Episodios

  • Following Her Passion: Melissa Fields’ Journey From the U.S. Air Force to Interior Designer

    Following Her Passion: Melissa Fields’ Journey From the U.S. Air Force to Interior Designer
    Aug 12 2025
    Many—well most—of us have a natural talent for the work we do in the interior design industry. We remember rearranging and redesigning our childhood bedrooms over and over again. And we practiced that skill in more ways than we can probably count. But when it comes down to the nitty gritty of what makes each of us successful, and aspires us to be successful for those just starting in the industry, it comes down to passion. And that’s what designer Melissa Fields discovered was driving her love for interior design at the end of a 20-year career in the U.S. Air Force. “Toward the later part of my career is when I really started thinking seriously about getting into design,” says Fields, who is Founder, CEO and Principle Designer at Shades of Gray Design Studio in San Antonio, Texas. “I enjoyed my career [in the Air Force] and it was an amazing experience, but I was ready to do what I was absolutely passionate about doing.” She opened her firm in 2018 and has been able to utilize a lot of her military experiences and lessons in her work. Scroll to learn more about Fields, the passion that drives her successful business today and the insight she shares if someone in the military is considering a switch to interior design in the future, and be sure to check out the full interview.
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    48 m
  • Strategy Was Key When Cheryl Luckett Launched Her Design Business

    Strategy Was Key When Cheryl Luckett Launched Her Design Business
    Jul 15 2025
    Most people don’t typically fly by the seat of their pants when starting a business, whether it’s launching a new app, opening a bakery or starting a design firm. But many people probably aren’t as organized as Cheryl Luckett was when she developed a plan to shift her profession to interior design. Luckett, the principle designer who owns Charlotte, North Carolina-headquartered Dwell by Cheryl, studied family and consumer science, with a concentration in nutrition, at Tennessee State University in Nashville, Tennessee. She says it was a dream job, but it just never felt right for her. “After being at a company for 15 years, I just started to feel like I couldn’t keep up the charade any longer,” Luckett shares. “I was being tapped for opportunities and to climb the corporate ladder, and I just didn’t feel right about it.” She took a career pivot, of sorts, taking a job that gave her a little more free time to do what she truly loves—interior design—and she ended up taking design classes at a junior college. Luckett knew she wanted to jump into interior design full time, but she also knew she personally would need a successful plan to make that happen. “I wanted to make sure I was well-prepared and positioned for success,” she says. “I had a 36-month exit strategy called Project 36. It gave me 36 months to get ready to make that leap, and I think that is what helped me make the leap with complete peace and to feel good about it and to not have that anxiety and nervousness about transitioning from my security’ to this wild world of entrepreneurship.” Since then, Dwell by Cheryl has grown by leaps and bounds, and she’s even been successful at collaborating with top-name brands. We had the pleasure of interviewing Luckett recently, learning about what makes her tick, her advice for transitioning careers and what’s it’s been like for her to collaborate with major brands in our industry.
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    32 m
  • Ericka Saurit's Marketing and Branding: Making Sure Clients See You as the Solution

    Ericka Saurit's Marketing and Branding: Making Sure Clients See You as the Solution
    Jul 15 2025
    “If you don’t give the market the story to talk about, they’ll define your brand’s story for you.” —David Brier, Award-Winning Brand Expert and Rebranding Specialist

    One of the biggest misconceptions Ericka Saurit—founder of Saurit Creative and Marketing School for Creatives—hears from interior designers is that marketing feels salesy.

    However, she believes good marketing can be an educational tool that helps interior designers position themselves as thought leaders, helpers, resources and guides in our industry.

    “The more you feel like that’s true, the less marketing will feel salesy,” she says. “Marketing really isn’t about you. It’s a conversation. It’s all about making sure clients see you as the solution to what they’re looking for.”

    We had the pleasure of interviewing Saurit recently to learn more about her journey in interior design, her Marketing School for Creatives, what strategies she believes interior designers should embrace when looking to gain high-quality clients, evolving trends in digital marketing and much, much more.

    [Click here to read the full article and be sure to watch the full video interview!]
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    52 m
  • Meet Jessica! Collaboration Is Key When it Comes to Vacation Rental Design

    Meet Jessica! Collaboration Is Key When it Comes to Vacation Rental Design
    Jul 2 2025

    “The whole point of collaboration is that you give and take from each other, and that’s how you create things that are totally new.” – Virgin Abloh, Fashion Designer, Artist and Architect

    We often think that we should keep all the good things to ourselves, for fear that sharing success may take away from our success. But when it comes to design, sharing and collaborating with others is incredibly beneficial in the success of a business.

    “I am extremely passionate about collaboration,” says Jessica Duce, Owner and Principal Designer of JDuce Design and Co-Founder of Vacation Rental Designers. “I truly believe your success comes from rising tides, meaning we all work together.”

    This is what led to Duce, who has been an interior designer for a little over 20 years, to co-found Vacation Rental Designers, as well as the VRD Summit and Vacation Rental Collective. These three types of design communities offer an abundance of support and resources for designing working in the vacation rental design space.
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    32 m
  • Our 2025 Design 360° Award Winner: Alisa Bloom

    Our 2025 Design 360° Award Winner: Alisa Bloom
    Jun 25 2025

    Congratulations to our 2025 360° Design Award recipient, Alisa Bloom!

    Special guest host, Carl Dellatore, sits down with Alisa Bloom Design to talk insights, creativity, and exploration!

    Visit https://designviewpoint.dsasociety.org/the-story-behind-the-style-meet-alisa-bloom-2025-designer-360-award-winner/ to read the article and see her work!
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    47 m
  • Paloma Contreras

    Paloma Contreras
    Feb 1 2024

    Welcome to Life by Design with Paloma Contreras!

    The Designer Society of America continues this digital series, Life by Design, which features in-depth conversations with designers and industry professionals. Today’s interviewee, Paloma Contreras, is an acclaimed designer based out of Houston, Texas.

    Paloma's design aesthetic offers a contemporary interpretation of traditional style, leaning towards classic silhouettes and enduring pieces. Infused with a touch of glamor and a burst of color, her designs strike a harmonious balance between timeless elegance and a refreshing modernity. Paloma's interiors are a seamless blend of enduring sophistication, meticulous attention to detail, and a thoughtful consideration of the interplay between form and function, enriching the experience of a well-lived life.

    Be sure to check out her new book, The New Classic Home: Modern Meets Traditional Style, and shop at Paloma & Co. Stay updated and learn more about her through her website and Instagram.

    Find her book: https://a.co/d/8NUtXEU

    Find her shop: https://shoppalomaandco.com

    Find her website: https://www.palomacontreras.com

    Find her instagram: https://www.instagram.com/palomacontr...
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    17 m
  • Carl Dellatore

    Carl Dellatore
    Oct 25 2023

    Welcome to Life by Design with Carl Dellatore!

    The Designer Society of America continues this digital series called Life by Design, which features in-depth conversations with designers and industry professionals. Today’s interviewee, Carl Dellatore, is also starting a series with DSA’s monthly newsletter called “Some Thoughts On…” where he shares ideas, experiences and a different perspective on the interior design world. Carl Dellatore has more than three decades of experience in New York’s design industry. He has established his work in textile design, as a workroom owner, and as a leader in content development through his work in shelter publications. Dellatore has produced four books for Rizzoli New York, including best-sellers Interior Design Master Class and Garden Design Master Class. A fifth book is in the works!

    To learn more about him, check out Carl’s consultancy and Instagram.
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    25 m
  • Benni Frowein

    Benni Frowein
    Aug 13 2023

    Welcome to LIFE BY DESIGN with Benni Frowein! Benni Frowein Schumacher CEO at F. Schumacher & Co. UK Designer Society of America has launched a new digital series called LIFE BY DESIGN that will feature in-depth conversations with designers and industry professionals, highlighting the unique missions and stories that make up the fabric of our DSA community. Benni (Benjamin) Frowein grew up in Hamburg, Germany. Already as a child, he loved helping his mother redecorate the house. Instead of following his passion, he moved to Madrid to study business administration. After graduating, he joined the Boston Consulting Group – the world’s largest strategy consulting firm. For almost a decade, he worked in Europe, South Africa, China, and Brazil on company transformations before he decided to finally follow his heart. In early 2016, he joined the famous American Design House, Schumacher as the President of the brand. Together with the team, he brought the 132-year-old company, Schumacher, to the 21st century by digitizing the customer experience and putting a strong emphasis on original designs. He now is CEO of Europe and the Middle East with the mission of expanding the iconic brand and bringing Schumacher back to it its original origin - where it all began in 1889.
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    33 m