Why interior design?
My dad is a builder, so I’ve always had a passion for seeing how things come together. I like thinking about how design impacts people. How much do they need form over function or functionover form? At the end of the day, you should be able to achieve both.
What challenges about office space design excite you?
It’s less about your personal space at work. It’s more about being in a common space that you share. The challenge for me is in delivering both.
What advice can you give for designing offices that beautifully blend aesthetics with function?
Always start with function. Then give it personality with aesthetics.
In your experience, how has working with Crossville helped achieve your goals as an interior designer?
We were working on a project with a lot of technical data that needed to be sorted through on a tight timeline for a large format “showstopper” tile layout outside an elevator. We needed someone who understood tile properties, how to write specs, understood who to recommend for specific installers to get the correct process—everything from all angles. Having Crossville, a partner that’s really onboard to go the extra mile, made all the difference.
What have been your biggest takeaways so far as current President of IIDA Georgia?
As president, you look at things as a whole. You don’t get the opportunity to dig deep. I would like to see more personal growth for the members we have. How we are able to reach out to those designers, let them have a connection or a feeling of something to belong to, because we are a design community. We’ve got to help each other.
