This is a very special episode of The Chris Loves Julia podcast. Instead of our usual banter about DIY, Home Design and family, we interviewed four successful interior designers that are all self taught. Amber Lewis, Jenny Komenda, Shea McGee and Brian Patrick Flynn all open up about everything from their education backgrounds (in some cases, dropping out of school) to advice they would give to anyone trying to break into the field.
Listen to this and other episodes on: iTunes, GooglePlay, Stitcher, TuneIn.
Here’s a little more about the four self-taught designers we interviewed:
1. Amber Lewis | Principal at Amber Interior Design and founder and CEO of the blog, Amber Interiors.
Based in California, but designing all over the world, Amber makes her signature casual California design look effortless, cool, cozy, eclectic and unique.
Find her (and her amazing work) at amberinteriordesign.com , @amberinteriors on instagram, and check out her shoppe to get her signature look in person (in Calabasas) or online here.
2. Jenny Komenda | Interior designer and the owner of Juniper Studio, Jenny’s Print Shop and founder of the blog, Little Green Notebook.
Phoenix based, Jenny has been blogging about interiors since 2007! Her style is approachable, eclectic and the perfect mix of splurge pieces with budget-friendly DIY (she’s the queen!) mixed in.
Find more of Jenny’s work at juniper-studio.com, littlegreennotebook.com, @jennykomenda on Instagram, and her digital print shop jennysprintshop.com.
3. Shea McGee | Co-Founder and Creative Director of Studio McGee and McGee & Co.
Utah based, Shea’s bright and clean aesthetic has attracted a wait-list of clients and originally, no idea how to handle the workload. Studio McGee was created in a spare bedroom with lots of big ideas and no room for fabric samples and has grown into a massive empire.
Find more of Shea’s work at Studio-mcgee.com, watch their web series here, through their McGee & Co Shop and on instagram @studiomcgee.
4. Brian Patrick Flynn | Television producer turned interior designer. Founder of FlynnsideOut Productions, a full service production company specializing in lifestyle-related content.
Atlanta based, Brian’s style can best be described as soft-masculine and characterized by a unique mix of design styles, modern and classic art, unconventional color schemes and practical budgets. The designer primarily resides in Atlanta but frequently retreats his two alternate residences, the country home in the mountains of north Georgia and a Scandinavian pied-á-terre in Reykjavik, Iceland for creative inspiration.
Find more of Brian’s work on HGTV.com here, through his production company Flynnside Out, and on Instagram @bpatrickflynn.
The 6 questions you can expect to hear answered in this episode are:
• What is your education background?
• When did you realize design was something you wanted to do professionally and how did you make that shift?
• How did you grow your business, get clients, get noticed!?
• What role does social media play in your business?
• What’s something you still want to learn?
• What advice do you have for others wanting to break into the field?
This Episode is Sponsored by:
Blue Apron
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ThirdLove
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Julia!!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!
I have been meaning to listen to this podcast as soon as you mentioned the content.I love and follow Amber,Shea, Jenny and Brian! I am an interior designer in Tampa Fl and currently have between 3-6 others on my team depending on each project Spaces By Leah takes on. The questions you asked were perfect and their responses helped me both reaffirm, as well as examine how we operate. I too, have received no formal training. Although I am registered in my state as a professional in my field, their are industry-only sources that will not allow me to shop in their store (i.e. fabric marketplaces) without an ASID membership or another affiliation, that require a certificate, for the certificate, lol. SO, we just made direct contact accounts with the product sources instead. The marketplaces lost out on their cut. Thats the end all of what happens. But I wanted to share that point, if I may, with other up-and-coming designers, don’t be discouraged if that happens to you. You are more than a certificate says you are. Client satisfaction is where the true mark of success is. Also, offer to style/stage a public area at no charge (they fund the modest amount of materials) and let your skill be shown. I.e., upscale hair salon, plastic surgery clinic, etc. Somewhere their clients can potentially afford design services. Ask to set up business cards in lieu of pay for your work. Voila! ~ Thanks again Julia for such a brilliant podcast!!!
Wow ! Best podcast! So eye opening and inspiring! Thank you for putting this together :)
I loved this episode so much!!! It was so neat to hear what happens in this industry “behind the curtain.” Thanks for taking the time to interview them; it was so interesting!
Hey! Love your podcast, but I’m all caught up. I was just wondering if you have any favs you might suggest. Young House Love is already one I listen to. Thanks!
Love your blog, Insta and the podcast most of all! Just listened to Episode 57 (Q & A) and wanted to see some of the things you referenced…#57 is missing on your list of podcast notes. Am I missing something?
Thanks for making me laugh so hard – my commute to work flies by and I start the day in a great mood!
Check here!
Thanks1