Esther Sadowsky

Since 1983, Charm & Whimsy has been enchanting expectant parents and others with its unique handpainted furniture, murals, room accessories and decorative finishes. Esther Sadowsky, the principle and an interior designer, draws her inspirations from the colors and patterns of her clients' wallpaper and fabrics, which she expertly matches on any paintable surface. She paints designs onto all types of furniture, from antiques to custom built items, including armoires, dressers, and changing tables.

Esther Sadowsky's creative journey started at a tender age.
An inability to be a more active toddler, Esther began copying the nursery rhyme pictures featured on the linoleum floor of her room. With only crayons in hand, her drawing and color skills gave her mobility and a way to express herself. This practicality reflects on her design all through her career.

In 1972, after graduating from the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City with a degree in textile design, Esther enjoyed a successful career as a textile designer. She created designs for fabric and home furnishing manufacturers such as Ralph Lauren, Schumacher, Calvin Klein and others. And she won the Playboy Menswear Design Award and The FIT Excellence in Textile Design Award.

By 1983, she started creating handpainted children's furniture, while developing her firm Charm & Whimsy. Articles in The Wall Street Journal, House and Garden and Parents Magazine brought national exposure to Esther - along with appearances on HGTV, the CBS Morning Show and several Designer Showhouses, Charm & Whimsy was becoming the "go to" design firm for innovative, functional children's spaces. Her talents caught the eye of Kathie Lee Gifford, who asked Esther to design play and arts and crafts spaces in Cassidys' Place, a facility for children with AIDS. Charm & Whimsy has been a participating design firm in many charitable causes including Ronald McDonald House and Quilts For Kids.