably did one job a month until I joined Tyler Area Builders Association," Cherie' said.
Once she started doing countertops, she moved her business to 5th Street and changed the name to "The Granite Girls". The business continued to grow exponentially, prompting Cherie' to move to a new location in 2001. She has gone from doing kitchen countertops to turnkey remodels and recently became a builder with TABA.
"I'm the only single woman builder, which means I can pull permits." Cherie' said. "I can do everything on a remodel. I help clients with colors, the design, the style and every detail in between. From beginning to end, I'm with them," Cherie' beamed proudly.