We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Bailey Austin Bird. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Bailey below.

Bailey, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with education – we’d love to hear your thoughts about how we can better prepare students for a more fulfilling life and career

I wish required internships were a semester long and required field work as well. Learning on the job site connects the conceptual and the technical concepts to the real world experience. Often, I feel there is a disconnect between the computer drawings and renderings and real life application of materials and systems. Creating and dreaming is such a wonderful gift and when those ideas can be effectively constructed magic happens.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a lifelong Tulsan. My parents close friend, Steven Turner, was an architect and had a strong presence in our family. His love of architecture was instilled in me and I wanted to study architecture since I was a young child.

Form follows function for me. As a designer, having a space that meets the everyday needs of the homeowner is my ultimate goal. The procession of the house and organization really guide me and help make those important decisions.

I copied this from my bio –
Functionality is at the heart of Bailey’s design philosophy, starting first with the home’s layout and flow – allowing the floor plan to drive the home’s final exterior and interior aesthetics. Bailey’s interiors are a fusion of functionality – driven by well-planned layouts – and interiors that blend found pieces with ones custom designed by Bailey to give each home its own unique mark. Her keen sense of color and making each room feel like a unique experience is what has made Bailey one of the top designers in Oklahoma, with a growing client base across the country.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Design is perspective. We are all learning something new everyday and being open to new ideas and concepts allows you to gain wisdom and more design experience that is richer and deeper.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

I bootstrapped my whole business. I was very young and naive and didn’t know what I didn’t know and I am so thankful for that. I had zero dependents and the only person I could fail was myself. I worked from home until I had a few months of billing under my belt and then found a very affordable office and I kept my expenses as low as possible and continued to grow and reinvest. After several years I felt confident to take out a line of credit for a larger office build out.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.baileyaustindesign.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baileyaustindesign/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/baileyaustindesign

Image Credits
Kacey Gilpin Photography, Laurey Glenn