Today we’d like to introduce you to Nancy Downs.
Nancy, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
As a career, Interior Design has always been my passion and focus. Growing up, my family owned a furniture store and design studio, but they never put any pressure on me to become a Designer. They supported me by letting me know that I would be successful at whatever I chose to do. That support was the springboard for just about every direction I decided to take in my career.
After getting a Bachelors’s Degree in Interior Design, I moved to Dallas where I worked for a well known residential designer and furniture studio. There, I learned how to really push my design concept to create the best possible solution for my clients. Next, I worked for a large commercial architectural firm. I had a great teacher there who taught me how to hand draft interior construction documents. While in Dallas, I met and married an architect, and shortly afterward we moved to The Woodlands. I began working with a commercial furniture dealership where I not only learned how to use CAD but also planned over a million square feet of office space. Since we had been talking about working together, my husband and I started our own architecture & design firm in The Woodlands. We had a staff of thirteen, and our projects included residential, banking, office buildings and retail. Although we are no longer married, we still enjoy working together on projects!
My current design endeavor is called NANCY, and I do all types of projects.
One of my favorite things about the profession of Interior Design is that there’s always something new to learn. Each phase of my career has been a leap of faith because I was attempting something new that I didn’t know about. These leaps of faith have allowed me to add new technical skills to my creativity and have kept my career fresh and interesting.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Heck no, it wasn’t always smooth. I do usually find that if I go in a direction and it is very bumpy, I can choose again and take a different direction.
For example, I owned a window covering business for a few years. I am grateful for the knowledge I gained about window coverings, as it is a value to my design clients. But, the bottom line was that I really did not like being in that business. It was a difficult decision, but I decided to close the business. After a few tears and a big sigh of relief, I started getting some really fabulous design projects that I loved. The point of this story is that sometimes you have to let go of something you’re fighting against to allow space for something far better to happen for you.
As with any person who owns a business, there are things I like to do better than other things. The tendency is to do what we like and back-burner the things we struggle with. The good news is that there are wonderful resources to learn just about anything. With my mindset, I always want to learn everything I can because it helps me to be a knowledgeable professional and competent businessperson. After all that, if I still hate doing something I can always outsource it.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Nancy story. Tell us more about the business.
My company, Nancy, is a full-service Interior Design firm. Projects I work on are Interior Design for new construction, interior remodeling, and consultation on how to maximize existing furnishings. This can range from a one room consultation all the way through complete finishes and furnishings for a large home or office. This can include selection and specification of finishes, lighting, and furnishings. It can also include budget coordination, project team selection and coordination, and purchasing of furnishings/materials. Just about anything that pertains to Interior Design, I have experience with.
There are a couple of things that I feel like are specialties of mine or that differentiate me from other designers. One of those is that I really listen to my clients. Clients are not always able to articulate what they want the end result to be for their home or business, so it’s my job to really listen to not just what they say but also what they mean. My goal is always that clients look at their finished project and say “WOW! That’s exactly what I wanted!”.
Another difference is that I do not design to a specific style. I don’t want someone to walk into a finished project of mine and say “that looks like a Nancy Downs project”. Each home has its own personality, as does the homeowner who lives in it. My goal is that each project be compatible with the home style and, most importantly, the homeowner’s personality and lifestyle.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
Luck is defined as “success or failure apparently brought by chance rather than through one’s own actions.” I’m not sure that I believe in luck.
I do feel that my choices and actions have created synchronicities that have guided my outcomes, both personally and professionally. I try to stay aware of and open to new options and opportunities, and consider what outcome might be possible. And I think it’s important to keep a sense of humor and fun about the whole process.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.NancyDowns.com
- Phone: 281-825-7955
- Email: Nancy@NancyDowns.com
- Instagram: Artemis Painting
- Facebook: @NancyDownsllc
- Twitter: Artemis Painting
- Yelp: Artemis Painting
- Other: Artemis Painting
Image Credit:
Artemis Painting
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