In 2011 Lee founded Lee Owens Design; a one stop shop interior design company. Raised by an architect and an interior designer, Lee remembers from a young age drawing floor plans for fun in her spare time.
Lee began her career after graduating from Syracuse University working for a commercial architect firm, while earning the prestigious National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ). She talks to us today about personal branding, her thoughts on the numbers game on social media, going all in & starting a business.
Q: Tell me about yourself and what did you want to be when you grew up?
I am one of those rare people that knew from the time I was a kid what I wanted to do. I grew up in a very creative home, my dad is an architect who has his own firm and my mom studied art history and eventually after a couple careers decided to do interior design later in life. I was lucky to be in a position that this was even an option.
I tell people- this is a true story- I have memories of sitting next to my dad in the TV room, he’d have his drafting table set up and he would be drafting his next projects and I’d be there next to him with graph paper he gave me doing these birds eye view of my dream living rooms. My brain just went there naturally and I loved the idea of spatially coming up with where things would go. I wasn’t necessarily moving furniture around in my room, a lot of people who end up in design do that, but it was more pencil to paper looking at floor plans not knowing they were floor plans. I grew up outside of Philadelphia, that’s where my parents still are.
I went to Syracuse University for Interior design. I entered college as an architecture major, it was one of those things I knew you could do interior design with an architecture degree but you can’t do architecture with an interior design degree.
After a year in the program and working for my dad over the summer I knew at the end of the day my future was not to be an architect and take the exams associated with being a licensed architect so I transferred into the interior design program. I’m so happy I did, I loved it there. The studio became its own sorority almost, the long hours and all the time together. It was a great experience, I made so many lifelong friends.
Q: Can you explain your very prestigious qualifications to our audience?
After graduating from Syracuse, my now husband and I were living in Philadelphia. I had a job working for an architecture firm and they specialized in commercial and corporate interiors and architecture. When you go to an accredited interior design program, they really try to prepare you for commercial design. There’s a lot more that goes into that than decorating a home.
I followed the way the program guided me though I still wanted to do residential. This was during the recession, so I was really lucky to have the opportunity to work for the firm I was working for. I was there for several years. We did a lot of education projects, commercial and corporate office spaces. After we got married, my husband got a job offer in this area so we jumped at the opportunity.
When we moved up here I didn’t immediately look for a job at a commercial architecture firm. I wanted to take my time and figure out how I could start my own thing. But I wanted to use the experience I had gotten working for the firm in Philadelphia and get the credentials I had become qualified to do.
I took the NCIDQ exam which is surprisingly grueling. It’s a 2 day 2 part exam, long hours, really hard and I learned everything about life safety, fire safety, minimum distance between exits in buildings, codes and so much that goes into that. I’m glad I did that at the time because it’s something I don’t use day to day but it’s a great credential to have.
While I was preparing for it there were moments I asked if this was something I really needed, but I’m so glad I did. There’s nothing I regret about having it.
From taking that exam I was able to become a member of ASID. There’s required continuing education for these, which is great because there is always more to learn and by being forced to do it for these credentials it’s been really good. I’ve met people through it, its a nice community.
Q: We met while working at Pottery Barn. What brought you to work there?
We moved from Philadelphia up here the summer we got married. As I mentioned before, I didn’t want to jump into looking for another job like I had. I needed to get out and make connections so at the same time I was doing some illustration and stationery design for some people in Philadelphia, I wanted something where I could be out and meeting people. Pottery Barn was a great place to meet people.
Q: What was it that made you decide to stop doing illustrations and jump into starting Lee Owens Design?
Doing the illustrations was isolating. Then I had my son and I was still at home, I was doing creative things. It was something I never saw myself doing forever, as much as I loved it a lot of connection was through phone calls or emails. I started building an illustration clientele up here, but always marketing myself as an interior designer.
I felt I was trying to do too many things and not doing any of them well– I had a couple interior clients I was working with, my illustration clients and a toddler. I felt like I was never fully committed.
Because interiors was my end goal, I knew it was time to say goodbye to illustrations. I’m a people pleaser by nature so it was really hard to say no to people, especially at the beginning. But it felt really good to say no, and it was a relief after a while.
Bonus!! Check out the last time I sat down with Lee Owens Design back in 2013!
Q: The amount of work going into design is hugely underestimated. Walk me through your process of graduating to becoming a designer.
Some states require if you’re going to call yourself an interior designer on your business card you do have to have the qualifications. Not all, in some states you can’t all yourself an interior designer if you have a good eye.
Unless you’re doing safety code issues and you want to help people create a beautiful space you can be a designer. It’s more about knowing how to run a business. There’s a lot that goes into clients and budgets. I never minded being called a decorator, in school it was a big deal to be a designer and not a decorator. But I love being part of the entire process, which a big part is decorating.
Q: Walk me through the steps of when someone hires Lee Owens Design.
I love when someone comes to me at the beginning of the project, like a new construction project or an addition and they’re working with an architect. I can be there playing around and picturing it. Some clients will being me when they are working with a contractor and they need building finish selection, like in a bathroom remodel I will help with space planning, floor plans.
When I worked on the architecture firm I was creating technical drawings and became very comfortable with those documents and details. I’ll do the tile planning right down to furnishing and accessories at the end.
Lee Owens Design is full service which means I do the purchasing and procurement of furniture, I carry several lines, that way it can be a full experience for clients. They’ll see things they won’t see at Pottery Barn. I love getting to the point when my clients want me there for the whole process.
I have several clients going right now. I have a master bedroom/bathroom, powder room, kitchen, living room, dining room project- all in one house. I have a master bedroom that is huge that has a bathroom and we’re changing the entire layout. I just finished a kitchen, I just finished a dining room.
I use mood trays to keep finishes and samples in the same place. I have them organized by project.
Q: What do you love most about interior design?
I love the creative side, it comes very naturally to me. I love the relationships I develop with my clients, it’s a pretty intimate process. They welcome me into their home and tell me what’s working and what’s not and we work together to make a better space.
Usually when people are hiring an interior designer it’s usually a happy time in their life. It’s nice to know I have an impact on someone’s home.
Q: You have been featured in several local magazines. How have you marketed yourself to get this attention?
It’s been a lot of word of mouth, social media. I’ll pitch to some local media and say, “I just finished this project would you like to learn more about it?” Sometimes they’ll respond and say yes we’ll feature you, sometimes I never hear back. With Ro Furniture, I had used one of their products and they liked how I used it. It’s a nice way to see that other people are noticing how the designs are coming together.
It’s rare that a publication will just find you, you definitely have to put yourself out there. See what bites, but don’t take it personally when they don’t.
Q: What would you say to someone who is trying to build their personal brand that may feel overwhelmed and don’t know where to begin?
I love taking photos and figuring out “the shot” of how the layout will look. I personally don’t use my social media for numbers, I look at it as an updated portfolio.
When I stopped thinking twice about the numbers, I enjoyed it more because I’m not trying to be an influencer. It’s not about me gaining a million followers, it’s about people who are interested in working with me. Be authentic and do it for the right reasons. Don’t focus on the numbers, just showcase your work. Don’t scare yourself into perfection.
Being authentic, the voice you use in your captions, don’t pretend that everything is picture perfect. You want to hear from someone for who they are, not someone who is saying what they think an audience wants to hear.
Q: Talk about a failure that helped make you a better designer.
Mistakes happen all the time. I try my best after a moment of panic, and say OK I learned from this mistake. In the beginning, it was the whole idea of trying to please everyone. I would take every project even if my gut told me it wasn’t a right fit. I wasn’t doing my best for anyone because I was saying yes to everyone.
I’m getting better at knowing my limits so I can be the best designer for my clients and still give my best to my kids and my husband.
Q: Who is someone you turn to or inspires you when you’re feeling down?
Definitely my creative gurus are my parents. They inspire creativity. My dad is in the process of returning and has started doing these fine art paintings, they’re beautiful, creative and happy. I call them the “OG Chip and Joanna.”
My husband hears it all. He’s the one I work it through with. He’s very patient and I trust his opinion.
Q: What do you do for lunch?
I work from home so it depends on the day and what we have in the fridge. One day it may be a healthy, delicious salad and the next it’ll be a pop-tart.
Q: How can people find Lee Owens Design on social media?
