Our Story

I’ll never forget the day we bought our house; what a rewarding feeling to become homeowners! Like most, we were completely out of our minds with excitement and fear of the unknown. Thankfully, however, the fun in shopping to furnish the place was a great distraction! I couldn’t wait to start decorating, I had ideas swarm my mind the day we toured the house and it’s like they say, when you know you know and I knew. It was home. 

Here’s what I didn’t know. 

First, it adds up! Yes, pillows ARE that much and knick knacks are overpriced lol. Second, it takes time, a long time!! It's been a year and half and our home office is a room with a desk in it. “Rome wasn’t built in a day” isn’t just a saying. It’s hard to visualize the finished product, let alone get your hands on everything you want the day after closing! Be patient. Third, be open minded! I can’t even begin to uncover the amount of pieces in my house that I would have easily overlooked if not for being open to the possibilities and blending styles. Finally, it was quite the surprise when I realized I was pretty good at this interior decorating stuff. In fact, decorating sparked a passion in me that I didn’t even know I had. The only way I can describe it is that feeling you get when you walk into a room or place you've never been and it feels familiar and safe while being completely inspired! 

The process of turning our “house into a home” was more than exciting, it was fulfilling and rewarding. I've treated every room, corner and wall like a project taking before and after pictures once they were "done" (which they never truly are) and enjoyed sharing them with anyone who cared lol. I was so excited and proud to share visions come to life. And so, it began, the very loud and persistent voice in the back of my mind:

“How do I turn this passion into a business?” 

“I love doing this more than my day job, but I need my job don't I?..” 

“I don’t have the time to dedicate to anything else, I can’t do it right now”. 

And so, I didn’t.

I continued to decorate our house to fill the void of not being able to spontaneously switch careers, start over and pursue interiors full time. 

At this point you may be wondering how we got here. I’d like to say Grayscale Homes (GH) came out of a burst of motivated determination but that just would not be true. It was the middle of April 2020 during the devastating worldwide pandemic (you all know which one). I know what you’re thinking, “Oh you were bored out of your mind like the rest of us and decided to start your business!” Was I bored? YES! Is that why things got started? No.. 

I was faced with the same, unbelievable reality, that many were faced with and lost a job that I truly loved, at the time. After several days of crying, praying, applying EVERYWHERE and taking online certifications to pass the time I was confronted with the thought, “What’s next for me?” It hit me like a ton of bricks (how cliche) I'm going to start a business. Just like that, GH was born and the idea felt like home, pun intended. So, I decided to take what initially felt like a devastating situation and hit the ground running and I refused to let anything break my focus. I spent HOURS a day working on GH, and when I say hours I mean 10 hours minimum a day. I was obsessed with making the most of quarantine and the time we were all forced to take. I gave myself rigid deadlines and worked building GH like a job with overtime!

In retrospect I KNOW I would have never pursued my dreams if not for the illusion of job security being taken away from me. Like they say, “everything happens for a reason”. I believe I lost that job at the right time. I know to some it may sound nuts to say losing my job during a global pandemic that caused a financial crisis is the right time. However, there is something incredibly motivating and humbling when you’re faced with decision making during a time you feel vulnerable and out of control, at least it was for me. The pandemic was bigger than all of us and while the world seemed to be at a standstill, I chose not to stand still at all. The only thing I had control over were my choices and my mindset and those are two very powerful things if prioritized and aligned appropriately.

GH is more than a business that sells beautiful interior decor, it’s a business founded on passion, determination and hope during a dark time. I hope my story speaks to others who may be facing something they did not choose, or feel powerless over, and decide to take their power back. Lastly, my hope for this business is to spark your creativity in your unique homes, wherever that may be and for GH to become your go to home decor store!

With love and appreciation, 

Owner and Founder - Tiffany Acosta

"Being negative only makes a difficult journey more difficult. You may be given a cactus, but you don't have to sit on it." - Joyce Meyer