Path to Design ~ 5.24.11

This post could also have been titled "Just Do It!" My goal with this post is to inspire anyone with a dream to go out there and work on making it happen.

You see, I have had a couple of stressful weeks at work, but instead of feeling miserable as I would have in my last job, I still feel content and fulfilled. This is because, after knowing for years and years what I truly wanted to do when I "grow up," I am finally acting on it, and it feels great. It hasn't been an easy journey getting here, but now I feel like all of the effort I've put in has been so worth it.

 source

After spending seven years trying out different jobs I thought I'd enjoy, such as event planning, marketing, and public relations, I still felt unfulfilled and discouraged. While I performed fine at these jobs, deep down I didn't feel I was bringing in my all, that my heart wasn't in it. I was constantly down, and dreaded each and every work week. Something was missing - I couldn't live like this.

Throughout these years, I kept having thoughts of becoming an interior designer, but having already gone to school, then back again to study Public Relations (and thinking that was my path), switching careers yet again seemed ridiculous. I kept thinking, am I crazy to want to change careers yet again? Am I just flaky? Plus, would I actually enjoy interior design? And more so, would I even be good at it?

Lonny Mag

Visions of when I was 8 years old kept coming back to me - I'd spend so much time drafting floorplans for my and my friends' "dream homes" and loved it. One day I came across all of my drawings and showed them to my mom. She was so impressed that I realized I do have this in me. From that day forward to was dedicated to learn all I could about interior design, starting with books, a night class, then finally more formal education (more posts about my journey here.)

My job as a designer is tough (I work in a retail environment, so I have to worry about making comission, working weekends, and dealing with the occasional tough client), but whenever I get involved in a design project I feel on top of the world. This past weekend I presented a project I was very excited about, and thankfully so was my client! It was such a great feeling. In this job I've learned that for me, designing a room comes so easily, so naturally, unlike any other job I've had before. It finally feels right, as if this is what I was supposed to be doing all along.

Lonny Mag

Making this dream come true certainly took effort, one step at a time. But, what it really took was listening to myself, that voice deep down inside that knows what you truly want, what will truly make you happy. So sad that too often we let our doubts and fears take over that voice. 

So that is my message to the world. I hope to encourage YOU to do something today, whether is picking up a book on your subject of interest, signing up for a class, speaking to someone in your industry, or taking a chance and applying for a job you don't think you'd ever get (you never know - trust me!) It may be a long journey, but one certainly worth taking. We all deserve to be happy!

 Lonny Mag

Please share in your comments if you have a dream you hope to work towards - we can all help and motivate each other!

P.S.: I'm sorry for the lack of posts the last couple of weeks. I just needed some time away from the computer. But I feel inspired again, so thanks for checking in!

Path to Design ~ 3.18.11

It has been a while since I updated you all on my new design job! Happily, it is going well. Some days I still feel like I'm dreaming! I had my first (and second!) client presentation last week, so I'm starting to finally feel like an official designer :)

source

You may also be wondering about my business, Estilo Home Interiors. Sad to say, I have put those plans on hold - I had to sign a non-compete contract with my company, and do not want to cause any issues. This was tough because I had been finally working towards launching the business, and was really looking forward to seeing those plans come to life. On the other hand, I'm glad it happened this way because I am learning so much that I will be able to apply to my business when it is finally time to do so.

source

So what have I learned? Well, here is a random sampling, from things I have learned about design, clients, and myself:

~ As a designer, it is important to remember that clients cannot always visualize what you are proposing to them, whether describing a sofa in a different fabric or a room's layout. Drawings and samples are critical to make sure you both see eye to eye.
~ Fabric is expensive! Ok, I kind of knew that already, but yardage really adds up fast when quoting window treatments, bedding or a sofa.
~ You've got to be open-minded and knowledgeable about different furniture styles. At my store, we have to be well-versed in everything from traditional to modern styles, as we have a wide variety of clients with different tastes. I have to say I am learning a lot about more traditional decor, which I hadn't been as exposed to before. 
~ I am really bad at making decisions. It is a little ridiculous how many fabrics I'll look through before deciding on the right ones for each project.
~ Design and sales really go hand in hand. You might have a wonderful design idea, but if you cannot communicate it, or "sell" it, to the client, you won't have a successful business.

source

There is so much more I learn every single day - which makes me so glad I am going through this now with a team of people behind me, as opposed to on my own. Sure I can design, but quoting things like curtains and carpeting, knowing the elements of quality furniture construction, scheduling installation - all of these "behind the scenes" stuff I am being exposed to as I go. It's funny because I thought I was ready for my business, but that was when I didn't know just how much I didn't know! Not to say it wouldn't be doable, just more challenging.

Having said that, I still can't wait for when that day comes! Only then I will be truly ready.

Path to Design ~ 12.13.10

Good morning! And we are off to another week. I'm happy to report that this week should be much calmer for me, in part thanks to the good news I have to share with you today!

Design*Sponge

I just accepted a full-time Interior Design job!! I am officially going to be spending my days around furniture and fabrics, following my dream! I am still in disbelief that this is happening, and I could not be more excited.

This is a big part of the reason I had been so busy the last few weeks. To make a long story short, I had been wearing myself thin working long hours at my day job, commuting for 2 hours-plus each day, then coming home and trying to squeeze blogging, setting up my business, job hunting, and other responsibilities in the few short hours I had each evening. I was always running behind, never achieving all my goals on any one area. A few weeks ago I felt like I reached my breaking point, and decided it was time to put most of my effort into one main area: finding another job. I had no idea it would pay off so quickly!

Max Attenborough

I still hope to get my business off the ground. I just knew it would take long before I could pay the mortgage from the business alone, so after a long talk with my husband, we figured this will have to continue to be a side thing for the time being. First I needed a day job that I would really enjoy and that would have a shorter commute. Everything else will fall into place from there. This new job will teach me so much, and I feel like it will benefit my future business when the time comes.

So there you have it! Have you had any good news come your way recently? Let's celebrate together in the comments!

Path to Design ~ 11.4.10

First, I wanted to say thank you to everyone who chimed in regarding the name of my company. I was so happy to hear you guys think I should keep it! I was hoping to keep it but didn't want to make a mistake. I am feeling better about it now!

I am still stuck on the branding of my business. I've identified what I want my brand identity to be (how I want to come across to others) but am having a hard time translating that into a design, or putting it into the right words. In the meantime, I have just been writing a lot of notes on what the core mission of my business will be, as well as collecting ideas on logos, colors, etc. I am sure I will eventually need to talk to a graphic designer to come up with the perfect branding scheme, but I need to at least narrow down what I am looking for first.

I wanted to point out a couple of websites that I have found very helpful as I have been thinking about branding:

Modish Biz Tips

http://www.modishblog.com/biztips/branding/

Sage Wedding Pros (advice applies to those outside the wedding industry)

http://www.sageweddingpros.com/category/marketing/branding/

Other than that, I have been narrowing down on the type of service I want to offer. While the final goal is to provide full interior design services, the reality is that the business will function on a part-time basis to start, so I am leaning towards offering partial services for now (such as creating mood boards, doing 1 hour consultations, etc.). We'll see!

So that's it for this week! I hope you guys are enjoying following along on my entrepreneurial journey :) This series is great for me to stay on track!

All Images: Chris Everard

Path to Design ~ 10.22.10

Over the past couple of weeks I have started brainstorming how I am going to brand my company. This is no small task! I love the topic of branding so I had been very excited to get to this point. However, it's a little overwhelming to consider all my options when it comes to the logo, key messages, and overall look and feel of the business. 

Nato Welton

First, it was critical to think about my target market and how I plan to reach them. This was the easy part because I have a good sense of who could benefit most from my services. Next came researching the target market's behavior and perception of interior design, to figure out how I would approach them. Overall, my goal is to work with those who would have typically been intimidated for one reason or another to hire a designer.

Nato Welton

I am still working on creating my "elevator pitch." I have drafts of it, but it needs to be more focused and succinct. Once that is in place, I am going to start really defining what my colors, logo, etc. will be. I've started gathering different ideas I like but some are completely different than others - I don't know how I will decide!

Sandra Lane

So now I have one question for you: I had decided on the name of my company, Estilo Home Interiors, long ago. I've even already done all the paperwork for it (except for the actual trade name registration), but have recently gotten some feedback that I should consider something that is easier to pronounce and more directly reflects the services of the company. So now I'm rethinking it! What is your opinion on this? I am inclined to keep it but thought I better get additional feedback before it really is too late.


Image credits: Sarah Kaye Representative

Path to Design ~ 10.5.10

First, I wanted to say thank you to my readers for all of the encouragement regarding my business plans. It truly is so wonderful to have your support!

So this past week was already pretty productive. One tip I can give to anyone starting a side business is to schedule in time specifically to work on it. Without the structure, I constantly kept letting other responsibilities get in the way. I finally decided to give up my lazy Saturday mornings in favor of what I now call my 'office hours.' This scheduled, uninterrupted time has already made such a difference (and it's only been 2 weeks so far.)

I decided to take a step back and start at the beginning, really thinking through my vision for the business and where I stand in the current market. I'm a step-by-step kind of person, so I am finding that this works better for me than just jumping right in as I was originally trying to do. I did a ton of research regarding the current state of the interior design industry, as well as looked up my future 'competitors' in my area. This research has really helped me identify a need within my local market, to hone in to what unique services I can offer, and who my target market will be.  

What I discovered was encouraging. Lately I had been feeling like my vision to make interior design more accessible to all has already been offered by so many people (which made me wish I had followed through when I first thought of it over four years ago!) But now I see where I would stand within my target market and believe that there is still a strong need for the services I want to offer, even if the idea is not so unique anymore.

In case this helps, these are some of the websites that helped me with my research (in addition to our buddy Google):

http://www.sba.gov/

http://dir.yahoo.com/Business_and_Economy/

http://www.census.gov/

http://www.uschamber.com/

http://www.asid.org/

Next week I will start focusing on one of my favorite topics - branding!

All images in this post by Interior Stylist Lucyina Moodie (her portfolio is gorgeous!)

Path to Design ~ Intro

As I mentioned in my last post, I have been finding my motivation again to build my interior decorating business. This is a dream I've had since the summer of 2006, as I remember so clearly. To say I'm taking things slowly is a major understatement!

Martha Stewart

Well, in the fall of 2006 I took an evening class at my local college, which confirmed that this is the path for me. Since then, between getting married and buying a condo, I started design school and eventually obtained a certificate in Interior Decorating this past March. Finally, in July, I submitted my business license and other local and national paperwork. I also wrote the start of my business plan, identifying the type of services I would offer and who my clientele would be.

Country Living

Then I stopped. Summer plans and a demanding work schedule, not to mention family, got in the way. Or rather, I let them get in the way. I finally had a wake-up call a week or two ago when reading a post on Makeunder My Life, where Jess praised those who work full-time while fulfilling their dreams on the side. The next day, I read a post on HHFITD about Maggie Rose, who has a schedule just a tough as mine, if not worse, and is building her design business regardless. I realized it is time to stop making excuses, and just do this already! 

So that is the point of this new series, to take you along my path to start a business. I hope my insights will be helpful as I figure out what I am doing, and hopefully in turn you will keep me motivated!

 Lonny Mag

In addition to the blogs I mentioned above, here are a few other places I go to for business inspiration:

http://www.designspongeonline.com/category/biz-ladies

http://www.ladieswholaunch.com/
http://startupprincess.com/

http://girlatplay.com/

http://decor8blog.com/category/what-to-do/
http://thinkbakery.com/blog/

Desire to Inspire

If anyone reading this is starting or thinking about starting a business, chime in and tell us about your efforts! (oh, and congratulations!)

Happy Friday!

So glad it's finally Friday! I have lots planned for this weekend, but it's mostly work...fun work, that is.

image source

I've sort of been putting off working on my future business for a couple of reasons, but I have recently had my motivation kick back in. So, this weekend I will be doing some work on this - and I plan to start a new series here on the blog to take you along my enterpreneurial ride!

I will also work on a virtual design board for a friend who's across the country now. I'll share the design plans with you once I have the ok from her.

If all goes well, I'll also find some time this weekend to finally begin painting my living room! What are you up to this weekend?

My Brother's Apartment ~ the Bedroom Moodboard

Hello! So glad the weekend is approaching, aren't you?

This past week I have made some progress on my brother's apartment redesign. We went to look at sofas and he thinks he found 'the one.' We're still deciding on a concrete design direction for the living space though. However, the bedroom came together very quicky. He had a good idea of what he wanted for it, which ultimately was a very serene space to relax at the end of the day. I showed him the pictures below and right away, we had a plan.

Lonny

So here is the moodboard we came up with (so far):

I say so far because it is definitely a work in progress. This just gives us a direction. For one, we may be doing an upholstered bed instead, which will up the cozy factor. He also mentioned wanting a small desk in the room, but I am not sure if we'll end up going with it or something more discreet like a secretary.

He is pretty decided on the wall color (SW Green Trance), so hopefully we can start painting soon and start buying some furniture! I'm so excited for this room to come together.

Have a great weekend!

Little Updates 'n Things

Good afternoon! We have another week ahead, and I am happy to report mine started on the right foot. Remember the list of to-do's for launching my design business? Yeah, you probably don't remember because it was over three months ago and not much has been done yet...

Well, I finally received a healthy dose of motivation last night. I met with a friend whom I hadn't seen in a few months, and when she asked me about my progress related to interior design, I realized it had been that long since I'd taken any steps towards my dream (blame it on a combination of fear and laziness...)

Finally feeling inspired, I went home and completed all of my state/county's forms to make my business official!

Oh, and I also started a mock-up for a business card, which for now is more of a blog contact card:

It feels really good to finally start crossing some things off my list, and I hope to keep the momentum going!

I will also be busy in the next few weeks with my brother's apartment, which should be a really fun project. I should probably update you on this project as well - it's sort of stalled due to my client's pregnancy! Hopefully we can resume it in the next few months and I can finally have a finished product to show you. I guess patience is the name of the game for me!

On another note, I have dusted off my twitter account, so follow me here if you wish! Also, I will be updating my blogroll soon, so if you would like to be added, let me know! (interior design-related blogs only, please.)

Resolutions - An Update

Since we are a third of the way into 2010, I thought it would be a good time to look back at my goals for this year. Here are my goals:

When it comes to my home, I have been making slow progress. This is especially true when it comes to decluttering. We recently re-did my husband's closet with new shelving (mine's next), and I'm so proud of my husband for getting rid of lots of his old clothes. He's not usually so good at letting go. Also, even though we live in such a small condo, I was surprised at the amount of useless things we'd been keeping (I mean, who needs the cell phone box, manual and accessories of our last 3 phones?!) So yes, things are good in this area. I'm loving the extra space we are creating.

We also have tons of decorating projects on the horizon. Although it wasn't the original plan, we will probably stay in this condo for a couple more years (thanks crappy economy!) We figured we might as well make the place as nice as we can so we can enjoy it more. Projects include our living room, finishing the bedroom, the balcony, and possibly adding some nice touches to the kitchen and bathroom. These projects I will share here for sure!

possible design scheme for living room

The next two resolutions I must say I'm behind on. Well, come to think of it, I did write a gratitude journal over the last month, and this weekend I plan to attend the DC Design House. But I have yet to attend any live events or performances.

Blogging more regularly...hmm, yeah...you know how that one is going. I so admire bloggers who can post every day. I sure can't. My goal has been at least 3 times a week, and I think this week was the first time I did that. I'll keep working on it! I learned so much by taking Holly's Blogging Your Way class, but I have yet to put many of my ideas into practice.

The last one has been my main focus so far this year. If you reguarly read this blog you'll know I just recently earned my design certificate. Since them, I've been slowly making progress on my to-do list. Nothing concrete yet, but I'm working through the paperwork to get my occupational license, brainstorming designs for a business card, and making progress with some design jobs. I hope to be able to tell you about some of them soon!

Luckily there are still 9 more months to get it all accomplished...

If you are still reading this, 1) thanks :) and 2) have a nice weekend!

Just a Little More Homework...

I still can't believe I'm done with school and officially an interior decorator! I am excited for the possibilities as well as the free time I'll now have. Then again, I have a growing list of steps that need to get done in order for me to succeed. These should keep me busy for a while:

(click to enlarge)

Since feeling a bit discouraged about my future, I stopped by the library and picked up several books on design and opening a business:

So far I'm really enjoying browsing through them. One thing I am learning though is that I still need to get more hands-on experience before I am ready to go out on my own. At this point my goal is to work for an established designer and learn as much as I can about the business. Still, it's never to early to start plotting my path to working on my own one day. 

Have you read any good books on the subject? What is on your to-do list these days?