By Brian Gilliland

LONG NECK — If you’ve got a corporate, nonprofit or personal event, you’ve got a canvas for friends and collaborators Kyra Elmer and Julie Sammons to help make that event shine.

“We are ready to make your event a masterpiece,” Mrs. Sammons said. “And that’s how we got the name Canvas, because every space and every event is like a blank canvas. Each event is special and each event matters — birthday parties matter.”

But that’s the end result, not how the party gets started.

“It all depends on feasibility: Is there enough time? Can we do this? We set goals and maybe some kind of theme during an in-person or Zoom conference,” Mrs. Sammons explained. “Every job and proposal is different.”

And the client doesn’t need to have the answers up front.

“We both have a strong work ethic and are good listeners. If you don’t have a vision, that’s OK. We can create one together,” Mrs. Elmer said. “We want everyone to be happy and satisfied, and we don’t cut corners.”

If Plan A hits a snag, Plan B will be right there waiting, Mrs. Elmer said.

“We’re always thinking ahead, thinking of what the client would want. We’ve been doing this for years,” Mrs. Sammons said.

For her, it started with the end of her teaching career, then a foray into interior decorating before finally meeting Mrs. Elmer at church.

“My family would always ask me: Can we do this? Can we do that? I just get personally invested and want the events to be everything the client expects and more,” Mrs. Elmer said.

As the friendship developed, the idea of starting a decorating business didn’t seem so far-fetched. Where one had some experience with a certain type of gathering, the other would have a different skill set.

Mrs. Elmer is a graduate of Cornell College and has an MBA from Keller Graduate School of Management. She and her husband have owned and operated an ice cream shop and restaurant in Dewey Beach.

Mrs. Elmer also has over 20 years of experience managing country and rock bands, as well as experience planning events like album release parties, open houses, holiday and themed parties, and corporate luncheons.

Mrs. Sammons has a bachelor’s degree from Bloomsburg University and, after a career in education, started working with homeowners in decorating new and existing spaces with Second Chances Interior Decorating.

She also planned many events while serving as marketing director for the Rehoboth Chick-fil-A restaurant, and has provided consulting and decorating services for commercial spaces, studios, cafes and private residences.

Canvas also specializes in commercial and residential interior decorating, from coffee shops and restaurants to customized home and office décor for holidays or seasonal looks.

While Mrs. Elmer and Mrs. Sammons are fond of saying there’s no job too big or too small, there is one kind of event that’s just too complex: weddings.

For those, Mrs. Sammons explains, you’re going to want to hire a specialist.

For pretty much any other event that needs to shine, your event is their canvas.

Staff writer Brian Gilliland can be reached at 410-603-3737 or bg@iniusa.org.