Initially aspiring to become a lawyer and accepted into law school, Rebecca C. Musielak put this plan on hold while pondering the path of her professional future. She grew up in a household that was highly hands-on, constantly surrounded by building projects. As working well with her hands was already, unwittingly, second nature to Ms. Musielak, she ultimately moved forward with a career in design and construction, and, for the past 25-plus years, has never looked back.
Starting humbly with small design work, Ms. Musielak worked with Stickley in New York and then, in 1999, moved to Denver, Colorado, gradually working her way into project management before becoming a full-fledged general contractor, expanding into the building side of the industry. Today, decades after choosing the fulfilling path for which she seemed destined, Ms. Musielak is the award-winning president of Nested. Design + Build in Denver, Colorado, where she and her team have provided complete elite, turnkey design process and construction services since 2016. Taking personal pride in helping meet clients’ needs within their own home spaces (or their “nests”) is why her company’s moniker leads with the word “Nested.”
Celebrated and respected for her work, Ms. Musielak was prominently featured in General Contractors Magazine and Colorado Builder Magazine along with her firm being named the Top Colorado Builder by Architectural Digest. Her business has also received regional industry accolades, being named as the Best Home Remodelers in Denver, the Best Bathroom Remodeling Contractors, and the Best Home Builders. Ms. Musielak was lauded in Home Builders Association Magazine for her charity and volunteer work, which includes being a board member for Colorado Youth for a Change and supporting the Colorado Thought Leader’s Forum: THRIVE, Safe Harbor Lab Rescue, The Lion Project, the Denver Foster Care Program, and other causes.
As the leader at Nested. Design + Build, Ms. Musielak performs all marketing outreach and interfaces with anyone who contacts the company, whether through the company’s websites or referral base. Additionally, she reaches out to potential and existing clients interested in projects and sets up free, one-hour meetings at their respective homes. During each visit, Ms. Musielak and clients discuss design and construction options, frustrations with the current spaces, and goals, while Ms. Musielak explains who the Nested. Design + Build team is as a company, what they represent in the industry, how each agent offers uniquely personalized attention to ensure white-glove service through the project’s fruition, and more.
Placing early importance on higher education, Ms. Musielak earned a Bachelor of Arts in English and French from The Pennsylvania State University nearly 20 years before attaining the certification for her general contractor’s license in 2016 as a young woman in the mostly male construction field. To her, receiving the license was vital and felt groundbreaking. Even though she sees other outstanding female architects, structural engineers, and designers, she feels like their presence is still a rarity. Always wanting to be an entrepreneur, after graduating from college, Ms. Musielak envisioned herself helping to build a community and a business that had an impact far greater than its day-to-day operations. She desired to create a team of colleagues who possessed loyalty and felt ownership while participating together in various company activities.
Successfully achieving her goals, Ms. Musielak gives credit to and is grateful to her mentors, many of whom were older gentlemen who accepted her into the building industry community, took her under their wings, so to speak, and spent valuable time with her when she began. She especially thanks John Miller, Dave Bowen, and Bruce Downs, whose combined years of experience and skills immeasurably benefited her own. As a result, she also credits her own excellence and experience for her accomplishments. Most importantly, Ms. Musielak believes the foundation of her success stems from the astounding work ethic she received from her mother, who raised two daughters by herself and serves as Ms. Musielak’s inspiration for raising her own children, Noah and Chloe.
In the summer of 2024, Ms. Musielak plans to open a showroom space to realize her dream of having a room with a live demo kitchen, for example, and to provide products to their customers directly through the showrooms. She and her team also plan to use the space as a community teaching center that will include evening educational seminars on specific topics such as wallpaper installation and tile application. Moreover, the venue will be used for charity activities, hosting meals, and working extended hours. In another future endeavor, Ms. Musielak is preparing to launch Nested. Design + Build in the Colorado mountains, where there is a significant need for affordable housing. Aside from thriving in her professional passion, she cherishes time with her family and enjoys connecting with friends, traveling, hiking, riding ATVs, and skiing.