Former Philly residents open design business in Rehoboth

Rex Rogosch opened his interior-design business in 2008, working out of his home to build the business. Six years later, Rogosch and partner Wayne Knaub now have more space in which to celebrate their success.

Rogosch is the founder of R Squared Design, a full-service design studio that constructs creative solutions while keeping a client’s design esthetic. Rogosch, 40, and Knaub, 37, opened up a storefront in Rehoboth Beach, Del., on March 1.

Since its founding, R Squared Design has helped clients from Washington, D.C., to Baltimore to Philadelphia design their homes.

Rogosch has 20 years of interior-design experience under his belt and said he launched the company so he could more fully embrace his creativity, a move motivated by his client work.

“I was working for another company that I was using my design skills for but not fully, so I was having those clients ask me to help them with other items in their house that was out of scope of the jobs I was working on,” he said.

Rogosch said his clientele varies and includes both commercial and residential projects.

He recently worked on Fire & Ice Restaurant, 312 Market St.

“It was a great project and fun to take an existing space and completely convert it into something that is a little more modern,” he said.

Rogosch and Knaub, who have been together for four years, will host a grand-opening celebration March 28 in their new 3,000-square-foot space, which they are renting from Camp Rehoboth. Knaub said the space was in good shape but in need of some renovations, as well as fresh paint and new carpeting.

Knaub said the new space is a way for clients to visualize the services they would be getting from the company.

“Rex mostly works out of home and by word of mouth,” he said. “I thought, Let’s create a showroom and flip what major Realtors are doing the other way. When you walk into a West Elm-type of store, they offer design services but they are mostly there to shop for their furniture. This is a design showroom that offers home furniture, accessories and accents.”

Rogosch said the storefront fuses both his and Knaub’s backgrounds.

“This was a way for us to take all of his strong points from a retail background and my background in design and brands I have been working on into one space,” he said. “It was something we had been talking about and the space became available rather quickly.”

Rogosch said R Squared Design and its ongoing growth allows him to pursue his primary passion and talent.

“It is what I do every day. It is what I eat and breath,” he said. “Design for me is just something that I love and I do and don’t see it as work. The best part is the clients. I am a people person and I love dealing with the public and when I get a phone call from a client saying, ‘I love coming home’ or ‘I love my space,’ that is the best part for what I do.”

For more information on R Squared Design, visit www.rsquareddesign.net.

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