Tucked away on a quite section of South Street sits Busybee Homestore & Design Center; a stylish all-in-one design company that seems to be making a considerable splash in the Philadelphia interior design scene. Getting her start in home staging approximately 10 years ago, Anna Powers, 36, didn’t always have the confidence she currently does. “I was a literature major in college. I knew I loved design, but I was afraid of it because I didn’t know how to draw.”

After graduating from the University of Delaware, Ms. Powers was diagnosed with – what was at the time – an incurable form of Leukemia. This confrontation inspired her to overcome her fear rather quickly. “I was told I would have five years to live, so I figured I would pursue my passion,” she tells me in the backroom of Busybee. “And cancer can be an interesting kind of motivation – you’re not afraid to fail.”

By spending only a short time with Ms. Powers, failure does not seem to be something she will be facing anytime soon. Her current business runs half-time as a staging operation and half-time as an interior design company. “I realized that I might have a knack for design after selling my first house. People seemed more interested in buying all my furniture than they did the house itself.”

Ms. Powers’ personal taste is heavily influenced by East Asia and India – this is not a coincidence. “I love to travel the world. I try to spend at least 3 weeks in India once a year.” Her eye for design, however, is not hindered by her own personal taste. From a brief survey of her store, and the Busybee promotional material, Ms. Powers is clearly a versatile designer. The broad range of color and material employed speaks to how comfortable she can be in a variety of venues.

Starting exclusively as a staging business, Ms. Powers fell into design unintentionally. “I loved staging, I had no idea I would take on the design part.” This serendipitous occasion has benefited not only Busybee, but her client population as well. “There tends to be a very pretentious element in the world of interior design. I try to be as far away from that as possible,” she tells me as we browse pictures of her work. “I am comfortable working with wealthy clients, and those not so wealthy. I just did work with a graduate student that had a one thousand dollar budget.”

Ms. Powers' something-for-everyone attitude is reflected in her shop. A customer can find furniture pieces that price in the several thousand dollar range, to a sale piece in the several hundred dollar range. There truly is something for every budget.

Ultimately, Ms. Powers' confidence is underwritten with a humble honesty. “My work ethic is what led to my initial success. I am the type of person that, if I don’t know something, I will find the answer.” There is no doubting her sincerity. Along with her partner in life and business, Mark Miklosovich, Busybee provides a unique eye for design along with a sense of certitude. “No matter what,” she says with a smile on her face, “I always deliver the product.”  

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