I always had an interest in art, design and architecture – even as a little kid – so interior design is a good marriage for me. I knew it would be a pursuit that would never leave me bored. I wanted to make a more stable career move after having worked in the theatre world, so I took an introductory interior design course with a designer named Doshia Porta. After her class, I was inspired and never turned back.

Are you considering any other future education or degrees”

I have recently thought about pursuing further higher education in Sustainable Design or possibly a Green MBA with a Design/Construction or Facilities focus if I can find it.

While you were in design school, did you have an internship” If so, how did you get it and what did you learn from the experience”

While in school, I worked for a licensed design firm, Nichols-Scott Interiors in Daytona Beach, Florida. My professor, Doshia Porta, had me make a trip there to pick up fabric books being donated to the school by the firm. Doshia knew I wanted to immediately begin working toward my interior design license, and Nichols-Scott was one of the very few design firms in the area with licensed designers. She knew if I spoke with them that they would surely take me on as an intern.

Nichols-Scott was a partnership, and I worked primarily with Judy Nichols. She was instrumental in shaping my level of professionalism in this field, and she gave me more opportunities than most interns ever receive. After working as an assistant on her projects, she permitted and encouraged me to have my own clients and projects. Because of her, I learned how to handle client and contractor meetings and gained insight into how to run projects in a small design firm. I learned billing, ordering, how to do work orders, and basically how to really be a designer. She involved me in residential, model home and commercial projects, so I gained experience in all three of these areas early on in my career.

What kind of companies have you worked for since you graduated and what have you learned from them”

After my internship, I continued working for Nichols-Scott, and my responsibilities grew as Judy needed me to take on more work. I learned how to create finish/color packages for some high-rise condo projects, prepared specifications and collaborated with the other contractors and consultants on the jobs.

While there, I also had the opportunity to participate in several model home installations, which helped me earn my next position as a model home designer in Orlando, Florida. From there, I learned lessons in time management, sometimes having ten or more projects at one time, often in different stages. That position also taught me about marketing, as we had to design models to meet the builder’s target market and “sell” the home.

It was one of the few firms that I have encountered where the designers never acted as if they were in competition with each other. We voluntarily helped each other on projects and regularly sought out each other’s opinions. I hope to find that rare team atmosphere again because I learned how the project truly benefits from that open collaboration.

Model home design turned out to be a good bridge to commercial work when I saw the residential market turning and decided to expand my design experience. I took a position as an Interiors Project Manager for a commercial design firm that provided design services, interior finish supply and installation, and commercial furniture. I learned how to estimate materials and bid on private, government and educational projects for finishes and furniture. I had the opportunity to project manage several projects and gained sales experience, making sales calls, drafting proposals, and working to win contracts in a tough market.

I also worked in several positions (pre-design school) in showroom sales and visual merchandising. I learned how to relate to the customer as I assisted them with their lighting fixture selections and studied how to create pleasing and creative vignettes to merchandise products. That experience helped me later to merchandise model homes, as did my experience dressing stage sets, where it’s more interesting and memorable to the viewer if the setting tells a story on its own.

You are currently working for yourself as a scenic, faux finish and mural artist. How did this come about, and what are the pros and cons of having your own business”

I did this kind of work as an independent contractor throughout my time at the University of Central Florida and while in design school in Daytona, as well as during my time spent in Chicago as a professional scenic artist. I did theatrical painting at the university and for local professional theatres, and mural and faux work for designers. When I found myself out of work from the recent economic crisis, I went back to this kind of work as a scenic artist on children’s productions for some local educational theatres.

I value the freedom of being an independent contractor, but it does get stressful not knowing when and where your next job may be. Taxes are also hefty for self-employment, and keeping track of possible deductions can get tricky. I am definitely still learning how to manage the business specifics. Physically, this type of work is surprisingly demanding and has been very hard on my body. Quality, affordable health insurance is a struggle for me in this business as well.

You are a LEED Accredited Professional [LEED AP]. Which exam did you sit for, what led you to pursue that accreditation, and what was the biggest challenge when studying for it” Also, how have you used – or how are you planning on using – the knowledge that you attained during the process”

I sat for the New Construction exam in February 2008. My ambition to pursue LEED Accreditation started while I was in design school and working at Nichols-Scott. My professors and Judy fostered my interest. I went to a Greenguard Indoor Air Quality seminar and became concerned about the health of our buildings. I learned about the USGBC and joined as a Central Florida Chapter member.

I applied for a general scholarship from the Volusia Home Builders Association (out of Daytona Beach), with the assistance of Nichols-Scott. I vowed I would use the money for my pursuit of a green certification, and when I won, I purchased a LEED Reference Guide for New Construction and used it in my studying.

My greatest challenge in studying came from my lack of building site knowledge and mechanical systems. The Commercial Interiors track was still in its pilot stage when I started on my way to becoming a LEED AP. However, I am thankful that I did New Construction because I feel the approach to sustainable design and construction has to be a holistic one, and it is important for me to know about all of the factors involved in creating a complete healthy, green, and efficient building. People have recognized that green materials alone do not make a green or sustainable building.

To apply my LEED AP status, I have volunteered to work on what is called a Legacy Project through my local USGBC chapter. The chapter sponsors a local project for LEED registration and provides the team of volunteer LEED APs. This will be my first LEED project, and I will most likely be assisting with the LEED submittals for the materials used on the project. LEED v3 is underway, and it will challenge me to take my accreditation to the next level, starting with this project.

Are you planning on taking the NCIDQ Exam” If so, when will you sit for it and how do you think that you will prepare”

I actually just received my exam results, and I passed! I am thrilled! I passed the Practicum last fall, and I took the multiple-choice portions this past spring. I feel confident that my decision to take the exam in parts was the key to passing the exam on the first attempt.

In preparation for the drawing half, I took the ASID STEP workshop and did a lot of practice problems on my own. I did the first one or two without timing myself, but then I worked up to timing myself and devoted quite a few Saturdays to doing timed trial runs.

For the multiple-choice, I went through the Ballast book, Interior Design Reference Manual: A Guide to the NCIDQ Exam, at least twice and made a comprehensive outline. I got together routinely with a couple of friends, and we would ask each other questions, share strategies, and provide much needed moral support.

It’s amazing to me how much going through this process bonds you with others striving for their NCIDQ certification. Even at the test site, with perfect strangers, we were rooting for each other.

Are you a member of any professional organizations” If so, which ones, what have you gotten out of them so far, and what do you hope to get out of them in the future”

Finances allowing, I am hoping to remain a member of ASID. I am also a member of NEWH, Sunshine Chapter. I continue to be a USGBC Central Florida Chapter Member as well.

NEWH has been great for networking with those in the hospitality field. My membership in the local chapter of the USGBC has greatly increased my knowledge in green construction practices, and it keeps me current, which is invaluable because the field seems to change everyday. It also has been beneficial for networking with people sharing a common goal. My ASID Chapter hosts good local education sessions.

How was design school experience similar / different than you thought it would be”

I knew from my previous education in theatre design that design school would cover a lot of the same material as far as drawing skills, lighting, presentations and history courses. I assumed that I would again be pulling all-nighters, and I was correct in my assumption. Where it differed was in how much more of the coursework was devoted to the practical applications over the theory. I appreciated that because I feel that it is better preparation for working in the field.

Since you graduated and have accumulated some experience, has your impression of the industry changed” What’s been the biggest surprise”

Between my schooling and my work experience while in school, I had a pretty realistic impression of the industry, at least within the areas that I had already worked. I knew that it could be a lot of hours, a lot of deadlines, pressure and not as quite as glamorous as it is sometimes made out to be.

What I may not have been as prepared for, and what has surprised me the most, is how volatile the field can be. It has been a lesson in feast/famine survival. Judy would tell me that the design business can operate in waves and recede as quickly and easily as it rolled in. I now know how right she was, and I have to work to put myself out there with potential employers and clients and be vigilant regarding the future of my career. I have to constantly be looking toward the next opportunity, and try to stay afloat during the up-down cycles.

What do you hope to be doing by 2015″

In five or so years I would like to be in a senior design position with an architectural or design firm working on sustainable projects in commercial, hospitality, or themed design. I would also be happy if the near future led me into a career working for myself as a licensed, green interior designer.

Is there any other information that you would like to share with readers that we haven’t covered here”

I am currently working to add another credential to my LEED AP, and that is to become a Green Purchasing AP through the completion of the Green Standard training program. It will arm me with the knowledge to make the best informed decisions when specifying and purchasing materials and products for sustainable projects. I plan to apply it as a designer or possibly as purchaser in a facilities capacity.

On a more personal note…

What’s the one movie you watch over and over and why”
Ferris Bueller’s Day Off – I can’t resist watching when it’s on TV. I think it gets me because it takes place in Chicago, and I loved the movie even before I lived there. My favorite is the montage at The Art Institute of Chicago. I was like Cameron and “A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte” – you had to drag me away from so many of the paintings. Seriously, who wouldn’t want to skip school or work and spend the day in downtown Chicago”

What style would your ideal home be”
My neighborhood near downtown Orlando is made up mostly of renovated Craftsman-style bungalows, and I would love to own one. I have also become very interested in green modular housing, something like the Clayton Homes i-house would be awesome tucked away on a lot in North Carolina, or by the beach. I’m also a big fan of architect Michelle Kaufmann’s Glidehouse and some of her other home designs. My interior style would have to be eclectic.

What’s the last book you read”
The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell.

What do you hope to accomplish by the end of 2009″
I hope to be back to working full-time in the design industry by the end of this year, whether on my own, working for a green company or A&D firm, or any other capacity that may present itself. I am remaining open to any opportunity that will allow me to get back to work and continue to grow in this field.