CARMEL VALLEY — Since its grand opening one year ago, Beach Bungalow Designs in Carmel Valley has taken a distinctive approach to interior design in the personalized motifs drawn up for each client.

Also unique is the mother-daughter team that envisioned the store and operates it each day.

The business, which specializes in custom bedding, upholstery, window treatments, furniture and accessories for childrens’ bedrooms, is run by Tritia Gustine and her mother, Alexis Burns.

“My mom is my best friend,” Gustine said. “So I think it works out even better, because I can always trust her and I can tell her exactly what I’m frustrated about without affecting our business relationship. There is never that awkward relationship between people when they are strictly co-workers.”

Burns added that the partnership is one of their strengths.

Whenever the pair goes grocery shopping or to the mall, they always seem to run into clients and share hugs with one another.

“We’re a family business, and we bring our clients into a family atmosphere,” Gustine said.

Both Burns and Gustine reside in Carmel Valley. Gustine, who majored in marketing at Baylor University with a minor in design, learned a great deal about how to maintain a business while managing a store in Texas for four years.

“My husband and I wanted to move back to California, so my mom and I decided to open up this store,”

After a year of 10-hour days that included working with contractors, buying products, going to shows and contacting fabric companies, Beach Bungalow Designs finally opened its doors in the Torrey Hills Shopping Center.

Although Gustine handles more of the creative side of things while Burns oversees the business aspects, they agree that it is a personalized approach for each client that sets Beach Bungalow Designs apart.

“We’re pretty open, and our clients end up being our friends,” Gustine said. “There is an underlying tone of similar design elements, but we design for our clients, not for ourselves. Each one is unique.”

The process usually starts with the client scheduling a consultation appointment. Often times they give Gustine and Burns a color base to work with, or they bring their child in with them.

Clients have even brought in small pieces of material, or a piece of furniture, and they design an entire room around it.

“We narrow down the process for them, because it can be really overwhelming with how much of a selection we have,” Gustine said. “We sit them down and have a presentation laid out, and they basically pick and choose what they like and don’t like. I design it out with them, and we do basic layouts for the room and put furniture in all the right places.”

It’s a process of continuous brainstorming, and Gustine can choose from any of the more than 60 fabrics she has at her disposal.

She even works with an artist who paints wall treatments, such as diamonds, stripes and even full murals.

In-home consultations are $100, but the same meetings can be done in the store for free.

According to Burns, there are times when mother and daughter get sick of each other, but those times are few and far between.

“People ask, ‘how do you do this?’ and I say we’re very blessed to be together and enjoy each other constantly,” Burns said. “We go out to dinner, we go to church together, we have a great family.”

According to Gustine, the most rewarding aspect of the entire experience is satisfying her clients.

“I love seeing how excited people get about their new rooms,” Gustine said. “It reminds us that we’re doing the right thing. And the biggest compliment is when they come back and ask us to do more for them.”

For Burns, the biggest joy is seeing her daughter have a passion, and be able to earn money doing something that she enjoys.

“She is an incredible young businesswoman,” Burns said. “She’s not afraid to close the sale, and she’s very confident and takes the bull by the horns. As a mom, I feel that I did something right.”

“I have a tendency to be a little bit of a perfectionist, so that’s why I’m glad my mom works with me,” Gustine said. “And my assistant Jackie helps out, as well.”

She added that the next step for Beach Bungalow Designs is to expand into the World Wide Web and sell products online.

“For a long time, we thought maybe we’d try opening multiple locations,” Gustine said. “But I think this store is always going to be my mom and myself. I really enjoy the relationships with our clients, and I just want to have one main place which people can have access to.”