A. I’m a firm believer in whatever you need to succeed is already within you. I think back to my younger years and some of the first jobs that I had and I can honestly say that there’s something in every stage of my life that was purposeful, impactful, educational and something that I can draw from in terms of what I do today. I believe there is nothing in your past that isn’t meaningful for your present.

 

A particular memory that sticks out for me is from the 5th grade. I remember the teacher giving us the art assignment and what she suggested was cool but I just knew that what I had in my mind was better. I remember walking up to her desk and telling her my idea and asking her if I could do mine differently and she said yes. Before I could get back to my seat she was announcing to the entire class an alternative way to do the art project without giving me credit for my idea. Can I tell you, to this day I’m still mad about that, lol. But I think that day for me was when I realized how important art and my creativity was for me and it was deeply personal. 

 

I never once envisioned myself as a home decorator, interior stylist, or interior designer. I didn’t know that was a thing, I didn’t know it was a career, the college I attended didn’t even have that as a major so this was never on my radar. I thought that I had a knack for picking home decor and it was something that I would just do in my own home or for maybe friends and family. 

 

I knew that I was meant for interior design when my friend and now first client reached out to me without me sharing that this was something I wanted to pursue. I completed her salon suite, working through the night between nursing my young son.  When I revealed her space to her, she cried (happy tears, in case you were unsure) and I knew that I was where I was supposed to be. That moment was extremely impactful to me. I knew that it was more than just paint colors, fabrics and art on the wall. In that moment I had given her pride of ownership in her business. I had created a space where she felt comfortable and a space for her clients to be comfortable. A space where she could work well, efficiently and in a space that functioned in a way that allowed her to work smarter. I have a video of that reveal and in my first year of business I probably watched that video more times than I could count. In every moment where my confidence slipped, I questioned what I was doing, or I wasn’t quite sure this was something I could pull off, I watched that video. To this day I still go back to that video and watch it because it solidifies that I’m supposed to be here and what I do matters. 

 

 

A. To be very honest, I was not prepared for what I got myself into. I knew I did not want to return to the career path that I had before having my son. I decided to make a list of my current skills, my likes, my dislikes, and what I could accomplish without going back to school for another degree. Everything I wrote out led me to something in design. But in those initial moments, I don’t think I actually saw it as a career. I just saw it as an opportunity to try something that I’d never tried before but seemed to have a knack for. When I started decorating, I had a baby on my hip. I completed my first project working at night while my son slept so I could get a few uninterrupted hours of work done. I was going to be home for the next few years caring for our son so I wanted to find a creative outlet while I was at home. 

 

I would say the biggest lesson that I learned about pursuing entrepreneurship is how little of what initially sparks your desire to be an entrepreneur is what you end up doing on a day-to-day basis. There are so many moving parts that go into operating a business and you may not be skilled in all of those other parts. In order to pursue what you want to do, you have to either very quickly learn and adapt or you have to delegate and outsource.  Those are things that you have to figure out fast because the challenge is working in your business to provide the product or service and then running your business at the same time. Can I also say I was not prepared for the amount of math I use in design, like so, so, much math! 

 

My advice very early on would be to find a mentor. I’m a big fan of peer-to-peer mentoring mostly because they’re more accessible and willing to help. Peer-to-peer mentoring for me has been so key. There are so many wonderful women in Houston and across the country, actually across the world, that I have connected with through social media. Some I have met with in real life and can call these women my friends. They have been such a blessing to me and to my business. They have given advice that has led to my growth, to my mental health, and my confidence. Finding your people is so important.

 

 

A. lot of different things inspire me in terms of design. There are colors, patterns and textures and beautiful art pieces that inspire me. Growing up, our home was very Afrocentric. All of the art on the walls was either done by my mother or she selected pieces that I could see myself in. The blankets on our sofas had kente cloth, the sculptures and figurines represented our culture. The home that I grew up in very much influences me to this day in terms of design. When it comes to my clients, I always want to start with “How do you use the space?” or “How do you aspire to use this space?” or “How do you want to feel in this room at the beginning and end of your day?” I never want a room or a home to impose on the person or their lifestyle. The space should be you-centric. 

 

A personal shift that has happened for me is my lean towards minimalism in my home as the pace of life has slowed down tremendously living in a pandemic. I used to be a lover of all decor pieces and accents and bookcases and accessories everywhere. But it turns out that I don’t like to dust, like at all. My lean towards minimalism is no longer just an aesthetic but it matches the more simplified lifestyle that I lead.

 

Even though I have lived most of my life in America, I was raised in a British home with Caribbean and Afrocentric influence. What I do remember from my time living in England is more so the memories of family get togethers and the feelings inside of homes, the fellowship and community. My love for smaller homes is probably a direct influence from England and how I grew up. I love the character and uniqueness found in England and in the architecture of homes, cathedrals, monasteries, and buildings.

 

Our home in England had a door to every space. I like the ability to be able to close off spaces and open spaces as you see fit. I also like open floor plans, but I can’t say I wouldn’t mind having a door to close off my kitchen because dishes are my nemesis.

 

 

A. This is a great question that I’ve never been asked before. There is a great amount of pride in being a Texan and there is a very rich history and culture here. From the Buffalo soldiers to activists, music icons and creatives,  picturesque landscapes and Hill Country, Texas is home to a beautiful culture. There is so much to learn and be inspired by here. Houston is the fourth most-populous city in the country and it is also a huge melting pot. The diversity is beautiful and allows for many meaningful connections and influences to be experienced.

 

Everywhere I have lived prior to Texas were states where homes were built with basements. Moving to Texas and not having that option was an adjustment. I felt like homes lost an entire floor of living and storage space. Media/ game rooms and outdoor living spaces are how that additional space is made up for here and it allows for fun and creativity in design. I enjoy working on theaters, game rooms, and outdoor spaces where people come together. I like being able to bring ideas to a space and provide beautiful solutions so that people can enjoy their homes. 

 

 

 

A. I selected my outdoor space because I knew we would be spending more time out there just enjoying the backyard with the kids and also it was a safer way to gather with friends. I wanted to create a lounge space for the small patio area.

 

I wanted to incorporate my favorite color which is mustard yellow. I love that color mixed with black and white. I also have a love for plants, so I wanted to bring some jungle vibes through greenery. I had my heart set on a swing because there’s nothing more relaxing than rocking in a swing on a summer evening. My goal was for the space to be inviting and relaxing, a great place to start your day, to escape midday, or unwind after a long day. I accomplished that by bringing in cushioned seating, a large swing, plants with broad foliage and hanging plant baskets, a drink cart for beverages and some hurricanes with candles for ambience and mosquito repellent. I added some fun with color and animal prints which I am a big fan of. Using a large graphic rug really grounded the space and gave it a more indoor/outdoor feel.

 

If you plan on tackling your outdoor space I would absolutely say go for it. Let it be the space where you have a little more fun. You don’t have to continue the color palette that you have in your home. Your outdoor is a great area to bring in reds, greens, pink, purple, orange and yellows and all the colors that you might find to be too much inside but work really well for an outdoor space. Add greenery, comfortable seating and pillows, lighting through candles, string lights and lanterns to set a mood. A drink/snack cart makes yummy things accessible. 

 

 

A. So here’s the thing, I’m actually not a lover of blue, but my clients are. I do have some touches of blue in my home, my kids have blue in their rooms and in my guest room, but that’s about enough for me. I really do enjoy working with blue. There are so many beautiful shades of blue from light to dark to bluish greens to deep moody royal blues. I find blue to be a very popular color. 

 

The perfect blue is the shade of blue that you fall in love with. Whatever feeling you want to create in the space I do believe that there is a blue that can speak to that. Whether it be calming, soothing, and relaxing, or deep and moody, formal, bright and playful, or somber, there’s definitely a blue for that.

 

Without calling in a color expert or an interior designer to select the color for you, the biggest thing when it comes to picking colors is accounting for the amount of light in the space. Natural light, light from lamps and overhead lighting and the light reflectance value of the color all affect how we see the color. My biggest advice is to sample the color. The color is never going to look the same in your space as it does in the store. I always recommend not just using the swatch from the paint department but ordering 8×11 swatches, or to get the sample pot of paint and paint pieces of cardstock or a poster board. That will give you a very large swatch and you can move it around the room. What does it look like on the wall closest to the windows?  What does it look like on the wall furthest from the windows? What does it look like in the morning versus the evening? What does it look like on a sunny day versus a cloudy day? Consider your trim color and the furniture and decor that you’ll be using in the space when selecting your color.

 

How do you balance out a color? I think that you first have to decide what balance looks like for you. For some people, balance is offsetting a color with white or another neutral. For some people, balance is using a complimentary color. Or balance can look like a monochromatic room with blue walls, a blue ceiling, blue trim, blue decor and being enveloped in a room of different tones of blue. 

 

I mean what is balance anyway? Do what you love. 

 

 

A. I am excited about working on decorating my home. I’m definitely my worst client because I just have so many ideas and can’t seem to settle on anything. I think the conclusion that I’ve come to recently is that my home will probably always be a rotation of the things that I like. Instead of forcing myself to like one thing; my home will be a constant evolution of who I am at that particular time, and I’m really okay with that. I mean there’s really no limit on how many times you can repaint a wall.

 

 

A. I think the biggest thing that I want to share with people who are designing their homes and different spaces is to take the pressure off. I think we’re overwhelmed with so many “beautiful” images of what a home should look like that it almost feels paralyzing when we have to choose a paint color or furniture. I really want to encourage people to love their homes even if they don’t see that reflected on social media. There’s more to your home than the things in it. Your presence and energy do so much more for a space than any luxury item could.

 

I also want to encourage people to seek inspiration from all over. Just because you want to update your living room doesn’t mean you should type in “living room update” in the Pinterest search bar. You can find inspiration for your home in restaurant design, bed and breakfasts, boutique hotels and cultural influences outside of where you live. Broaden what you take in and let the world be your inspiration, not just one influencer, designer or Pinterest board.