Guest Blog Jeff’s Year in Review

It’s eye-opening when you realize (and admit) just how little you actually know about virtually everything when you’re at school. Of course, you think you do know everything, but very quickly into my internship, it was clear I had a great deal to learn if I was going to make a career of interior design. And, Johanna has certainly shown me the ropes.

Sure, they teach you the fundamentals in school, but there’s nothing like going on the ‘big boy’ job site for your first time and learning how walls are constructed and seeing behind those walls and understanding the framework that makes up some of the most beautiful homes in Tampa Bay.

Johanna encouraged – well, gently but firmly pushed – me to get out to the sites and connect with clients and trades. This has led me to confidently approach a problem head-on and think critically to find a solution. Johanna has shown me the importance of listening to our clients, and sometimes even the expert trades and vendors. There’s no request too small or insignificant, every concern deserves to be heard, validated, and resolved. Johanna has taught me how to be an advocate for the clients when no one is there. After all, that is a part of our job.

Now, a year later, I love going on job sites, it has to be the most fun part of the job. I have had the pleasure of working on a variety of projects and my favorite has to be “The Bold and the Beautiful.” I admire how the clients didn’t comprise any decision when it came to working with Johanna to design their home for one of their passions, ART! Working for clients that appreciate art as much as I do is so rewarding.

Some of my most favored experiences though happen not on a job site but, in fact, here in the office. It’s here that I get to really pick Johanna’s brain and get a feel for what makes her tick, especially as this shows me how to be a successful member of the design community. I enjoy seeing how Johanna works with our trade partners and how she seems to calm such a sometimes-chaotic industry.

I’m excited to reflect on where I’ve come from and to now focus on where I am going. I know this is just the beginning and hopeful for a future with Johanna and IDC/Interior Design Consulting. I enjoy providing support for the larger scale renovations that we do and hope to eventually start leading a Refresh by Design project.

Jeff
Former Intern, Current Design Assistant
Graduate of The Art Institute with a degree in Interior Design

Categorised in: Interiors Insider, Tampa Bay Design Articles