We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Alix Day a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alix, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Please tell us about starting your own firm and if you’d do anything different knowing what you know now.

I came to a pivotal point in my career where I realized I had outgrown working for others. I had worked for various Architecture firms for ten years and was always designing under other’s visions. I felt that I was ready to take the risk and start my own Architecture firm, letting my creativity take the lead on projects. I leapt in without overthinking it too much, I should have taken more time to develop brand goals for my business. After a few missteps of taking projects that weren’t the right direction for my business, I realized the power of saying ‘no, this isn’t the right fit.’ Thinking about your brand, long-term goals and listening to your instincts are important. I then really started to formulate a plan on what I needed for myself, creativity and the practical side of running a business. I made the decision early on to stay small, for good or bad that has been one thing I have stayed on course with.

Alix, 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 Alix Day. I am the owner of a Seattle based boutique firm, Alix Day Architecture + Design firm that specializes in Residential Architecture and Design from small renovations to new builds. We can do Architecture and Interiors fully in-house but also collaborate with other Interior Design firms. The interior design portion of the business really started for me on smaller renovations when clients would want selected new pieces of furniture, most Interior Design firms would feel the scope was too small to take on, so I felt it was a void that need to be filled. That has how expanded to full design services.

Going back in time, I took a gap year between high school/college and travelled. I highly recommend it. Traveling through Europe and seeing the structures, museums and just the varying styles of the ways people lived sparked my interest and appreciation for Architecture. I had wanted to find a creative path for my future career and traveling really cemented that this might be the right career path for me. What I didn’t realize when I first started in University was the technical side of Architecture, but I found that equally inspiring.

One thing I learned early on while designing was really thinking about how a contractor would build my details this really has helped create a more seamless process for the contractor and homeowner during construction. If things aren’t thought out from inception it can slow down things during construction. I have always thought of every project as a chance to explore what the client is asking for and the chance to create a responsive design that is unique for each client’s needs, lifestyle. I think that is reflected in my portfolio of work, each project is unique embodying various styles in both traditional and modern projects.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

The power of word of mouth. Fostering strong relationships with my clients, builders and others in the industry has been the best source for future projects. Great communication with the clients- the status of where we are in their project, missteps, surprises and providing overall a high level of service has kept the clients informed and happy and thus in turn has lead to them passing my name on.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

I was slow to get on social media, create a website and photograph my work. I really wished I invested more time and money into this earlier in my career. The first time I photographed a project, I was nervous of the response to it and had a lot of self doubt. Though the clients and I were incredibly happy with the outcome. It lead to my first publication as well as jumping into the social media sphere, Its worth the risk to put yourself out there. From there it has been a springboard, its one of the best places to really start creating your brand. Its an easy way for potential clients to see if they feel a connection to your work and for your current clients to see what else your working on.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://alix-day.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adadarchitecture/

Image Credits

Photo 1 Aaron Leitz
Photo 2 Aaron Leitz
Photo 3 Aaron Leitz
Photo 4 Aaron Leitz
Photo 5 Aaron Leitz
Photo 6 Aaron Leitz
Photo7 Aaron Leitz
Photo 8 Aaron Leitz