Alumni
Grad Launches Retail Space Dedicated to Interiors
Orange County native Summer Meddock was destined for a creative career. As a young girl, she’d sketch and color bikinis. By high school, she was designing her own line of handbags, and when she started living on her own, she fell in love with home goods. “Creativity and art have always lived in me,” says the FIDM Beauty Marketing & Product Development Graduate who runs her own design firm, Meddock Interiors, and just opened a retail space in Orange County called Storehouse. We caught up with the busy entrepreneur to learn more.
What was your path to FIDM? I wanted to start my own cosmetic line. I knew community college wasn't for me and in order to go through another round of academics, it would take a big dose of creative incentive. I had fun building my college submission; I created a line of face and body bronzers, inspired by my favorite cosmetic line at the time, MAC.
Which campus did you attend? I attended the Orange County and LA campuses and graduated in 2002. Fun fact: My graduating class was the first to experience the Beauty Marketing & Product Development major!
What were you doing prior to becoming an interior designer? I worked for Estée Lauder as a Regional Makeup Artist during and after my last year at FIDM. A couple years later, I went into corporate sales/marketing for a laptop case manufacturer, Mobile Edge. I got married and we started having babies right away, which shortly after, propelled me into a season of working from home.
I left my corporate position in search of my creative routes. I launched an Etsy shop, Hemp & Wood, where I designed, built and sold custom wall art. After the closure of this business, I took time off to be more present with our three kiddos who were ages one, two, and three at the time. A year later, I launched Meddock Interiors with a self-made website, Instagram profile, and zero interior design experience. I booked my first client within two months!
What are you best known for design-wise? I've always loved making a house feel cozy and beautiful. My blueprint is texture, organic details, neutral palettes, mixed metals, and global influence. My motto is "finding simplicity in the details.” I love the details.
Tell us about your new retail space Storehouse in Costa Mesa: Storehouse is a collection of curated moments and pieces to elevate your home and help tell your unique story. Monthly Storehouse events are created for the community to gather, shop, mingle, munch, and sip. It’s an art gallery type of experience where each vignette has a story and local artists and tastemakers join the event to share their handcrafted work.
What are the challenges of launching a store in the midst of a pandemic? Personally, it's challenged my mental and emotional strength. For the first time, I was forced into taking time to analyze and question everything I was doing, and how I was doing it, leading up to that point. The first two months I came out guns blazing, creating content, writing blog posts, making virtual design clips, and cross-networking with other people in the home industry.
Then the reality of slower income hit and family struggles on top of that. It’s taken a lot of faith, coffee, and encouragement from friends, family, and community to keep persevering, reinventing, and trusting the journey. Seeking professional guidance in business was a helpful step to overcome the challenges. My business coach helped me set intentions during this time which was a huge help.
How did FIDM help prepare you for entrepreneurship and a career in design? FIDM opened Pandora’s Box and showed me that anything was possible. I couldn't ask for a better college experience. Some of my favorite classes were Color Theory, Fundamentals of Fragrance, and Skincare & Wellness.
Learn more at meddockinteriors.com and on Instagram @meddock_interiors.
Categories: Beauty Marketing & Product Development Interior Design Alumni
