My Biggest Regret: Not Starting My Interior Design Business Earlier

As many little girls do, I rearranged the furniture in my bedroom often. However, unlike many of those girls, I also sketched out elevations prior to each move. They were technically a cross between elevations and perspectives, but it’s what I knew at the time.

When I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up, I don’t think I said Interior Designer once. I doubt I knew it was even an option. I’m pretty sure I offered up the usual “astronaut, president, fashion designer.” It was the 80s and we were finally telling young girls they could be anything they wanted to be.

Finding My Path

With college approaching, I began tossing around thoughts of studying architecture, law, and even education. When it came time to make a choice, I settled on declaring a Communications major. To this day I think I could have done something with this focused on the PR side but there wasn’t anything tactile to it and that’s exactly what I was after. Only a semester in, I switched my major to Interior Design and loved it more and more as the coursework and my internship opportunities expanded my understanding of the industry.

Photos: (first photo) UK Interior Design cohort in our design studio; (second photo) College of Design graduation 2004

Gaining Experience and Mentorship

I began my career working for a commercial firm designing libraries, courthouses, and recreation centers. The learning was nonstop as I had a great mentor in my boss, a female architect who held her own in an industry very much dominated by men.

An opportunity crossed my path to work in sales for a large manufacturer that would enable me to work on countless projects and with hundreds of design firms and contractors. I was able to learn the industry from two more points of view – manufacturing and contracting. These are two aspects that, until you’re in the trenches, are difficult to grasp how each affects the others.

Embracing Sustainability

This specific manufacturer placed tremendous value on sustainability as the U.S. Green Building Council had just created LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for building design in an attempt to both educate and initiate demand from consumers as well as the design community. At the encouragement of my employer, in 2009, I studied for six months for the LEED exam.

At one point I had a conversation with an architect I was working with who happened to also be studying for the exam. He assumed I’d be taking the Interiors version of the exam since my education was in Interior Design (there were multiple versions resulting in multiple accreditations). But just the assumption (or my own interpretation) that I couldn’t take the architectural version of the exam lit a fire in me. I decided right then that I would also be taking the architectural exam which resulted in the accreditation of LEED AP (Accredited Professional), BD+C (Building Design and Construction). I miraculously passed it on my first attempt.

Combining Passion and Business Acumen

The biggest lesson I learned in pursuing that accreditation was the realization of how much I enjoyed setting big goals and pushing myself to accomplish them.

This concept has played out several times in my life already, but one more instance that is relative to my business today was the completion of my Executive MBA. I have a passion for aesthetics, creativity, and the energy of a space, matched by my enthusiasm for business, efficiency, and sustainable growth. Running an interior design business combines these interests perfectly, making it clear that this is where I belong.

Tags: Interior Design, Sustainable Design, Professional Families, Boutique Design Firm, Sophisticated Interiors