We’re not going to lie. We chose Kelly Warfield to be our first professional spotlight for a reason: she’s talented, successful, fun, heavily involved in the industry and, thankfully, a personal friend. Basically, she’s everything we admire in a designer (actually, in a human being in general), and we love her for it. For those of you who don’t know her, allow us to do the introductions…

This native Texan grew up just north of Houston in Conroe, Texas, and she stayed in her home state for college, attending Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. Though she started out as a Communications Graphic major, she switched horses in mid-stream (we couldn’t resist the Texas theme) and earned her Bachelor of Science in Interior Design in May of 1996. During her college years she was fortunate enough to land an internship in Norfolk, Virginia, but she was drawn back to the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex after graduation and has been there ever since.

We asked Kelly how she landed her first design gig: “I worked for a small architectural firm in Dallas. I sent out several resumes after school… some even out of state. I interviewed and waited for the offers to flood in. The flood turned out to be a leaky faucet, and I went with what I was offered. It’s amazing how you have this ideal view of what you want to do when you get out of school. But you start to see the reality is just getting a job, getting your feet wet, and gaining the experience and knowledge to land you where your niche is.”

After landing a job, Kelly’s primarily goal was to pass the oh-so-dreaded NCIDQ exam so that she could become a Registered Interior Designer in the state of Texas. We asked her how difficult it was to pass the exam and if she wished she would have approached it any differently: “I took the ‘old’ exam, which does not mean I am old! The exam was 6 parts, 2 of which involved drawing. My studying consisted of reading the study manual. I passed 5 parts the first time, and it took only one additional time for my 6th part, which was multiple-choice. Even though I did not take the study course, I would highly suggest the IIDA study group to those trying to prepare. Not only does it set a regimented study schedule, but you get the opportunity to meet other designers in your same shoes.”

Kelly currently works for Beck Group in Dallas. P&C asked her to talk about the kinds of projects she now works on and to describe a “typical” work day: “Well… typical certainly is not a word I can use too often, which is part of why I love my job. I have had the good fortune of working on several different project types: commercial offices, civic offices, theatres, boutique retail, religious facilities, and healthcare. While my typical role is Lead Interior Designer on a job, what that encompasses depends on the team I am working with and the client needs. I’ll try to give a synopsis, though. I typically come into a project (ideally) in the design development phase and work with the architectural designer to develop an interior concept. Then I develop material and color palette schemes to present to the client and then eventually implement those decisions into the construction documents. I deal with clients on a daily basis to make them feel they are part of their final design.”

As we mentioned before, Kelly has talent, but she knows how vital it is to continue to develop skills that help her excel at her career. “The term Interior Designer can cover so many different roles which need all sorts of skills. As a my role as a Senior Interior Designer, I rely on my past experiences, outgoing personality, ability to visualize a final product, and ability to multi-task and prioritize.” She emphasizes the fact that you have to be open and willing to learn – not only from others, but also from yourself and the mistakes you’ve made.

On top of all the work she does daily for Beck, Superwoman Kelly finds the time to be highly involved with design industry organizations. She feels that this involvement has benefited her both professionally and personally: “While I am Past Director of Dallas, I have stepped into the elected role of President Elect for the IIDA Texas/Oklahoma Chapter. I have been very involved in IIDA for the past 5 years and have enjoyed every part of it. I started out in a small role – a committee chair for our annual Auction – and now here I am today. I have chosen to become more involved because of the people I meet each step of the way. This industry is completely built on relationships and respect. It’s important to get out there and meet designers at other firms and those at different career levels than yourself. The economy is ever changing, and it’s always good to know fellow professionals that can be of help. In my role now I have the benefit of meeting designers across the nation. Building those relationships is not something that happens behind a desk – it’s a matter of getting out to the events, having fun, and uplifting your profession with others.” Well put.

Lastly, P&C asked Kelly if she had any other message to all those aspiring interior designers out there. Her directive is one of professional awareness: “I want students and novice designers to know about legislation – the fact that our profession is regulated by the state government, which means we are actively involved in legislation to improve our profession. Our major lifeline to the goings on in Austin [the seat of Texas government] is the Texas Association of Interior Designers. TAID is our coalition and supports our lobbyist. Being a member of this kind of organization is vital to designers – it’s what protects our profession. We currently have a Title Act but will be going up for a Practice Act in 2005.”

Now for the deep, emotional questions…

P&C: What was your first job ever (not in the design industry)?

KW: I was a lifeguard at a water park called Splashtown USA. I kept the job for 2 summers and absolutely loved it!

P&C: What do you do for fun?

KW: I enjoy spending time with my friends & family. I also try to regularly compete in triathlons, so you can find me training for those in my spare time.

P&C: If you were a fabric, what kind of fabric would you be? [Our only Barbara Walters-type question. We HAD to have one.]

KW: Do you mean generically? For instance wool, polyester, etc? I’ll answer it both ways…. Generically I would say a wool fabric… it’s classic, soft, and not suitable for every application. Specifically, I would say Maharam’s pattern Repeat…. it’s tailored, yet energetic with a flare of style!