Interior Designers, New York

Design, isn't that what it's ultimately about?

It is easy in the thrill of owning my own business to get swept up in everything and forget to enjoy the ride. I have never worked "for myself" before, and I must say, it is worth everything that it entails. I feel fortunate, in this ecomony that everyone talks so much about, to be busy and occupied every day.

I continue to work on my social networking, advertising, and website design ideas as I practice with simple sites like google and facebook. And among the projects that I am doing, I find time to take classes at the D&D building, NYSID (New York School of Interior Design), buy and read obsessive amounts of design books, and of course shopping.... I mean taking myself to the top design studios in New York for ideas and inspiration and to keep things I know and understand as fresh as I can.

I recently finished a project at New York Sports Med of upholstering 2 chairs. They turned out really great. Brown Leather club chairs with blue patterend material seat cushions. I am in the process still, as those of you that follow along know, of installing a kitchen in a clients home. This project has taken on a life all its own, and has a story to back it up. I will have to blog about lessons learned and useful information to pass on for othhers to benifit from.

The last few days I have been designing the layout and function of an office space (6x8 feet) shared by 3 physical therapists. They want maximum work space with minimum clutter and intrusion. The materials will be delivered in a week and we will start on that. It will no doubt be a fun stretch of my talents that will hopefully make a lot of people happy.

Design, isn't that whats it's ultimately about?

The world really is a better place when you smile.

I sit and wait while a kitchen that I have designed for a client is being installed. I have mixed feelings because it was not done on my terms nor was it the way that I wanted it to go. I am not a control freak by any means and I know that I am still new at the business of owning my own design company. I always like to see people happy, and that sometimes means that I suffer hardships without even realizing that I am doing it to myself!

I could elaborate on the situation, but its all miscommunication, and I am trying to make this turn out as positive as possible. It will ultimately be very nice and I can move on to the next client.

Meanwhile, my laundry is sitting in the public washing machine waiting on my return to finish drying it. I had to leave mid duty because the contractor was at the clients house earlier than I was told he would be.

Is it wrong of a client to schedule a contractor when I was hired to be the designer and take care of everything? I had contractors lined up to give different quotes and different services, yet on Valentines day (which was also a sunday) I got a call with 2 hours notice asking if I was available to meet the contractor that my client went out and hired without talking to me first. I know that life throws curve balls, and this is not even a big deal, but its not a way that I want to run my company and I wish I had the eloquence to say that to my client.

I continue to feel blessed that I have had the chance to do what I have so far in the design world. Everything is a learning process for me right now. I have to just act as a sponge and soak it all up.

The once long line of clients that I had waiting has been worked through and now I am relying on my social networking, word of mouth, and advertising to draw in more clients. What I thought would be an easy endeavor is turning to out be much more difficult than I expected on all fronts from financial to business to the personal skills that it takes to make a company grow. I better look into some basic business courses so I can learn how to create a business plan, and learn the essential tools that I will need to know that I do not already.

I started this blog with the hopes that I would be able to talk about what fantastic fabric I was using to cover chairs and the fabulous table I found for a clients dining room at an antique auction, but so far it seems I am going on about what it takes, and the other mundane details that go into what I am doing to earn a living in New York city.

Through it all, I try and keep smiling. The world really is a better place when you smile.

stay in the know, and the now.

Well, It's official. I am looking into the New York School of Interior Design. Its seems daunting, but no more so than creating my own successful business. One advantage over the other is that with my own business it involves me, and I can be in control of things, where as with applying to a school there are things that I can not control, like financial aid, tuition, acceptance, scholarships or grants. However, it only makes sense to me that if I want to be not just a good designer, but rather a great one, I need to seek out and use all of the tools that are available out there. A proper education, with the little piece of paper, is definitely on the top of that list.

As I sit in front of my computer, searching for clients and jobs being offered in design, as i work on my social networking (which is very important), advertisement(another biggie), or as i look into other things that will undoubtedly help me along, I can't help but wish and dream that someone will miraculously find me and ask me to redesign thier turn of the century, single family townhouse.

In the mean time I have projects enough to at least keep me occupied and a few of my bills paid.

I have a kitchen coming into a clients home next week, and that will involve cabinets, stunning counter top, sink, shelving and lighting. This is a design creation of my own and that will be a big fantastic thing. I can harldy wait to see how it turns out!

So, every day I try and learn something new about this life path I have chosen. I keep reinforcing my inspiration by reading other designers blogs, books, magazines and websites to stay in the know, and also the 'now' of design. I also enjoy taking myself to stunning showrooms and design galleries to actually see, in person, whats in and what I like.

Another day in the life of an up and coming NYC designer

I went to the D/D building (the place all designers want to be) for a class this morning. In the elevator up a nice man noticed that I was carrying fabric and struck up an elevator conversation. He invited me to his showroom after my class.

The class ended up being about history in design, and while thats all good and important, it really wasn't what I had in mind so I left and went to the Lorin Marsh showroom that I had been invited to 7 floors below. The man was incredibly nice and took time from his day to give me a tour of what the showroom had on display and the beautiful materials annd supberb craftsmanship that went into most everything there. We chatted as it snowed big heavy flakes outside.

I was shocked and impressed that people would pay $500,000 for a piano, or $75,000 for a table or even $4,000 for a side chair! I loved it. It filled me with hope and a dream that one day soon I would have a client that would require such attention to detail.

On the way out of the building I came face to face with the instructor of the class that I walked out on. She asked me my reason for leaving and I was honest with her. Little did I know that she was the head of a department at the New York School of Interior Design. She gave me a bunch of information and by the end of the day I was signed up for a lecture being given there tomorrow night! What a great foot in the door!!

All of this that is happening to me is really great. I am happy and excited that my dream is living out in front of me, and I am getting better in many ways at a lot of different things that will help both my company and myself to grow. There is a scary part of all of this spendor however...

I am not making a lot of money as I sit in class or on my computer all day working on social networking and advertising, as I write my blog or upload photos of things that inspire me to my website so people can see my style and follow along with me and my journey.

I am worried that I will not have enough money to pay bills. I really am. However, I also feel in my heart that what I am doing is right and good and it will be ok. Life and all of its micro situations is made up of good and bad as most of us know, so I just have to survive it and make the best of it as I go.

photo shoot

I spent pretty much the entire day yesterday staging and shooting an apartment that I designed. (mine)! I wanted as many photos as I could get for the different websites I am working on. My blog, my facebook fan page, Twitter, and my website. You can find pretty much anything by searching for "Julseth Design" on google. I suppose adding my name is a good idea also.

My head is swirling with ideas and worries about what it takes to undergo starting your own business. I have already started mine, and I have had really great luck, but at this point I am in pretty far and for some reason am wondering if I am doing the right thing!?

It seems that a very important part of the design business is keeping relevant and fresh. This means spending a lot of time reading other designers blogs, visiting design sites and writing my own material. Also keeping up on my social networking and advertisement. Things like Twitter, facebook, and blogging. That is just a few of the things that require a computer! I also need to get out and look at showrooms, take classes (which I signed up for at the D&D building, and might I say, not all of them are free!!) talk to other designers, and get ideas that I can implement in projects that Julseth Design is working on. This is all great, right? AND THEN..... I have to find and maintain clients.

I wouldn't say that this is the most important, but it sure is up there. Without clients, basically I would have no business. No money coming in to keep furthering my company's ideas and goals. So, for someone who has always worked for someone else these are the things that are on my mind. I guess I need to talk about them and get them out of the way so I can start blogging on things that are design related, like fantastic wallpaper and brilliant pieces of furniture.

I am going to a clients house today where a kitchen that I designed from the ground up is being delivered. I am very excited about it. This is an apartment that I have totally redesigned. Everything including new floors, wall coverings, art, furniture, and lighting. The biggest things I have saved for last. The kitchen, and the bathroom.

I guess my next blog will be the story of this client and what I had to go through to arrive at what they wanted, with the budget I was offered, and the conditions of the apartment before I started.

So, there ya go! Stay tuned my friends.....

cliff-

first night

I am beginning on a journey. There are no doubt a million people who are blogging, so I hope with all of the people out there both reading and writing, there will be some people that I can come in contact with. People that I can be genuinely interested in reading about and others that will be interested in reading about me.

I came to New York City after a little more than 2 years ago. I have a fantastic apartment, a fantastic boyfriend and pretty much a fantastic life, albeit with not a lot of money, I have enough to survive which in this place is saying something!

I worked for a designer in Chelsea for what seemed like a long time but I noticed that things were not moving forward for me there. I was taking care of a lot of things (most things) on all of the projects in clients homes and businesses while he was away and found myself wondering why I was not doing this for myself instead of being paid minimally for doing someone elses job.

As the world had it, the designer was hit by the same economic woes that so many others were feeling and he could no longer afford to have me around. Perfect time to move on~! It was a friendly parting of ways.

I basically stumbled upon my first big client and since then I have been submerged in multiple projects and a fantastic world of interior design.

I wake up every day excited about the day ahead of me, I go to bed feeling accomplished, and the best part is that I have no crabby designer boss telling me what to do, talking down to me or making life anything but wonderful!

I am so insanely serious about making this company of mine work. I really hope to attract the attention of the right people and have myself in the right places at the right times so I can make leaps and bounds forward.

My blog is called Traditionally Designed because of my favorite style. Traditional.

There will be much more to come!

thanks for reading.