Today we’d like to introduce you to Becca Doyle and Shannon Thompson.
Becca and Shannon, please share your story with us.
I (Becca) was looking to get into the interior design industry. I had just left my job in footwear design and was unsure of how to get into the business. I met with a friend of a friend, an interior designer, and absolutely fell in love with her work-space. She didn’t have a job for me but gave me the contact of a firm that was growing.
A couple of weeks went by and I decided to reach out. Long story short, I ended up faxing over my resume the same day Shannon had put in her notice to leave the company and try a new endeavor. Literally, my fax came through at the right exact moment. I went in for an interview with Bravado Design (now, AKG Design Studio)
The interview felt like more of a two-hour long laugh/chit-chat fest with the owners-they instantly felt like family. It was also that day that I met Shannon. She had been working for the company for several years already and was the one to train me for several months. We became close instantly! We are also still very close with the ladies at AKG and attribute our time with them as the birthplace of our love of design. We’re grateful to have had Audrey give us a chance back then,
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
No road worth traveling is smooth. Thankfully, Shannon and I both wholeheartedly believe that.
Honestly, we’ve always taken Situate in stride. We’ve had wonderful referral business and so that’s kept things pretty consistent for us over the years. For us though, our struggle has always been to stay up on the marketing side of the business. It’s challenging nowadays because of all these social media aspects, there is a pressure to be constantly updating and posting our projects. That just isn’t us! Half the time we are so into what it is we’re doing we forget to take one photo of the job itself (haha) so we are trying to be better about documenting while giving ourselves the grace to just “be” too. We’re a work in progress.
Advice? Be you. We JUST got a website up after 10 years in this business and have managed to be consistent in working without it, why? Because at the end of the day it’s not about that, It’s about what we bring to the table. Our love for what we do has spoken for itself. So, be yourself, and follow what lights you up. Don’t get overwhelmed by all the pressures to have that website/long resume/social media presence. Just start and let your passion be your referral, those other things will follow suit
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Situate Design – what should we know?
Situate is predominantly a residential interior design business. We have dabbled in it all. Event Design, Product Design, Set Design, Model Homes, Photo Styling, Commercial spaces, Hospitality, but our bread and butter has always been residential. We are proud of all the word of mouth customers we get. We love that our customers range from high-end TV moguls with a large budget to grandmothers that just need a refresh on their space, and need it done as inexpensive as possible. Much interior business’ has a certain signature “look” or style, whereas we have always believed that the space and the people in the home should dictate that “look”, so we think that is what sets us apart.
Do you recommend any apps, books or podcasts that have been helpful to you?
We have found that we do our best when we get away from it all, to be quite honest.
Yes, there are some podcasts and books/magazines that help but our favorite way to get re-inspired is to hit up a local museum, have a drink at a restaurant that we find visually pleasing, wander around some stores or take a mini-vacation. Two Christmas’ ago, we took a trip to Germany and the Czech Republic and our heads are still swirling with inspiration. Or Palm Springs is a favorite close get away, but really just being together with nowhere to rush off to is really what helps us do our best life.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.situatedesign.com
- Phone: 714-653-2771
- Email: info@situatedesign.com
- Instagram: situatedesign
Image Credit:
Jonothon Woodward Photography
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