In May, Cheryl Rowley closed the Beverly Hills office of her highly successful hospitality design firm, 25 years after she opened it. In that span, Rowley grew the bustling office to a staff of 35 at its peak, helped create the designs for Kimpton’s boutique Monaco and Palomar brands and designed countless other luxury hotels and resorts for brands like Four Seasons, Ritz-Carlton, St. Regis, Rosewood and Mandarin Oriental.

“The recent and sudden deaths of two very dear friends was a huge reminder that life is very, very short,” said Rowley, age 57, about her decision after 30-plus years in the industry. “It made me seriously question the fact I have been living apart from my family for the past five years.”

Rowley and her husband, a successful TV and movie producer and writer, bought a house in Vancouver Island, British Columbia six years ago. Her husband moved there then and after going back and forth for years, Rowley has decided to permanently join him, and her grown daughter also living on the island.

Rowley doesn’t discount a return to hospitality design, but she doesn’t plan on heading up a large firm again. She’ll continue with residential design, possibly collaborate on smaller hotel projects and maybe work on a book or signature product line.

Rowley recently reflected on her decision and career.

Had this move to Vancouver Island been in the works for a while?
About six years ago we started poking around up there and fell in love with it. One weekend we bought a house. My husband is ready to apply for citizenship and he’s been steadily living up there while I’ve been back and forth.

Did the recession and industry downturn play a part in the decision?
This was a decision in planning for a long time, but the recession was an opportunity to start finishing projects. I felt uncomfortable thinking about this when I still had massive responsibilities. The last year to two years as things have been picking up, I’ve been turning away opportunities knowing this was in planning. I didn’t feel comfortable putting my name on other contracts.

So what’s next?
Right now, I am really bent on taking a break and catching my breath. I want to be out there amongst the trees, water and try to ground myself and learn how to do one thing at a time, not deal with 15,000 things. I’ve worked all my life, I’ve been waiting for this for quite a while. And then I’ll regroup and open my eyes to what the universe may bring my way.

My business is still intact, the name is still functioning, albeit without a staff. I’m finishing up some projects and my responsibilities are limited with those. I can see myself doing some consulting work, collaborating with other firms, but I’m going to take it a day at a time. I might like the idea of not working, I’m keeping myself open.

How involved are you with those remaining projects?
I’ve got two projects that are still under construction, the Four Seasons in St. Petersburg, Russia and then a small boutique hotel in Hangzhou, China. The St. Peter project is at the very end and the company is no longer doing construction administration, so I’ll be attending the ending of that and the opening later this year. The other project is more limited because it’s in China, and it will open next year.

Are you surprised at the growth of the boutique and lifestyle segments of the hotel industry?
Not at all. To me it makes total sense, it’s what people relate to. People love experience. And travelers want that personalized experience you can get at a smaller boutique hotel. In addition to that, our culture has embraced design and design is a very strong feature of boutique hotels.

You started in residential design, might you continue doing more of that now?
I’ve always done residential work, that’s where I started. I’ve always carried one or two residential clients annually. I didn’t promote myself as residential, and our clients came through hotels. Hopefully when I land in Canada I’ll do more of that.

Would you ever ramp up the business with a full staff again?
A big staff takes the starch out of you. I more see myself consulting with other companies on projects.

What are some of your fondest memories or projects you’re most proud of?
I think having the opportunity to work in the boutique hotel arena was a big part of my passion. Developing the design look for brands Palomar and Monaco was something I was proud of. Having the opportunity to work in a larger arena on international projects, like St. Petersburg — I’ll be very proud of that one. It’s the repositioning of a palace (designed in the early 1800s), and it will be a feather in my cap.

I’m proud of just weathering the ups and downs, of building a business from nothing — no partners, no financing, no money and starting in the basement of my house. I’m proud of the business I’ve built, the designers I’ve helped mold, who are moving forward in this industry and the relationships I’ve made.