2021 Project Recap: We WORKED this Year!
The year is hours from being out, and another wild one it was! For me personally, this was the year I did the most design work, and the most diverse portfolio of design work ever! Not to mention, this was the first full year of Concept417, my Interior Design brand! So to have completed as many projects as we did - and I say “we” because for the majority of the year, I relied HEAVILY on the help of my parents - I consider this year a win! I now thankfully have a design assistant, Anthony, so we can’t wait to continue creating in 2022!
But for now, I want to reflect on my top 10 interior projects! As this was my first year operating independently, there was so much I had to learn. Consider it on-the-job training. Although there was some nervousness that went into taking on each project, what really powered these projects was a passion for what I do, belief in my abilities, and the solid support from my family and clients alike! And y’all we had some FUN!!!
Ok, now let’s get into my top 10 projects!
10: Oasis IV Redo - Sponsored by HomeGoods
Photography: Kim Thomas
For a year or so previous to this makeover, I’d been looking to create a true oasis for my home. At that time, vacations were still off-limits due to the pandemic, so it was very important that I have a space to relax on my property that felt like a tropical getaway! I also wanted somewhere where my family and I could gather while still practicing social distancing. During the time of this project, I was managing three additional client projects and one more design project that would see a national stage - which was being designed virtually. Too, this was my first interiors-related brand campaign . . . EVER! So the excitement alone around that was at an all-time high!
Backstory: Outside of providing me with a space that I’ll forever cherish and will enjoy every spring, summer, and fall, with this being my first brand partnership, I learned A LOT about the process and was able to apply those learnings to future partnerships.
I forgot to mention, I had a total of 5 days (collectively) to bring this space together to what you see now - from shopping for items to staging and conducting a photo shoot . . . ‘twas a lot! But I wouldn’t change this experience for anything in the world.
9: Grigio Sunrise Office
This was another one of my favorite projects I completed back in July for a friend. Working from home was still very much a thing during this time, and since she’d just switched jobs, the client wanted to make sure she had an office where she could feel productive during the day, and be able to unwind - with a glass of wine - after work was done. As I do with all of my clients, I asked the homeowner to tell me what song inspired her vision of her space. This song of choice? Grigio Girls by Lady Gaga! After listening to the song, and pulling from her inspiration board, the textures, colors and patterns shown in the above video are what made this room’s design truly come to life! Too, I’d be remiss to say THANK YOU to my parents for their help with this project, as well. Mom and dad were my assembling team for ALL of the office furniture!
P.S. the "sunrise" in the title comes from the sunrise mural I painted on the back wall. You can check out how I created that mural here!
8: Apartment Therapy x Home Depot
Photography: Christopher Broe
For this particular project, this was my second time working with Apartment Therapy, and my first time partnering with Home Depot! Another dream come true for 2021! The premise of this project was to promote Home Depot’s online catalog of furniture and accessories while showcasing our individual styles. Three designers were chosen and given two base pieces of furniture - the table and the sofa. From there, we had to select accent furniture, accessories, and wall colors/coverings.
Two things: this was another virtual design project, and I was on a self-care vacation when the assignment came in! This was the time I needed to take before starting my big restaurant project - you’ll read about that project a little further below! I am big on honoring my time for self-care, but I’m also all about not passing up opportunities of a lifetime! Thankfully the representative I worked with at Apartment Therapy was understanding, and I was able to get my design in on time . . . Buuuuuut, I have a confession. This room was designed and fully sourced during my plane ride home from vacation. I then finalized the color palette during a visit to my favorite lake the following day. It was imperative that I gave my all for this project - as is the case for every project! But this was extra special since I’d finally gotten the opportunity to partner with Home Depot - something I wrote on my 2021 goal sheet! Y’all my heart could explode with excitement!
7: Operation Curation with David Headquarters, a.k.a My Home Office
Photography: Anthony Hardge
Y’all, I’d been needing a formal home office for SOME TIME now! From interior projects to jewelry design, my operations were spread from one of my home to another. I needed to centralize my practices into one space, while designating a space for me and my (growing) team to focus and get things done. And of course, I wanted my new office to be as inspiring as it was reflective of my style! So after a couple of months of planning out how I wanted the room feel and function, I communicated the necessary furniture pieces, accessories, and wall coverings to my brand partners at the time - Living Spaces, Revival, and Chasing Paper - and “Operation Curation with David Headquarters” was born! To read about all the room details, tap here.
Backstory: Because of furniture delays we all faced this year, this particular project got pushed back a few months at a time. Once all pieces aligned - the rug, wallpaper and furniture - I was in the THICK of the restaurant project . . . and I mean in the thick of it. My wallpaper installer who was working on the restaurant had just informed me that he was going into retirement and that he’d possibly take on this project. After some convincing, he decided to do me this solid! Also, a majority of the furniture needed to be assembled. Since I was the project manager for the restaurant redesign, most of my time was being spent on site. Just know, Trish and Dave (the parentals) came to the rescue - again - and assembled my furniture for me. I love them with everything I have!
6: The Sunroom of my Dreams
My sunroom has always been one of my favorite spaces in my home - always! In fact, it was a major selling point when I was looking for homes! This room now is where I relax, start my mornings, end my nights, and if you follow me on Instagram, is where most of my “good morning” videos are filmed. Since February - May were some of my toughest months in learning about my growth as a designer and one with a bit of national presence, I dreamt of a room where I could spend the summer, gazing into the golden hour sun. I HAD to complete this room. Due to client projects and brand commitments, this project was put off for a little bit . . . like mid-summer. Alas, it is now complete and I can’t wait to spend a full winter, spring and summer in the sunroom of my dreams. For more room details, check out the sunroom’s blog post.
Backstory: during the time of my HomeGoods partnership for the patio, my sunroom served as the base storage area for ALL of the furniture and accessories needed to bring those spaces to life. Y’all . . . it was something else in there! Since I thrive better in a home that’s organized, I’d sometimes close my eyes as I scooted through this room to go outside. It took a while to restore order to my sunroom. But once I did . . . I make sure my eyes are wide open to take in just how much I love it in there!
5: Golden River Project
Now we’re getting into some of my extreme favorites of projects! This dining room design was for a really good friend and artist I have admired for some time now! For this design, color was the name of the game, and we expressed our love for it in a BIG way. From the beautiful purple - “Purple Rain” - walls to the chartreuse chairs and window treatments, to the layers of culture through art and other decor, and the table the homeowner built by hand, the Golden River project will forever hold a special place in my heart! Here’s the full project breakdown.
Backstory: The install for this project was one where my parents were heavily involved! This was also one of the last jobs where I and/or my parents were primarily responsible for the installation - so even though it was a lot of hard work to get done in a short amount of time, I will always love the time we got to spend together, listening to Funk radio, while bringing a friend’s dream dining room to reality! Too, there was a lot of bts documentation of this project! Just check out the Golden River Project highlight on my IG!
4: #PowderRoomProject
What a time I had designing the #PowderRoomProject!! This project, from beginning to end, is definitely one of my favorites, and for so many reasons! Here’s more on the design details of this project!
Backstory: this was the FIRST time in my independent practice that I’d worked with a contractor! I’d observed the work of this particular team for a while, so picking the contractor was essentially easy. However, given everyone’s workload since home projects were at an all-time high during this phase of the pandemic, I was worried that they wouldn’t accept my project. To my surprise, they were available and ready! There was A LOT of bts documentation that went on here - just check out the “Powder Room” highlight on my page! We had some serious fun and this project became a hashtag that gained popularity in the city . . . and would ultimately feed the inspiration of me getting hired for project number 2 on the list!
3: Small Cool Experience with Apartment Therapy
Photography: Rikki Snyder
An ENTIRE dream come true! THIS project was what lead to my national exposure as a designer. As I type this out, I start to cry all over again because I remember how it felt getting the email that I was chosen to be a Small/Cool Experience designer! I mean, all of my favorite designers had participated in this event in years past. And now I would join the roster?! There’s a whole deep-dive into how special this project is to me, here.
Backstory: So, during the time of this project, I was also working on my partnership with HomeGoods, AND a few client projects. This was a big deal to me and I had to get this right! For me, I had to! This was a virtually designed space as well. But please know that after all of the hard work that went into it and I got the FaceTime call from the AT team showing me how the room turned out . . . I wept. I wept BIG TIME! To see a vision come to life in such a beautiful way is something I will forever cherish!
2: Pantà - My First Restaurant Design!
Photography: Sarah Rossi
This project will soon get its very own blog post. There’s SO much to unpack, so many learnings to share! Here are the basics:
We had 21 days to complete this redesign.
I almost turned down the job because of MAJOR imposter syndrome - glad I didn’t
The contractor team - Handyman Pro - knocked this one OUT THE PARK!
My mom curated the plant wall leading into the Dragon Room
Again, I will do a post solely for this project. Just know that with this being my first major commercial project, in such a historic part of town, with a 3-week turnaround (we did custom furniture, murals, electrical work, and all), Project Pantà broke me of my imposter syndrome! Here’s a beautiful write up about it in City Lifestyle Magazine, and to check out ALL of the bts, take a look at the Pantà highlights Pts. 1 - 3 on my page.
1: GYM IV - Family Time with a side of Construction
Because fitness is such an important part of my life, having a place to safely work out - and at the height of the pandemic - was essential. So, I along with my parents converted my carport into a full home gym! Starting in November, and finishing up at the end of February, we worked long hours to bring this home gym of home gyms to life!
What makes this particular project so special and worthy of my number one project of 2021 is that it was built out of every fiber of love. During this phase of the pandemic, social distancing and quarantining from individuals outside of your home was in full swing. Since my parents and I have the tradition of Sunday dinners, and “yard drinks” were out of the question during the winter months, this project was a way for us to safely spend time with each other, not missing out on the family time we value so much! in fact, our family time increased since this was such an extensive project. And this increase of human contact couldn’t have come at a better time since the short days and cold temps of winter can bring on SAD. Not to mention, we were still in the middle of a pandemic! The love poured into this design has no comparison. Read a little more about the design process in this write-up from Apartment Therapy! And for the bts, check out the GYM IV highlight on my page!
And to sweeten the deal, here’s a little video showing the gym in all its glory. And of course, my parents introduce the video with the last pull of tape from the gym floor - this was the “ribbon cutting”!
Y’all, 2021 for many reasons will go down as one of my favorite years - despite everything going on. During this year I was able to grow as a designer, hone in a little more on my practice, and complete the ultimate dream of working with my parents on design projects! I honestly look forward to my growth as a designer in 2022, and I’m going to put out there that by the end of next year - I want my own show documenting the design process, my life as a designer and all the ins and out that inspire me to keep going!
Dassit, I’ve said it!
I’ve got a list of other goals for this year as well. And as long as I keep my passion ignited, I can’t wait to see how far I fly!
I can’t thank you enough for your support during this year! Now, let’s make 2022 a year to remember!
