This new endeavor has added even more to Aveni’s already jam-packed daily routine of zipping between her warehouse in Weymouth and client appointments. “I feed my girls first thing in the morning and do a daily clean up in their coop,” says Aveni. “Even though it seems a bit much, it actually feels like I’m slowing down because I am connecting to the natural rhythms of the day. People really cannot believe Diana Aveni is cleaning out a chicken coop! They know me as the Gucci-wearing lady who is always impeccably dressed.”

But those closest to Aveni know that this new venture is not as much of a departure as it may seem. “I grew up in Connecticut where we had an enormous backyard garden,” she says.  “I have professional culinary training and worked my way through college at high-end restaurants where I was inspired by quality ingredients. By building a greenhouse I am now able to step right outside and get that same quality.”

Before her days as an interior designer, Aveni wrote and illustrated a series of three cookbooks titled, “Cooking to Please for Good Health and Happiness.”

“That title was actually pretty foretelling,” says Aveni. “Because my own health has improved so much since I started raising chickens and growing my own produce. Besides being able to eat eggs again, my asthma and other allergies are so much better.”

The free-spirited designer isn’t exactly sure what’s next for her, other than her determination to embrace a more relaxed pace after a very hectic and stressful COVID period. As for her husband, Aveni says he is always supportive of her sometimes ‘wacky and creative energy.’

“I never question my wife,” says Steve. “I could come home to a giraffe in our backyard and it wouldn’t surprise me.”

And that’s a good thing, because a few weeks after our interview, without her husband’s knowledge, a box of baby ducks arrived at the Aveni’s home. “What can I say?” she laughs. “Duck eggs make the fluffiest pastry!”