When I launched my interior design business in 2007, I had no design degree, no clue how to run a business, and—thanks to a recent divorce—absolutely nothing to lose.

I went on to build a well-respected residential interior design brand, grow a team of fresh-out-of-school designers into interiors experts (one of whom now runs her own firm 🙌 ), and bring in nearly half a million dollars a year—all without selling a single sofa or making a single markup. 💪

Interior design wasn't just a career that put me on TV, got me a book deal, and unlocked an income that exceeded my wildest financial dreams. It also allowed me to travel the world and ultimately move to Paris, where I now help other designers launch and build their careers! 🥹

Rebecca West: Becoming Seriously Happy

When I started my design studio from a tiny desk in the corner of my bedroom, I built it on one unshakable belief:

👉  Our homes shape our happiness, and everyone deserves to be happy.  👈 

Despite everyone telling me to target the uber-wealthy, I was determined to make great design accessible to regular people. I needed to forge a path that aligned with my values, even if it meant doing things differently.

While I started with zero formal design training, I had a knack for color and redesign (growing up in the Army taught me how to turn any home into a happy home). I started with what I knew, and built everything on that foundation.

The best interior designers have "weird" backgrounds

What made my business thrive went beyond my design talent.

• Teaching ballroom dance gave me what I needed to help couples work together while doing something new and scary.
• Selling couture wedding dresses taught me how to help folks make confident decisions while spending a lot of money for a once-in-a-lifetime event.
• Even my geology degree turned out to be useful: I could help clients make informed decisions about natural stone counters that my colleagues couldn't.

These were the skills that set me apart from my colleagues and made me the designer my clients trusted, and why I believe the best interior designers come from the most unusual backgrounds!

I love unearthing gems in a designer's past—they are often the key to standing out from their colleagues! 

Fighting Imposter Syndrome

Despite having a strong North Star, trying to break the mold came with some serious imposter syndrome.

I walked into networking events convinced every luxury designer was side-eyeing me.

I just knew potential clients could see how inexperienced I was—why on earth would they trust me?

And yet... they did. My clients were SO happy, they started asking me to do things that stretched the limits of what I felt comfortable doing as a self-taught designer, like helping with kitchen and bath remodels.

Since that felt above my self-taught pay grade, I went back to school and earned my HND in Interior Design from Limperts Academy of Design (London).

Back to school

Going to design school while running a design studio turns out to be wildly practical! Every lesson has an immediate real-world client attached to it, making my tuition ten times more valuable!

No hypothetical floor plans, no imaginary budgets—actual humans with real homes with limited budgets... talk about a real education!

While I learned a ton, especially about design documentation (something you don’t need to know when your bread and butter is color consulting and redesign), the biggest gift was confidence. I finally had the technical validation to match the results I was already creating, and that opened the door to kitchens, bathrooms, and eventually full-home renovations.

Paired with my curiosity and the knowledgeable vendors and contractors who let me learn from them (meet one of them HERE on my podcast), that education helped me grow into a designer who could handle anything a project threw at me.

(You can do it, too! 💪)

The Birth of Seriously Happy Homes

Over the next 17 years, I built Seriously Happy Homes, a thriving flat-fee, design-only firm serving Seattle homeowners with houses 3,000 square feet and smaller.

Our niche? Helping regular people get happy at home, one room at a time.

That focus gifted me with a thriving $425K/year business, a rockstar team, and loyal clients who trusted me to guide their design decisions.

Along the way, I became a trusted expert:

• Media & Speaking Gigs: Featured in Live Happy, Success Magazine, Seattle Refined, and more, with a regular design psychology column in Blue City Monthly. Speaker at Ignite Seattle, Town Hall Seattle. Regular TV appearances on New Day Northwest, and regular teaching through the NKBA, VFTI, ASID, IDS, and more.
• Published Author: Happy Starts At Home (CICO Books, 2020), filled with exercises and practical design psychology advice for creating a home that supports your life.
• Industry Volunteer: Board member at Heritage Design School; SCORE Business Mentor & Instructor; KBIS Judge; NKBA Webinar Instructor

Coaching My Colleagues

I’ve been quietly mentoring the next generation of designers since 2012.

Four of my former team members, including the lovely Rachel Poe, now run thriving businesses of their own, and I've helped dozens of other designers transform their brands, set better boundaries, and start making (and keeping) more money while doing the work they love.

From Seattle to Paris

It wasn't until 2023 (when I closed my design studio and moved to Paris) that I was able to turn 100% of my attention to helping other designers grow their businesses. Now I'm dedicated to helping interior designers feel as respected as contractors and architects by building business skills that wow.

Am I the Interior Design Business Coach for You?

• If you have a vision for your design brand that you're having trouble making a reality...
• If you want to be known and trusted as an expert instead of blending into the background, lost in a sea of designer alternatives...
• If you want to be respected as a leader so it's easier to get clients to follow your design advice...
• And if you want to communicate better with your clients in a way that leads to happy reviews, terrific testimonials, and great referrals...

Then yah, we should talk.

Building a strong business requires both passion and strategy. I’m here to help you attract clients who love what you do, set boundaries that keep you sane, and build a business that feels seriously happy. 💛