We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Aniyah K.. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Aniyah below.
Aniyah, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
Every client has their own specific design needs, but one client in particular had needs that I’ve never had to accommodate before. She was scheduled for surgery and needed an ADA compliant bathroom, but also wanted it to feel like a spa.
The general assumption is that ADA compliant fixtures are big, bulky, ugly, and resemble the things you’d see at a hospital, but that’s certainly not true. I found stylish ADA bathroom fixtures that matched the spa-like aesthetic that my client was looking for. So not only did I design a bathroom that made her feel good, calm, and relaxed, but I designed a bathroom that she could comfortably and safely use – a bathroomthat gave her the assistance she needed post surgery.
She loved her bathroom and I was so happy to be able to bring it to life for her.
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’m a residential interior designer and have owned my design firm for almost 5 years. I started my business after experiencing post-grad depression after graduating with my bachelor’s degree in Exercise Science. I’ve had a passion for interior design and home decor since I was a little girl, so I decided to make my passion my income. While it’s not my main source of income, it’s something that I’m proud of pursuing in the midst of chaos when I felt lost and depressed.
While building this business, I have developed a true love and concern for creating spacing that truly impact the general well-being of my clients. Personally, design is much more than making a space pretty and functional, it’s about creating a space that makes the client feel that much more better about living in their home. It’s about creating spaces that positively impact the emotional, mental, and psychological welfare of my clients.
Currently, I offer virtual design, interior styling, full service interior design, and CAD rendering services. Soon, I plan to expand my services to include visual merchandising for retail stores.
What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?
The most rewarding aspect of being a creative is knowing that I have the ability to create things that can positively impact people’s lives. And I’m not just speaking on interior design, but in all of my creative outlets. Being a creative, to me, is like adding a little more color to this world.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
A lesson I had to unlearn is that every has to be in order and be perfect before starting a business or fully launching and going all in. I was so wrong about that and realized that the more I tried to get everything perfect and in line for my business, the more I was holding myself back and delaying the work I could give to this world.
There is always going to be room for improvement and expansion and if you try to fine tune every single thing before launching, you’ll never launch. I’ve had to learn to make the most of what I was able to start with and make changes and adjustments as I go.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.sixthandashland.com
- Instagram: @sixthashlanddesignco