A moment to be vulnerable

When I first started out in interior design, I remember walking into a professional event, scanning the room, and realizing: no one here looks like me.

The ASID 2024 Trends Outlook report confirmed what I had felt in my gut for years: Historically, the vast majority of practicing interior designers have been women, white, and middle-aged. While that trend may persist, the data shows a slow but real shift toward more diversity.

As a minority woman building my design practice, that shift matters. I know firsthand how much courage, resilience, and vision it takes to carve out a place in an industry that hasn’t always made space for people like me.

I’ve learned how easy it is to feel invisible in spaces where your perspective isn’t the default. Situations where it was easy for others to talk over me and make space for the loudest voices to take over. And yet—it’s exactly those perspectives that make my design approach richer, more meaningful, and more powerful in pursuit of reimagining what could be for the clients I serve.

Here’s the thing. Design at its best is about listening deeply, honoring unique perspectives, and creating environments that reflect the fullness of human experience.

Design isn’t just about fabrics, floor plans, and finishes. It’s about telling human stories. And when the storytellers all come from the same background, too many stories are left untold.

Because every one of those decisions is more than a transaction. It’s a choice to create an industry (and a world) where more voices are heard, seen, and valued.

When you choose who you hire, collaborate with, or recommend—are you consciously making space for voices that may not always have had a seat at the table?

#InteriorDesign #DiversityInDesign #MinorityOwnedBusiness #LifeByDesign