I have always had a creative mind. Whether it be art, fashion, or interiors, I’ve always had a knack for color and pattern. All through my childhood every few weeks I would spend the whole weekend rearranging the furniture in my room, and that was my idea of fun. I should have known then that Interior Design was my calling.

In high school I took “Interior Design I” as an elective class, and LOVED it! But creative jobs like this are not a career path that is advertised in high school. So, when the time came to apply to college Interior Design wasn’t even on my radar as a possibility.

I applied with a projected degree in Communications, which I enjoyed, but after my Freshman year I realized my heart wasn’t in it. My mind kept coming back to Interior Design. In my Sophomore year I started looking into Interior Design as a career path but I was hesitant to uproot my life, leave my friends, and transfer schools (I’ve never been one for change).

But then I discovered Meredith College, an all girls college, literally (and I mean literally) less than a mile away from my University…. and…. they had Interior Design as a degree. I began obsessively researching every aspect of the degree, what it would entail, and what I would need to do to take courses. I was still reluctant to leave my current school, just because it was a big decision. Fortunately, I found a program where I could take classes at Meredith while still remaining a full time student at NC State. It was the perfect plan!

After tons of paperwork and planning I was officially “dual enrolled.” I began taking Interior Design courses at Meredith my Junior year and earned my minor in Interior Design my last semester Senior year. I loved my classes at Meredith and I felt like I was actually learning and was able to do well in them (school has never been my strong suit).

Re-wind back to sophomore year.

I knew I would need amazing experience on top of my education because even though I would have a minor it was not a degree, which many designers require employees to have. I started reaching out to every Interior Designer in the Raleigh area that I could find for internship opportunities. Some replied saying that they didn’t need an intern, some wanted a student seeking a design degree, and some just didn’t reply. I was getting discouraged. That was until I found Carole Hollowell.

Kappa Kappa Gamma House by Carole Hollowell

The sorority house next to mine had been getting a huge renovation and the interior was stunning! I did some research and found out who the designer was, it was Carole. I took a leap of faith and emailed her. She replied a few days later thanking me for reaching out and….. saying she would love to have me as an intern. They say it takes one person to believe in you, and Carole was that person for me. She took a leap of faith on me and I will always be thankful to her for that.

I worked with Carole off and on for a few months accompanying her to projects, meetings, and helping around her office. She even took me to my first High Point Market! Eventually our schedules got too complicated and my internship came to an end but we are still in touch and I will truly never forget that experience. She even referred me to Eatman’s, which is where I had my next internship.

Eatman’s Carpets and Interiors was very different than working with Carole but equally valuable. Eatman’s is a luxury/custom carpet retailer in Raleigh that designers and non-designers use to make their flooring dreams come true. While working at Eatman’s I learned a few things the first being…. sales are not for me. But seriously, this solidified my thoughts about wanting to work at a design firm.

The main thing I took away from my time at Eatman’s was client communication and relations. Which in my opinion, is priceless. I got to work hands on with real customers and that is invaluable. After my summer at Eatman’s I was going into my senior year and I knew I needed to find a solid internship at a reputable firm.

The hunt began.

I emailed EVERY interior designer in Raleigh to send my resume, introduce myself and beg (just kidding) for an internship. It was the same story as before some replied, some didn’t, some weren’t interested, etc. I finally got a reply and interest from MA Allen Interiors. I had been a fan of MA’s for a while and was very familiar with her work and firm so when I got an email back from her company, I was giddy. They asked to set up an interview and I got the internship! I was thrilled, I knew this would be the experience needed to really jumpstart my future career.

Working at MA’s was incredible, I learned so, so much. I ended up working there for the duration of my senior year and it was the best experience. I had the opportunity to learn along side the most talented team of women, it was a dream come true. I got to see the design process from start to finish, help at photoshoots, sit in on fabric presentations, and more. My 9 months at MA’s was amazing and I will always miss those ladies and be rooting them on from afar!

Now, back to my journey. Around December of my senior year I began looking into Interior Designers in DC, Nashville, and Augusta (long story for another day). But I began emailing hundreds of people….and I mean hundreds, to send my resume and introduce myself. One thing people don’t know about the Interior Design Industry is that jobs are hard to come by, they aren’t frequently advertised and they are hard to get. I was discouraged after barely anyone from my emailing sprees would reply.

But in January 2018 I got an email asking if I wanted to come in for an interview, it was in DC, but of course I did!! A few weeks later I went to DC for the weekend and interviewed at a firm, it was my first taste of my career and it made me SO excited. I wasn’t ready to make a decision yet in terms of location, which was fine because the job required a second tier interview anyway.

In March it was decided that DC would be my future home (job contingent) so the real hunt was on. Once again, I emailed hundreds of designers and only heard back from a hand-full. I was scouring Indeed every day looking for any job I was qualified for, and that’s where I found the “Design Assistant” position at Kelley Proxmire Inc. I had heard of Kelley Proxmire through my research of DC’s top designers and Instagram. I applied immediately. I heard back a few days later and scheduled a phone interview.

My phone interview lasted about 10 minutes and my phone kept disconnecting the call, talk about stress. Despite the technical difficulties it went really well and we scheduled a secondary interview via Facetime (thank God for technology). I had my Facetime interview a few days later and it took about 5 minutes. I thought for sure I didn’t get the job because the interview was so short. They said they had a few other candidates they were interviewing and would let me know on Friday (my interview was on a Wednesday). I got an email from the girl that interviewed me the next day, when I saw her name pop up on my phone I thought for sure I didn’t get it because they were letting me know a whole day before they were supposed to.

I opened my email hesitantly and…I GOT THE JOB. I immediately started sobbing, I was so happy and so proud of myself. All my months of research, job applications, hundreds and hundreds of emails finally paid off.

I have now been working at Kelley’s for nine months and I couldn’t be happier! I love my job and the people I work with. I have learned so much over the past nine months and I continue to grow as a budding designer everyday.

I can’t wait to see how my career continues to grow over the next few years. For now I am content working at a firm and continuing to learn but I have big dreams of owning my own firm one day. For now Something to Style Over will be the creative outlet I need to stay inspired and in touch with my design personal design eye while learning along side Kelley.

There’s always Something to Style Over!

xx, Lea

My Journey to Interior Design

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