We were lucky to catch up with Alisha Taylor recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Alisha, we’re so appreciative of you taking the time to share your nuggets of wisdom with our community. One of the topics we think is most important for folks looking to level up their lives is building up their self-confidence and self-esteem. Can you share how you developed your confidence?
Developing design confidence and self-esteem within my industry has come over time. As a young designer many years ago, I quickly realized how much I didn’t know, and I wanted to learn. I would visit custom home jobsites and make a point of asking LOTS of questions. Most of the builders and project managers were patient with me and answered my questions, but I also wasn’t afraid of asking the tradesmen and the installers who were on site. I found that the true craftsman behind these beautiful custom homes were eager to explain their craft and were so proud of the work they were doing. I discovered that designing and building a custom luxury home is a team effort, and it involves working with an experienced educated architect as well as the talented craftsman on the jobsite. The more questions I asked, the better I was prepared for the next project. And now with over 20+ years of questions, I enjoy helping my junior designers build that confidence and self-esteem.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
My passion for interior design started when I was in the 6th grade and I ‘redesigned’ my school classroom furniture on the back of a school assignment. I arrived at school the next day to find the classroom rearranged based on my design with a note on my desk from my teacher that read, “You should think about being an architect or designer someday.” I have been creating and redesigning spaces ever since.
I started my own interior design company in 2001 eager to sketch, draw and watch my designs come to life in newly built beautiful custom homes. I’ve always focused on new construction because of the technical knowledge and CAD skills it requires as an interior designer. Before the furniture can even be thought about, there are tile layouts to draw, extensive ceiling plans to draft and detailed cabinetry to think through. Once the build details are all drawn and passed off to the builder, it’s time to focus on the furniture and softer side of interior design.
My favorite part of my job is to walk through a completed project right before we pass it off to the homeowner to enjoy. Years of work, hundreds of detailed scaled CAD drawings, countless hours of selections, and endless decisions all result in a beautiful home!
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
The most impactful skill that has been key to my journey as a successful interior designer is AutoCAD (computer aided drafting software). I was a young adapter to utilizing computer drafting as an interior designer back in the early 2000’s but was able to stay ahead of other firms. And now as a company, we utilize many software programs to help us be accurate in our designs and to help our clients visualize our designs. I would tell younger designers to learn the latest drafting software and to keep up on it. The design schools do a fabulous job teaching AutoCAD and 3d visualization programs, but it’s making sure after the class is over that those skills aren’t lost.
Who is your ideal client or what sort of characteristics would make someone an ideal client for you?
Our ideal client wants to build a home that reflects their lifestyle, their success and their dreams; but they have no idea where to start. We love to be involved from the very first step and are part of the team all the way through until our clients move into their new gorgeous home. Our clients are very busy and rely on us and trust us with the smallest or biggest questions or concerns. Our clients are smart and want to create value while also having that “wow” factor in their home, and they trust us to balance both as we design every detail for them.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.alishataylor.com/
- Instagram: @alishataylorinteriors
Image Credits
Joshua Caldwell
