Today we’d like to introduce you to Suchada Eickemeyer.
Suchada, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I ended up in going in Interior Design almost on a whim. My previous career was in defense. I did ROTC in college and served in the Army for five years. I earned a Master’s Degree in International Relations thinking I would enter the foreign service like my father. Instead, I ended up working in defense engineering for four years after I got out of the Army, which brought me to San Diego. I met my husband, who is in the Navy, at PB Bar & Grill. I left my defense job after we had our first baby and my husband got stationed away from San Diego for a few years, and I spent almost a decade raising our three kids. When I was ready to go back to work, I wasn’t sure what I should do. I was struggling with undiagnosed PTSD from my military service and had a disastrous experience when I attempted to return to work with a defense-adjacent company. The good that came out of it was that I was properly diagnosed and received excellent care from the VA, and I knew for sure, I could not return to defense work.
I originally applied for a Social Work program, but while I was waiting to be accepted, I decided it wasn’t a good fit. I had looked into and dismissed Interior Design before, but then went ahead and applied. When I started school at Design Institute of San Diego, it was like I had found my people. Everything was completely different than anything I had done before, but I loved every part of it, from the creativity of drawing and model-making to the technical aspects of understanding building codes and drawing plans. I’m now in my third year and looking forward to graduating next August.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I don’t think anything in life is a smooth road. Even the best things that have happened to me, like starting design school, have been a huge struggle sometimes. My husband deployed last year, so I had to figure out how to balance classes with being a mom to three elementary-aged kids with all their activities. Even last semester, when he was home, I took five classes and wasn’t sure I could keep up with them. It forced me to really look at my priorities and decide what I needed to let go of. I ended up sacrificing my GPA a bit in order to keep my sanity. It was a real blow to my perfectionism, but I had to acknowledge to myself that there was a difference between getting perfect grades and really understanding the material and being able to apply it. I knew I could come away with the skills necessary to be a great designer, even if I didn’t make straight A’s that term.
The advice I would give anyone is to not be afraid to make mistakes. Finding success later in life has definitely come from being able to bounce back from the many bad decisions I’ve made along the way. No one learns by being perfect from the start.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about your business – what should we know?
I’m still a few years off from being an independent interior designer, but I focus on vernacular design in all my projects. I have a strong conviction that design is an incredible teacher because it is omnipresent. Every space we occupy, from our homes, schools, workplaces, etc., tells a story and showcases what is important in our culture. Current design trends favor open homes and offices that are much more casual than spaces designed 50 years ago. Schools are looking for innovative ways to makes spaces easily adaptable for project-based learning or multiple uses. I want to take that a step further and use design not just to tell a story but give a narrative of our history and land. My last semester project was for a boutique hotel outside of the U.S. My team created the idea of a hotel in Yeoville, South Africa, a gentrifying community in Johannesburg, that would appeal to visiting artists but also cater to the local arts community by providing space for classes and community meetings. We designed the architecture to reflect the political atmosphere, so it was a space that acknowledged the pain of Apartheid but highlighted modern themes of community. This semester’s project I just started is a mixed-use residential/retail space in another up-and-coming neighborhood, so I’ve reached out to communities who live there in real life to better understand the challenges faced by those being displaced in those neighborhoods. For my senior project starting next summer, I want to renovate a local school using principles of Kumeyaay culture and architecture.
I don’t think many people think of design as an avenue for activism, but I believe it’s a powerful tool in teaching people about the world around them and creating a sustainable, healthy planet. I want to be a force for change AND create beautiful spaces that people want to spend time in.
Do you recommend any apps, books or podcasts that have been helpful to you?
Seven Habits of Highly Effective People was life-changing for me when I read it almost 20 years ago. It made me look completely differently at my decision-making and how to set goals for myself.
I love the Readdle Calendar app, which is a thousand times better at displaying a schedule and creating events than anything else I’ve found. I use an app called Productivity for my tasks/goals/and reminders.
Malcolm Gladwell’s Revisionist History is my favorite podcast, I’m endlessly inspired by Emily Pilloton, who founded Project H and Girl’s Garage, and was the subject of the documentary “If You Build It.” And when I’m commuting from school in Miramar to home in Chula Vista, I listen to Emisoras 88.9 Noticias live stream because it helps me practice Spanish and has a great lineup of talk radio shows about culture, politics, and sports.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 858.225.0549
- Email: suchada.eickemeyer@gmail.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/suchadadesigns
- Facebook: facebook.com/suchadadesigns
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