Sometimes, we stumble upon our passions by mistake. I never set out to be an interior designer, but once I got started, it felt like something I had always wanted to do. After getting to design some incredible projects, I wanted to turn all that hard work into something tangible. That lead me to start my own interior design brand. It’s a daunting task but I always look forward to new challanges, so I can’t wait to see where this takes me. For my new site’s very first blog, I’m gonna tell you a little about my interior design journey thus far!
How It All Started
At 21, I was obtaining my real estate license when I met Brian, my future husband. He was also working in real estate at the time. For me, selling houses was what it was all about, but Brian had other plans. Growing up on Maryland’s Eastern Shore, I wasn’t familiar with the housing market that exists across Baltimore. Brian wanted to get in on this. Early on in our relationship, Brian purchased an unfinished house on Baltimore Street. We were living in a tiny apartment at the time. I like to say that I was dragged to the city kicking and screaming. Growing up as a country girl, I wanted nothing to do with the city (crazy how things change!) Especially when Brian told me we’d have to move out of our apartment into the unfinished house because we couldn’t afford the bills on both.
Our First House
The truth is, I didn’t have much of a choice but to get involved in the project on Baltimore Street. I mean, I had to live there after all, so I wanted to make sure it was somewhere I actually wanted to live. With this very first house, I was able to explore my own design sensibilities and really develop a style. Detail by detail, our very first project began to came together, and each day, my appreciation for city living blossomed. A love for the sites and the sounds and the action. Something new to me but exciting. On top of that, the allure of getting to create my own space to live in from the ground up was hard to resist.
Initial Challenges
When I first began my interior design journey, things were very different in the interior design space. Over the years, a huge online community has grown for designers to share their work, inspire others, and interact with clients. Pinterest and Instagram were not nearly as popular as they are today, so it was harder to build an online presence geared towards inspiring others. A realization I’ve had throughout my design journey is that many homeowners aren’t exactly sure what their specific style is. You recognize a beautiful finished project, but trying to explain exactly what you like and why can be more challenging. That’s one of the most rewarding parts of being an interior designer: getting to help people articulate what their own style is. Now, three houses later, I’ve realized that even as a designer, my style can change from project to project. I hate being pigeonholed, so it’s important for me to be able to flex my creative muscles and try something new with each project I undertake.
Embracing Urban Design
A throughline for every project is evident though, and that’s an embrace of urban design. Online, it seems like so much of the design space caters to those who have all the square feet in the world to play around with. Now that I’ve become fully transformed from a country girl to a city girl, I’ve been able to recognize the gap in design inspiration for so many of us that live in the city. I hope to be able to change that. Urban design is about working within the space, about embracing modern aesthetics while applying your own unique spin. It’s about looking at the layout you have and reimagining how it can fit the needs of you and your family.
Although my design journey has been ongoing for many years, I’m so excited to explore this new chapter of getting to expand my brand and share it with all of you. Stay tuned for so much more to come!
–
Samantha Chance