I had the absolute pleasure of getting to sit down with Sarah Moore for a cup of coffee, an AWESOME bagel, at Proper Bagel, and a little Q&A. This girl is going to blow you away. Her creativity is inspiring, and her designs are killer. I can say this from personal experience since she designed the coolest draperies for my home. I hope you enjoy getting to know Sarah a little more as you read through our Q&A time.
How did you get started in Interior design? – I am a rare bird who started with my major freshman year in college and stuck with it. Picked it in High school and never looked back. After college took a job with a commercial design firm and quickly realized residential interior design was for me. 12 years later, I am still doing what I love.
What was the most exciting thing about starting your own interior design business?– I love getting to know my clients and the excitement of them seeing their homes transform. It’s an exciting day when the draperies come in or when we build a nursery for them to start their families. And my ability to use my creative talents, the sky is really the limit of what I can dream of and do.
Tell me about your style and strengths? – My design style is very southern living meets Anthropologie” – I have a little southern touch with a transitional style between traditional and contemporary but I love to throw in an eclectic flare… hence my living room is pink.
What is your biggest dream or goal for your business? – I want to open a store… which scares the crap out of me. I run into clients all the time who need an item here or there and I feel like I can fulfill that need through a well curated store. A store that reflects my design style and has items like lamps and coffee table books. It would fulfill a need between a full-blown design client and small projects.
Any funny stories from being on the job? – It always helps to be friendly with anyone that I contract out because it always pays off in the long run. One time we had this huge sectional going into a room, we put down the rug and then assembled the entire sectional. I immediately decided to move it 6 inches. They had to completely break down the sectional and move it a whopping 6 inches. My movers wanted to kill me. I flashed a smile and a promise of a 6 pack of beer. We got the job done.
Time to brag, some of your biggest accomplishments? – Melissa’s house, it was my favorite project. I could move in there myself. My favorite accomplishment was one of my very first projects. It was a barn out in Kingston Springs that my client built for his farm toys, dirt bikes, etc. He decided to double the size of the barn to create a family space. I took an empty shell and turned it into a beautiful family home with bunk rooms, kitchen, living room and a gorgeous master bedroom. It made it into Southern Living Magazine, Country Living Magazine. This was a fun moment for me.
What inspires you or keeps you inspired? I love finding new sources. Like anyone else, I keep up on Instagram and magazines. But the real thing that drives me is the hunt for always finding something new: textile suppliers, fun new tiles, new hardware. I love working with small vendors. It allows you to find unique items, and when you bring several unique items together, it can really make a project.
What is one pro tip you can give? Rule of thumb when hanging draperies, typically bring rods 4-6 inches past window frame. When deciding height placement for the rod, always split the difference between the top of the window frame and the ceiling/bottom of the crown molding. Just be sure not to hang them right on top of the window. Ok, two tips. ALWAYS paint a sample on the walls in the room before picking the paint color for that room.
What is your favorite paint color right now? Odessa Pink and Violet Blue by Benjamin Moore. They are such fun colors. That said, if you need a go to paint color, Benjamin Moore’s Ashwood. It is the best color and works everywhere.
