It’s A Diversity Thing

 “Today, nobody cares /But tomorrow they will, they will/Today, nobody cares /But, oh, tomorrow they will, they will /They said my future was dark /You see me now? /Just look around /I’m beamin’” ~ I’m Beaming by Lupe Fiasco

Over the past few months, I’ve had numerous conversations with fellow interior designers about the lack of diversity in the design industry, specifically in interior design. One of my design besties asked me  “where are all the African American interior designers on Twitter? I don’t feel like we have a voice”. She was frustrated and so was I. With all the social media outlets out there (Facebook, Twitter, Myspace,  Meetup, etc.) that are designed to “connect” people, we still felt “unconnected” to people in the industry that looked like us. We know they exist. Finding them is the hard part. But I’m pleased that efforts are being made to improve this. Here are examples of  organizations, online groups, and networking opportunities, etc. that are connecting us.  My goal is to find out what other active groups are out there for people of color.  But first, check out my monthly feature, Hue of the Month,  which are e-interviews of African American interior designers. This month’s Hue is Alyce Amani Bush. Now back to the list…

Facebook.com – Blacks Who Love Interior Design http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/group.php?gid=185893508848&ref=ts 

Meetup.com – The Society of African-American Interior Designers – http://intdesign.meetup.com/165/

Black Interior Design Showcase (BIDS) – Ning.com online networking site –  http://blackinteriordesigners.ning.com/

Organization of Black Designers – http://www.core77.com/OBD/welcome.html

E-book – 28 Days of Diversity in Design – http://www.designincolorblog.com/?page_id=38. The e-book gives readers an up close and personal look at some of the movers and shakers in the design industry.  It highlights the work of  product designers, interior designers, and furniture designers who also happen to be people of the color. Oh, and it’s free. *e-flip*

BTW, if you are planning to attend the NY Design Week this month be sure to check out the official launch party for 28 Days of Diversity in Design and its blog Design in Color on May 17th at 6 p.m. Many of the designers featured in the e-book will be at the party. Click on the link for more details:  http://diversityindesign.eventbrite.com/

This is my attempt to do an e-roll call. I will update this list periodically. In the meantime, who have I missed? Are there any other groups that should be added to this list? I want to make sure we are all PRESENT (in my first grader’s voice) Chime in.

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Design Giants

“Remind yourself. Nobody built like you, you design yourself…” A Dream by Jay-Z

In January, Interior Design magazine published its annual list of the top 100 interior design firms for 2010.  The top 5 firms on the list are:  1) Gensler   2) Perkins + Will  3) HOK   4) Nelson and 5) Jacobs. My current company isn’t on the list. Even though we are an engineering and architecture firm, with an interior design division, our primary specialization is in engineering. Anywho, my goal is to work for a firm that is on the Top 100 list after I graduate from school. I am familiar with some of the names on the list but need to do a little research to expand my knowledge base on  “who’s who in interior design”.  (future blog coming). The list also mentions that the median fee for interior designers increased by 3. 7 percent. Cool.  I’m focused and I’m mapping out my career goals now. I have a lot to look forward to in the future. Who knows, maybe my firm will be on this list one day. (DREAM BIG) At any rate, I can’t wait until I can officially say, I’m an interior designer.

Are you working for your dream firm? Is there a design firm you aim to work for in the future? Do you desire to start your own firm one day? Are you currently the owner of a firm and desire to be on the Top 100 list one day?

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What’s Your Speciality?

“So can I get a window seat /don’t want nobody next to me /I just want a ticket outta town /a look around/and a safe touch down” ~ Window Seat by Erykah Badu

I have a bit of a problem. As an aspiring interior designer, I’m having difficulty deciding what area to specialize in.  There are two types of interior design: residential and commercial. Under those categories the career possibilities are almost endless. My problem is I have too many interests. Residential, Commercial, Set Design, Visual Merchandising and Green Design all appeal to me in some way. I can see myself being successful in each of those areas. How does one decide what direction to take their career?

Residential design was the reason I decided to become an interior designer. I wanted to design homes and make the people living in those homes feel safe, secure, comfortable and loved. Plus, it’s easy to make a name for yourself  and start your own business in residential interiors.  But I feel like that’s already been, well, done. Most designers go into residential design. Therefore, the market is highly saturated and becoming very competitive when it comes to finding a job.  In my opinion, commercial interior design is a little more challenging. You have a bigger budget, longer project schedule, and a different type of clientele and materials.  In commercial design, you have the option of going into hospitality, office, retail, institution, education, or healthcare. I prefer hospitality or retail. There’s something about walking into a restaurant or hotel and being captivated by the aesthetics. I’m the person that sits at a restaurant  and looks up at the ceiling and lighting fixtures while eating my meal. I may not remember how good the food tasted but I will remember the decor. OK, that’s a bit of a stretch but you get my point. I believe that good design always makes you come back. I would like to enhance someone’s experience at a spa or retail store with my design. My dream job would be in set design. Whenever I watch a movie or my favorite television show, I always notice the decor and layout of the set especially if the scenes take place in a house. Girlfriends was one of my favorite shows on television. I literally wanted to live in Joan’s house. The decor was warm and inviting. Watching the show made me feel like one of the girls, sitting on the couch, chatting it up. The set design drew me in. That’s powerful! Unfortunately, I live on the east coast and I do not wish to move to LA to become a set designer.  However, as an alternative to moving, I would consider visual styling for a furniture magazine or catalog. I have subscriptions to Crate and Barrel, CB2, IKEA, Design Within Reach, and other catalogs because I enjoy looking at how they display their products on the cover. LOL, yeah I know. I’m a design junkie. *lowers head in shame* A Designer’s Intervention may be in order. Finally, there’s Green Design. I already live a natural lifestyle. I’m conscious of what I put into my body and on my body. Sustainability would be a natural fit for an undercover tree hugger such as myself.  I would probably have to take a Green 101 class because there’s so much to learn in this field. And new information and products are coming out daily. To sum it up, I have too many interests and not enough lives. *sigh*. I need a mentor.

What is your speciality and why did you decide to go in that direction? Do you specialize in several areas? Did you work in one area of design and decide to try something new?

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Tardy For The Party

“I was born long ago/I am the chosen I’m the one/I have come to save the day/And I won’t leave until I’m done/So that’s why you’ve got to try/You got to breath and have some fun/Though I’m not paid I play this game/And I won’t stop until I’m done/But what I really want to know is/Are you gonna go my way?/And I got to got to know” ~ Are You Gonna Walk My Way, Lenny Kravitz

Last night I was perusing the Internet when I came across some surprising information. Lenny Kravitz is an interior designer. *gasp* Really? Fine a** Rock Star Lenny. Lisa Bonet’s ex-husband and Zoe’s Daddy Lenny. Apparently, I am tardy for the party because he’s been in the design game since 2005. Why am I just finding out about this?

Interior design is Lenny’s hobby when he’s not on the road being a rock star. He designed several of his homes which caught the attention of his friends and several notable magazines such as Vogue, Interior Design, and Harpers Bazaar. His passion lead to the creation of Kravitz Design, a New York based firm that specializes in commercial design. In interviews, Lenny does not hide the fact that he’s not a formally trained  interior designer. He draws up the plans and sends them to an architect for review and approval.

What fascinates me about this information is whenever my colleagues and I talk about  high-profile, successful African-American interior designers, we are always hard-pressed to name more than 10. You commonly hear about Cecil Hayes, Shelia Bridges, and Kim Myles. But Lenny Kravitz’ name never comes up. Honestly, I am not sure how I feel about Lenny as a designer.  In fact, I’m not a fan of too many crossover artists. Most are not able to do it successfully. To me Lenny Kravitz, the interior designer, is like Rihanna becoming an actress. (O__0)  Ok, that’s harsh. But after seeing pictures of Lenny’s work I am ready to run his way. I’m impressed. His style is bold yet contemporary. Not the rock star image initially imagined.   Lenny is not the first African-American celeb to crossover into interior design. Venus Williams is the CEO of V Starr, a residential and commercial firm based in Florida.  But Venus is not heavily involved in the actual design work.  She “runs” the company and hired a licensed interior designer to do the real work. Hmmm. I want the world to know that I am officially accepting applications from celebrities who want to use their fame and money to open up a design firm and hire me as the lead designer.  Nevermind. Here are a few pictures of Lenny’s design work.

”I’d love to design a hotel resort. It would be soulful elegance from top to bottom, not stiff glamour.” ~ Lenny Kravitz

Do you think Lenny has what it takes to become a successful interior designer? What other celebs are crossing over into interior design?

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Client Relations: Lessons Learned the Hard Way

“I just wanna be, I just wanna be successful. I just wanna be, I just wanna be successful” Successful by Drake

It never fails. Whenever I have a conversation with someone and mention that I’m an aspiring interior designer I get asked the infamous question that ALL designers hear throughout the course of their career: “Can you come over and help me design/decorate my house?” My response is always YES!!!  Are you kidding me? Of course I will help you. Interior design gives me LIFE. But deep down I’m really asking myself  are they serious or just pulling my chain.

Case in point.  A few years ago, I attended a birthday party with one of my besties. She introduced me to a young , single (wink), professional man who was also her co-worker. He was attractive, smart, and funny. We chatted about current events, life, mutual friends, travel, and of course….careers.  At the time, I was a first-year interior design student and aggressively sought out opportunities to gain real-world design experience by decorating my friend’s homes. After telling him I was in school for interior design he didn’t hesitate to mention that he needed my help decorating his condo. We exchanged contact information and agreed to schedule the initial client consultation in the near future. I was psyched. This was my first opportunity to showcase my skills and declare to the world…I am an INTERIOR DESIGNER, hear me roar.  On the day of the consultation,  I showed up at his house with my notepad, digital camera, client questionnaire, colorwheel, design magazines, pencils, pens, and sketch paper. He gave me a tour of the place. I was impressed. He had pretty good taste. There was artwork on the walls and every room was fully furnished. It made wonder why I was there in the first place because he obviously didn’t need my help. But that didn’t matter to me. I figured my job would be rather simple. I would rearrange the furniture (most people suck at space planning) and recommend a few minor cosmetic changes. We sat down and he told me all about his design needs, budget, space challenges, color preferences, etc. I arranged a time to come back the following week to present the design concept to him and get feedback and approval to move forward.

I spent the entire week prepping for the presentation. I researched furniture options online, collected paint and fabric samples and lined up contractors. I even drafted the space plan to scale. Not bad for a newbie. I was ready to win him over with my ideas and land the job! I was focused man (Jay-Z voice). I went all out…even dressed up as if I was meeting a “real” client* and not an acquaintance. After discussing my ideas, he showered me with praise for a job well-done and said  I had a successful career as a designer ahead me. But to my surprise, he asked if he could take some time to think things over and would get back to me within the next few days. I admit that was not exactly the response I expected to hear from him but I understood.  While packing up my pride belongings he began asking all sorts of questions like; what did I like to do for fun, where did I hang out in my spare time, what’s my schedule like during the week. Eventually, he asked me out on a date. I declined. I explained that I didn’t want to mix business with pleasure. I viewed this project as an opportunity  to build portfolio and get my name out there not get free dinner and drinks. *le sigh* Unfortunately for me, it turned out my so-called potential client never intended to do anything to his condo. He went through all that trouble just to ask me out on a date. I was flattered appalled. I was just hoodwinked, bamboozled, and led astray. Needless to say, after turning him down, I never heard from him again. I ended up doing all that work, wishing, hoping and praying for nothing, nada, zilch. *wall slide* The moral of the story is never offer to do anything, especially for a single man,  for free. My time is valuable. Hmph.

Have you experienced a similar situation? How do you handle client relations? What do you when someone asks “can you come over and design/decorate my place?

* This was not a paying job. Since I was a student he was letting me give him ideas in exchange for developing my portfolio and using him a client reference on future projects.

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What Can Be Higher Than This?

Feeling like everything going wrong/Take a step back and edit yourself/There’s a hero in you waitin’ to happen/
Make the choice to take a chance and save yourself/You gotta let go of your insecurity/Explore the passion in your possibilities/You will find love and no love can be higher than this ~ Higher Than This by Ledisi

I had to take a brief hiatus from blogging to deal with “life”.  But I’m back. Did you miss me? Yesterday, when I got back  in town, I was going through my ginormous stack of mail and came across a letter from Harrington College of Design. I opened it up and learned that it was a letter of acceptance into the interior design program. Yay, I am officially re-enrolled in school. That is one thing I can scratch off my 2010 Goals List. Enroll in school. Check. Now all I have to do is find a new job and relocate to Chicago in time for the fall semester, which begins in September. *wall slide* May the force be with me.  A few weeks ago, I was talking to my grandmother about my plans to go back to school. Like always, when we have one of our “talks” she offered words of encouragement, advice and pearls of wisdom. Unfortunately, that was the very last conversation I had with my dear sweet grandmother. A week ago she unexpectedly passed away. Even though I am heart-broken over her untimely death, I don’t have time to mope around and be sad about it. On the contrary, I have to muster up the strength and tenacity to work twice as hard to make her proud of me.  After all, my word is my bond. I can’t stop, won’t stop. So Grandma, if you’re listening, I want to let you know that I dedicate my grind to you.  May you Rest in Peace.  XOXO   “Love! Can’t nobody love me like you do/So I gotta tell the world that/You are in everything that I do”

                       

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When the Chips Fall

Good-bye to the game/ all the spoils, the adreneline rush/Your blood boils you in a spot knowing cops could rush/
And you in a drop your so easy to touch/No two days are alike/Except the first and fifteenth pretty much ~ December 4th by Jay-Z

I know I’m a little late but I just discovered that Domino Magazine has gone out of business. Oh Em Gee!!!! That was one of my FAVORITE interior design magazines. Say it ain’t so. *wall slide* Conde Nast, how could you do this to me?  Domino Magazine gave me life. It was packed with information on all things I love, interior design, furniture, shopping, travel, and food. The March issue was the mag’s FINAL issue and I didn’t even get a copy. Please join me in a brief moment of silence for my beloved Dominio Magazine. *cue Jay-Z* “If you can’t respect that your whole perspective is wack/Maybe you’ll love me when i fade to black.”

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Show Me The Money

It’s all about the Benjamins, baby/Now what y’all wanna do?/Wanna be ballers?/Shot-callers?/Brawlers — who be dippin in the Benz wit the spoilers/On the low from the Jake in the Taurus – “It’s All About the Benjamins by Diddy

I read that Anderson Cooper is being sued by interior designer, Killian O’Brien, who fell 18 feet through an uncovered fire hole. Killian was working on Anderson Coooper’s firehouse home renovation project in New York where a fireman’s hole was left uncovered after the pole was removed by the project developer. *blank stare* The article got me to thinking about how often interior designers are forced to sue clients as a result of job site injuries, contractor issues, and compensation issues. On the contrary, interior designers are also at risk of being sued by their clients. What if a client is not satisfied with the designer’s work? The contract agreement protects the designer to a degree but the client still has rights. You know what they say “the customer is always right”. Interior designers get most of their business through client referrals. One bad incident between a designer and a client can affect a designer’s chances of getting new clients or repeat business in the future.

Have you ever filed a lawsuit against a client due to an injury at the job site? Has a client ever failed to compensate you for your services? What are a few typical clauses that you put in your client contract agreements to protect you from potential liability issues? If you have a small business or work as a freelance designer out of your home, liability insurance can be pretty expensive.* How do you get around that?

The American Society of Interior Designers recommends five types of business insurance for interior designers: professional liability insurance, commercial general liability (CGL) insurance, employment practices liability insurance (EPLI), and workers’ compensation and property insurance.

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Decorator versus Designer

You’re here/I’m pleased/I really dig your company/Your style your smile, your peace mentality/Lord, have mercy on me/I was blind, now I can see – A Long Walk by Jill Scott

An architect can design and a designer can decorate. So what’s the difference between an interior decorator, interior designer and an architect? Color Theory. My professor once said that interior designers study color theory and architects do not and that is the main distinction between them. Color theory is more than looking at a color wheel and selecting a scheme that creates harmony in a space. Interior designers also learn the psychological effects of color as well as it’s proper application in different spaces for specific types of clients. For example, when designing a nursing home an interior designer understands that elderly people have poor vision. Therefore, strong color contrast is necessary to ensure the safety and well-being of the people living in that facility. Flooring should be darker than the walls and furnishings should contrast the floor so they appear highly visible to someone whose eye sight is weak. That’s one example of how a designer uses color theory principles in the design process.

Despite the differences between an interior designer and an interior decorator, people still use the terms interchangeably. According to the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ), “Interior design is the art and science of understanding people’s behavior to create functional spaces within a building. Decoration is the furnishing or adorning of a space with fashionable or beautiful things. In short, interior designers may decorate, but decorators do not design.” Popular design shows on HGTV, TLC and the Fine Living channel have created a lot of “confusion” between the two fields. In fact, I’ve stopped watching those shows all together. Yes, they’re great if you are looking for decorating tips. But they do not paint a realistic picture of the interior design process. When I tell people I’m studying to become an interior designer they always ask “can you come over to my house to give me some ideas”. People don’t realize that interior designers do more than just “decorate” your home. An interior designer develops space plans and design concepts that are safe, functional, aesthetically appropriate, and meet all public health, safety and welfare requirements. Skilled interior designers are knowledgeable of building construction, building materials, building and fire codes, ADA (Americans with Disabilities)requirements, and environmental and sustainability guidelines. Additionally, interior designers are not just limited to residential projects. They also create design concepts for restaurants, hotels, office buildings, government facilities, hospitals and medical facilities, schools/universities, night clubs, lounges, etc. The final difference between an interior designer and an interior decorator is that an interior designer can become a “licensed” professional. State board certification requires an interior design degree from an accredited school or university along with several years of formal training. In contrast, interior decorators do not require formal training or education.

Do you think the interior design industry has devalued the work of interior decorators? What do you think is the difference between an interior decorator and a designer and does it really matter? How do you feel about interior decorators calling themselves “designers”? What do you think about the term “interior architect”? Is it adding to the confusion? If an architect can also design then are interior designers really necessary?

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College Dropout

“Closer to my dreams/It’s coming over me/I’m gettin’ higher/Closer to my dreams/I’m getting higher and higher/Feel it in my sleep” – Closer by Goapele

I’m finally re-enrolled in school. *claps* I am super excited!!! I only have one year left, three semesters to be exact, to finish the program. In 2005, I went back to school “the first time” to get a B.F.A in interior design. On the first day of class, I knew I was exactly where I was supposed to be. The work outside the classroom was extremely time consuming. But I was a dedicated student and eager to learn. I invested hours of my personal time working on class assignments that involved cutting up tiny bits of construction paper, drawing stick figures, mixing colors, and shopping for fabrics. It was like Home Ec. on crack but I enjoyed each and every minute of it. Then life happened and I was forced to leave school to focus on more important things like…PAYING BILLS. Since then I have wrestled with the idea of going back to school.  First, school is not free nor is it cheap. I  already have a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in another field and those student loan payments are a financial pain in the butt. Second, I question if a degree is really necessary in order to become a successful interior designer. Look at Nate Berkus. He’s a self-taught, sought after, high-end designer. He has a successful interior design firm, a line of furniture and home accessories and an upcoming interior design show. Of course endorsements by Oprah Winfrey have helped his career tremendously. However, Nate was obviously a pretty talented designer before the “O-effect” catapulted him into the public spotlight. There are several other designers like Nate who have made a name for themselves in the design industry. It goes to show if you work hard enough at something and really hone your skills it’s possible to become recognized as an “expert” in any field. *scratches chin*

How has a degree in interior design benefited your career? Do you recommend getting a master’s degree in interior design? Are you a self-taught designer? If so, how did you learn the skills of the trade without going to school? What are your thoughts on on-line interior design programs?

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