A Few Things About Me
Hi and welcome to my first ever blog! It’s been something I’ve been wanting to do for a while, and I’m glad I’m finally able to share with you my experience and how I got here.
Well... it was a night like this… (joking, it's not a horror story) Looking back, it was inevitable and actually a very natural transition for me. It started back when I lived at home, I remember my mom always making our homes feel comfortable and inviting. We loved being home! She was actually ahead of her time with our custom leopard sofas that we had back in 1999. My first go at interior design was when I finally decided to transform my bedroom. I remember researching for hours and visualizing in my head what materials and colors to mix and how they would look like. I purchased special vintage pieces from Craigslist, and repurposed them along with unique art pieces I found at thrift stores. I mixed lots of white and soft blues, and hints of gold.
That was the first time I knew I had a knack for this. It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be, and the experience was so fun and rewarding. I remember my brothers would stop by my room just to look inside! My experience up to that point definitely helped too. I graduated from FIDM (The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising) in LA in 2009, and was excited to start my fashion career. I have always had a passion for art, design, being creative and trying new things. Despite how much I enjoyed remodeling my bedroom, I then kept on pursuing fashion design as a profession. However, a seed had been planted.
A few years after, my husband and I remodeled our first home, which exposed me to the interior design industry head-on as I planned and helped execute our vision. That was the time to learn and experience a whole new industry. With over 10 years of fashion design experience, I used what I had learned to help me visualize my future home (thanks Adobe), create mood boards, select colors, and develop makeshift renders out of photos from Zillow for the contractors. I learned a lot of what not to do and what you NEED to do when going through a project like this.
It was during this time that I realized just how important an Interior Designer’s role is. There’s a general lack of understanding (I went through that too!) as to who needs or can afford an interior designer. It’s no longer something that is only affordable to the rich, nor is it merely a novelty role. It’s so much more. Having a plan, scope of work, and technical drawings ready to go before your renovation begins can help you save money and time from so many mistakes. Thankfully, we had a good friend of ours who happened to be a GC help us through the project. He was able to teach me what certain things meant, the steps in a renovation, and many other things that I had no clue about. Let’s just say it was an intense course on home renovations, and I learned a lot.
Having our home complete, we couldn't believe the “before” and “after” difference. We went from “I’m not sure about moving here” to “we love our home and every moment living here”. With this experience under my belt, I wanted to learn more about interior design and how to deliver value to actual clients. After a lot of contemplation and research, I decided to go for it! I signed up to The Interior Designer’s Business School’s intensive course taught by the wonderful Jo Chobrak. It was through that course that I learned the technical aspect of the role and, most importantly, the business side of interior design - a.k.a. the things not taught in school. It was exactly what I needed, as I already had a design background and, in a way, I was already working with clients in understanding briefs, creating beautiful mood boards and presentations, and knowing how to communicate my ideas.
I’m so excited to be on this new journey. I’ve already met so many amazing designers, mentors, and friends. It truly is a wonderful and tight knit community. I’m beyond happy to be included in it and to call myself an interior designer. If you're in the same situation as I was and want some guidance and a designer friend to bounce ideas off of, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me.
Thanks for taking the time to read my blog. I hope this post helped you get to know me a little more, and it shed some light into the value of having an interior designer in your life. Can’t wait to share my next blog.
Until next time!
Janiece
