Sheri Ruiz Design

09/03/2026

A little secretary with a LOT of personality. 💗

This charming vintage secretary desk got a whole new life with a coat of Benjamin Moore Advance in Magenta, fresh drawer liner, and new hardware. A little upcycling magic can turn a forgotten piece into something completely one-of-a-kind—and this beauty was begging for a bold color moment.

I paired it with my larger watercolored linocut prints—a butterfly 🦋 and dragonfly 🪻—both matted and framed, because apparently I couldn’t resist making a little gallery moment out of it. 😉

And one of my favorite things about creating for a local artisan gallery? Seeing how our work comes together.

✨ Chair by Ellen Allen Ellen MacDonald Allen
✨ Pillow by Lat & Long Donna Christhilf
✨ Rug by Jenny Woodruff jbwoodruff
✨ Artwork + upcycled furniture by Sheri Ruiz Design

The best part? Everything you see is still available at The Gallery!

Come shop small, shop local, and discover one-of-a-kind Annapolis home décor, upcycled furniture, original artwork, handmade goods, and local artisan pieces all under one roof.

📍 The Gallery at Local by Design | Annapolis
1818 Margaret Avenue
🗓 Open Wednesday–Saturday, 11–4

Serving Annapolis, Eastport, Severna Park, Arnold, Cape St. Claire, Bowie, Columbia, and surrounding Maryland communities.

08/30/2026

The best customers 💕

❤️ Did we mention that we have the BEST customers around?!? ❤️

08/28/2026

This weekend!

08/21/2026

08/21/2026

Hello, this is Jennifer Sowers. My husband, Eric, and I have owned Level for nearly nine years. In that time, our staff, guests, neighbors, and this community have become such an important part of our lives.

Small business owners don't typically speak publicly about how hard things can be. Which is probably why it has taken me nine attempts to write this post.

We keep showing up. We make payroll. We take care of our employees. We welcome our guests with a smile. We try to figure out how to survive the slow weeks and absorb the rising costs. And then we come back the next day and do it all over again.

Along the way, we revel in the times that we get to hear guests laugh with family and friends together at one of our tables and when we clear plates from a table that appear to have been licked clean from a dish that we've created. We laugh with our staff members over trivial things and swell with pride as they move on to new adventures. These are the moments that make it all worthwhile.

We know some hardship comes with owning a business. But it is incredibly difficult to accept the added burden of a parking program that makes it harder and more expensive for people to come visit us or even work at our restaurants and shops.

It has been heartbreaking to watch what is happening to small businesses in downtown Annapolis. Seeing so many closing their doors is jarring. Unfortunately, by the time they have announced on social media that they are closing, it is too late.

From multiple confusing apps and increased fees, to aggressive enforcement and unwarranted citations, we have watched helplessly as our foot traffic has slowly declined over the past three years.

Just so we are clear, I'm not ready to write a goodbye post for Level. I will continue to fight for my business, staff and guests.

Individual businesses and residents posting on social media, emailing the city and testifying at city council meetings just has not been effective. The only way forward is if constituents stand with local businesses in mass and we are all willing to work with the City to find solutions that are fair and sustainable for everyone.

Level is proud to stand with so many other brave businesses that have added their names to the growing list supporting parking reform in downtown.

How can you help?

✍Sign our Change.org petition: https://c.org/9cdnRbYLpd
👉Join the Annapolis Parking Alliance FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/annapolisparkingalliance
📣Share this with your friends and neighbors
❤️Learn more or volunteer: https://www.annapolisparkingalliance.com/

Add your voice to ours. We aren't asking you to save just one business. We're asking you to help protect the downtown Annapolis we all love!

Thank you for your continued support.

Much love,
Jennifer, Eric and the entire Level Team

08/21/2026

🎉 One of our biggest sales of the year! Join us 8/29 & 8:30 for the Semi-Annual Sale at Local by Design at the Gallery!

08/09/2026

🛍️ Mark your calendars! Time for our Artisans Market Semi-Annual Sale!

08/05/2026

🛍️ SAVE THE DATES!!! We are gearing up for one of our favorite Artisans Market! August is our Semi-Annual Sale month. In addition to some new fabulous pieces we will be discounting inventory that has been sitting a little to long. See you there!

08/03/2026

There’s something so special about watching a piece begin its second chapter. 🤍

These two beauties have officially found their forever homes, and I couldn’t be more grateful. Every layer of paint, every detail, and every decision along the way was part of the joy of bringing them back to life.

Thank you to the wonderful people who chose to make these pieces part of their homes. Knowing they’ll be loved for years to come is the best part of what I do.

Now… onto the next transformation. ✨

Studio address and hours
📍1818 Margaret Ave, Annapolis Md
🕕 Wed - Sat 11:00am- 4:00pm

08/01/2026

Real support doesn’t always happen in front of an audience — sometimes, it happens in quiet rooms, in conversations you’re not even part of. 💕

Surround yourself with women who celebrate your growth, advocate for your success, and speak your name with pride when opportunity arises. These are the women who remind you that collaboration will always take you further than competition ever could.

When you find women who clap for you even when they’re chasing their own dreams, keep them close. Because that’s the kind of energy that builds empires and changes lives. ✨

Tag the women who’ve supported you without hesitation — the ones who believed in your potential long before you saw it yourself. 🩷