Designer Spotlight: Beth Diana Smith
A. Honestly, there were several factors that pushed me to take the leap. I was tired of the corporate politics, I was tired of working really hard for someone else, and I just couldn’t imagine retiring doing that. And I had the reality check that I was doing something that I didn’t love for the sake of a great paycheck and benefits, and that I was putting that above my own happiness. My entire life, I had done the practical thing and made sacrifices for other people. I had to be willing to take the risk and sacrifice for myself. I knew that I made the right decision when I felt happy living a life of creativity and stomping to the beat of my own drum everyday.
Q. Where does the design process for a space start for you?
A. It always starts with the client, learning what they want, how they want to live, and listening to what they say and don’t say. Then I create a project list for them so I have a place for my notes, deadlines, a list of ideas to explore, and everything else under the sun so I feel organized (which is how I work best) and ensure I don’t forget anything. Then I creatively jump in.
Q. You’ve said that part of your success is being unapologetic in your design style. How did you develop your design style and when did you realize focusing on it would help you succeed in the industry?
Q. What advice would you give people who are working on their own homes on how to best tap into their personal design styles?
A. Create a mood or Pinterest board of the rooms and pieces that you love. I guarantee that you will see a common theme in all of the rooms and pieces. Such as you’re drawn to certain colors or shapes, symmetry, certain types of art, etc. etc. We are all creatures of habit even when we don’t realize it.
Q. What has been one of your favorite projects to date and why?
A. A project in South Orange, NJ, a few years back primarily due to two reasons, they were an amazing family who were good humans AND they trusted my work, which allowed me to have creative freedom. And funny enough, that project pushed me to think out of the box and push myself creatively because they were always willing to go bigger and bolder! Every day on that project was fun and inspiring. I always think of it fondly.
A. No matter what you do or say, people are going to have something to say so do what you want and what you believe is right.
Q. You have been outspoken about the need for inclusion and diversity in the interior design industry and there has been attention paid recently on the lack of diversity, in part due to the efforts of the recently formed Black Artists + Designers Guild. How do you see this attention benefitting the industry and where do you think it will be a year from now?
A. I believe that variety in any creative field is necessary because who wants to look at the same design styles or same designers all the time? I find that to be boring and always leaves me wanting to see something new. As a Black designer, my culture and my experiences heavily influence my design style and my process. I want to see design styles of any person of color that is true to them, and not something that has to look like what we’ve seen in the mainstream media for decades. It’s hard to say where it will be a year from now because some organizations, schools, and publications have been hesitant addressing the lack of diversity. But you have others who are literally jumping in to address the issue and that boils down to the people that work for these institutions. What I do hope to see is significant progress a year from now and I plan on still being vocal, and most importantly active, in trying to make that happen.
Q. What is next for you in design?
Thanks to Beth Diana Smith for spending time with The 256 Project! To see more from her, visit her site here and her Instagram here. For additional interviews with designers, check out the Designer Spotlight series here.
