When Leslie
McManus returned to the West Side to be with family, she planned on bringing
beauty to residents’ homes. “The goal was to come back
to Buffalo and open a store on the West Side,” McManus said. “It was a perfect
fit for Buffalo and I wanted to bring everything I learned … to Buffalo.” McManus
opened Blueprint Design Studio in September
in the Horsefeathers building at 346 Connecticut St. Blueprint offers a variety
of designs that create artistic and unique tiles for housing. The store also provides
tiles that are organic. She sells cement tiles that are a renewable resource and
environment friendly. Her mother’s inspiration led her to get involved with
visual arts and motivated her to make it a career. “I grew up around a mother
who was extremely creative with our house and she took my opinions to heart,
even at 12 years old,” McManus said. She started off her career by attending the
Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts. From there, she took her craft
to the University of Buffalo and received a degree in fine arts while also
obtaining a graduate degree in interior design at the New England School of Art
and Design. With two degrees under her belt and having family living in the
Queen City, she decided to come back with her two daughters because she wanted
them to be around her family more. By
Jacob Fyock and Chris Prenatt
