Alumni
Interior Design Graduate Owns Interior Design Firm
Interior Design Graduate Barbara Town has been busy since receiving her Professional Designation Degree from FIDM in 2013. We recently caught up with the owner/designer of Town Lifestyle + Design to learn more about her exciting career in interior design.
What have you been up to since graduation? After graduation I spent a few years working for a local design firm, gaining a ton of experience in residential design. About a year ago I moved to San Antonio, Texas where I have since started my own company, Town Lifestyle Design, focusing on local and e-design clientele. Growing, learning, and building my portfolio has been a main focus as well as finding my personal design style.
What do you love most about having your own design firm? I love the connections with my clients. Being a one-man show, I get very close with the majority of my clients over the course of the design process. Even though most of my work is e-design and I never see them in person unless its over Skype or FaceTime, we still have a strong personal connection. Designing a home or even just a room is such a personal journey for both the client and the designer. I love being able to go through this transition with them on a daily basis.
Do you have an aesthetic/style you are known for? Typically, I don’t like to conform to one design style. I like mixing elements from multiple styles creating more of a casual and custom look. To me, this adds an extra layer to the design where things aren’t too perfect or expected.
How did FIDM help prepare you for your career? FIDM taught me everything I needed to know to launch a successful career in the interior design industry. I couldn’t do this job if it weren’t for the schooling I had. All of the technical codes, computer programs, and material sourcing I learned really set me up to become a successful interior designer. You can't teach experience, however, with the degree and the knowledge I left FIDM with, there was no problem walking into a full-time career.
Categories: Interior Design Alumni
