What exactly do you do?

Sometimes I do not like telling people what I do. It's not that I do not love what I do, I just think it's hard to explain sometimes. And then I always feel like I am insulting another sector of my industry by clarifying between what I do and what they do.

It always starts with "Oh, I am an Interior Designer" and then I try to clarify "I do mostly commercial buildings". And by mostly I mean always. But inevitable the conversation always turns to "Oh, you need to come and decorate my house, I don't have a clue". I mean if I had a dollar for every time I have heard this I would be a rich woman. And then I attempt to further clarify that I have no experience in residential design and I myself would not have a clue to go about it. And that's when I start to feel like I might be trying to make my end of the industry sound better or more skillful than the other.

So to clarify, and clear my conscious, a Residential Interior Designer's job is very hard in my opinion. They work with people on a very personal level. It's their house. You cannot get more personal than that. They work very hard to give people good design that reflects their clients taste and not their own.

But my job is very different. I work with companies like SunTrust Bank, the accounting firm Deloitte and Touche, and Harrah's. It's personal, typically what the CEO or big boss likes, but not that personal. They do not live in the spaces I design. Maybe between the hours of 8-5 they do, but it's not the place where they kiss their kids goodnight. Also in my world I can pick where to the walls go. I pick where to doors go. I design and locate the reception desk, or the bar, or the coffee kiosk. Along with that I decide what the walls are painted, how the bar is build, and where the electricity needs to be for the coffee kiosk. I am a Commercial Interior Designer.

I was recently on a job site of one of my projects and took a few pictures. This is what a space looks like when I get it. Stay tuned for what it looks like when I'm finished with it.



I love Domino magazine and all the fun designers they feature every month. So stay tuned as well for when I give residential design a shot. But for now I'm loving creating for the big wigs in the world of commercial design.