BIO: Helena Steele

Helena was born in Toronto, Ontario in the 50's. As a child she often walked to see her beloved grandmother Jessie, who, wearing a kitchen apron, always had fresh baked treats and a hot pot of tea to enjoy. Her mother was an accomplished seamstress, who designed everything from wedding gowns to ice show costumes. When she was six her father, an engineer, remodeled the family home and she developed an affinity for building.

That early exposure to the joy of entertaining, creating beauty, and her fascination with construction would help shape Helena 's unconventional life path.

A marriage to a Virginia contractor introduced her to a career in construction.

Helena took her understanding of form, function, and beauty into the specialized field of Historic Restoration in the beautiful city of Charleston , South Carolina .

Suddenly single, Helena, now a mother of two, moved to California where she began a career in Kitchen Design. With her intuitive sense of style and space, and her impeccable eye for color and detail, Helena 's award-winning company, Golden Gate Kitchens, soon began receiving national acclaim. She has a showroom in Campbell , CA and her designs have been featured in such publications such as HOME, Woman's Day, Kitchen & Baths, and Today's Homeowner. Helena 's designs can be seen at www.goldengatekitchens.com .

In October of 2001, while on vacation, Helena had purchased a group of vintage aprons in Hawaii to add to her collection. On the plane home she had an epiphany. It was time to re-introduce this beloved American tradition with styles and cuts that women of all ages could enjoy with their friends and family!

Establishing a successful Kitchen Design firm, including manufacturing the custom kitchen cabinets she designs, was invaluable in launching the Jessie Steele line of vintage aprons with her daughter Claire.

Principles of balance and aesthetics apply whether you're designing an awesome kitchen, or a delightful kitchen apron. Helena and Claire create Jessie Steele vintage aprons using the same basic formula that's served her so well in all of her endeavors: a solid foundation, high quality materials, and a natural gift for expressing beauty.

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