Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to LaDarius Calhoun. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Alright, LaDarius thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I believe that design is intuitive for me. I have loved it since I was old enough to remember what channel the home improvement shows were on–old enough to operate a remote control. Designing a space is mainly like storytelling, as I also always enjoyed writing and getting things out of my head and onto paper.

When I was wise enough to take the path to entrepreneurship, I realized that if I marry the two: design and writing, I’d slowly teach myself the art of interior design. I imagine textiles and furnishings as the words in a book and when they are placed in a space, they create the pages of a narrative. I look to the mixture of materials and influences that are soulful and evocative to shape the story in design. That is the most important thing I have learned or taught myself while relying on my design philosophy, and that is believing that honest design works–honest design is good design. From there I read a lot of books, and watch masterclasses and shows by some of my favorite designers: Jeremiah Brent, Kelly Wearstler, Jean Stoffer, and a few others. I’ve taken interior architecture classes at a local university and worked as a design intern and full-time designer in a Los Angeles design firm before forming my own company.

I used to say I don’t regret a thing, but looking back, I would say that I would have been true to myself when deciding on a career path in college. I had always dreamed of being an architect but I decided to major in Pre-Pharmacy as an undergraduate student thinking I’d choose a more “guaranteed” path, and in a way, I felt like something in the medical field would be more respected by my loved ones. I later received a degree in Broadcast Journalism with no plan to pursue the industry. If I had been an architect student, I am sure my career path would’ve panned out differently and I’d already know some of the things I have learned and am now learning.

I’m not sure if I want to say everyone can’t do design, because I don’t necessarily believe that to be true. Now, will everyone enjoy the process of design? The learning curves? The hustle? Probably not. It’s hard work, but it’s some of the best kind of work in my opinion. So I would say that the most essential skills would be to be patient, learn to invite and respect differences, take risks, and always remain curious.

Like anything in life, especially something you want as bad as you need air to breathe, there will be obstacles. Firstly, never give in if it makes your heart beat, your soul explode, and your mind soar. Secondly, there were no true obstacles in my way. I just knew what I wanted to do, something had clicked and said go for it, so I did. I wrote designers on Instagram that were local, asking if I could shadow them, or intern, even if it meant doing administrative work, I needed to be immersed in that atmosphere somehow. I was lucky enough to be brought onto a small team that allowed me to grow and learn quickly. I will say that the hardest hurdle to cross was making the definite decision to leave the classroom before I said time. It was upsetting as I felt that my last year as a teacher was going to be my best! My hope is that my students follow their honest hearts and become the person of their dreams.

LaDarius, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is LaDarius Calhoun, and I am an interior designer located in Los Angeles, CA, with a hybrid office in central Florida, designing throughout the country. I got into the interior design industry after interning at an L.A. design firm, where I became a senior designer. Soon after I formed my own design company and continued my education in design and architecture.

My design company is a multidisciplinary firm offering design solutions for almost any client’s needs. I offer full-service design, virtual design, design-only packages, and more. I love the mix of natural materials and textiles of various textures with sleek finishes and curated finds. I believe that a space should be just as beautiful vacant as it is full.

I am extremely passionate about the creation and transformation of a space. I enjoy projects where clients have a strong voice in what they love and do not love, as I take pride in listening to and filtering their aspirations through my view and style. I also enjoy educating clients and stakeholders through the process of collaboration and design.

My design company was formed on one important principle: honest design. It is through honest design that I create the story of a space, giving it my classic-Contemporary aesthetic.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Word of mouth is extremely important in the interior design industry. I have found that new clients come from meaningful conversations and people who get to experience my work through the spaces of others. I have obtained some clients from social media platforms Instagram and Facebook, and a few from a lead-generated platform.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

The most rewarding aspect is that I get to be myself thoroughly – through my expressions in all of the things I design and source, they are 100% me even when they are based on the many influences that capture me day to day. I find so much joy in creating from scratch through lenses of the past and the present. My style is definitely a refined take on classic touches with sleek finishes that leads to a timeless aesthetic. That has been the best thing to come out of being a creator of spaces and things: I get to express myself in ways I would have never before.

Contact Info:

• Website: ladariuscalhoun.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ladarius.calhoun/

Image Credits
Photographer, Sam Wadieh