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

Alright, Bailey thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea

My path into interior design was anything but traditional. I actually earned my degree in Biology and Biomedical Sciences and was working as a veterinary technician when I realized I wasn’t on the right path for me. While I loved helping animals, I couldn’t ignore the fact that I had always been drawn to design. Looking back, the signs were there from the very beginning. As a child, I was endlessly rearranging and decorating my dollhouse, and as I got older, I painted my bedroom a different color nearly every year. Friends were constantly asking for help decorating their homes, and I found myself spending my free time immersed in floor plans, furniture layouts, and design inspiration.

The real turning point came in 2020 when a friend purchased two homes that were going to become vacation rentals and asked if I would help remodel and furnish them. What started as a favor quickly became something much bigger. I threw myself into the projects, spent my evenings taking online design courses, and absorbed everything I could about the industry. Through those early projects I was introduced to contractors, tradespeople, and real estate professionals throughout San Diego, and before long word began to spread. One project led to another, then another, and suddenly I found myself with a growing list of clients.

The early years were a lesson in learning by doing. I often describe it as trial by fire. There was no perfect roadmap, and I had to figure out everything from project management and construction processes to sourcing, budgeting, and running a business. While challenging at times, those experiences became some of my greatest teachers. Every project sharpened my skills and gave me confidence to take on larger and more complex work.

About two years into the business, after completing a number of furnishing projects and smaller vacation-home remodels, I was given the opportunity to oversee a full home renovation from the ground up. That project changed everything. I fell in love with the process of transforming people’s personal homes and helping families create spaces that truly reflected who they were. It was the moment I realized residential remodeling and construction-focused design was where I wanted to build my career.

For the last six years, I’ve been fully immersed in interior design and have never looked back. Today, my firm specializes in residential remodels and new construction projects, and I still feel incredibly grateful that what began as a passion project grew into the business I dreamed of building.

Bailey, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m the founder and principal designer of Bailey Baxter Interiors, a San Diego-based residential interior design firm specializing in remodels, renovations, and new construction projects. While my path into design wasn’t traditional, my love for it has always been deeply ingrained in who I am.

Long before I ever considered interior design as a career, I was the child obsessively decorating dollhouses, rearranging furniture, and painting my bedroom a new color every year. I’ve always had a natural eye for aesthetics and an innate appreciation for how our surroundings affect the way we feel. Design wasn’t something I discovered later in life. It was always there. It just took me some time to realize it was what I was meant to do.

I originally earned a degree in Biology and Biomedical Sciences and worked as a veterinary technician before making the leap into design. In 2020, I was given the opportunity to remodel and furnish two vacation rental properties, and what started as a side project quickly evolved into a full-time business. Since then, I’ve spent the last six years immersed in the design world, growing from furnishing vacation homes to leading full-scale residential remodels and custom home projects throughout Southern California.

Today, my work focuses on helping homeowners create spaces that feel deeply personal, functional, and reflective of who they are. Whether we’re renovating a kitchen, building a home from the ground up, or reimagining an entire floor plan, my goal is always the same: to create a home that tells my client’s story.

One thing that sets me apart is my willingness to challenge the status quo. Living and working in Southern California, I am constantly surrounded by safe coastal palettes, white walls, and predictable design choices. While there is certainly a place for timeless neutrals, I believe many homes are missing an opportunity to express personality. I am passionate about bringing color back into our lives and creating spaces that feel collected, layered, and alive.

I love mixing patterns, incorporating unexpected color combinations, and designing homes that feel bold without sacrificing sophistication. More importantly, I love helping clients move beyond what is trendy or what they think they’re supposed to like. Some of my favorite projects are the ones where I gently push clients outside of their comfort zones and help them discover a version of their home that feels more authentic than they ever imagined. The result is never a house that looks like mine. It’s a house that feels uniquely theirs.

What I’m most proud of isn’t a particular project or design style. It’s the trust my clients place in me. Remodeling or building a home is one of the most personal and emotional investments someone can make, and I never take that responsibility lightly. My clients invite me into their lives during major transitions, and I have the privilege of helping shape the spaces where their memories will be made for years to come.

At the heart of Bailey Baxter Interiors is the belief that great design should be personal, not performative. I want every home I create to feel thoughtful, intentional, and reflective of the people who live there. If there’s one thing I hope clients take away from working with me, it’s that the most beautiful homes are the ones that aren’t chasing trends. They’re the ones that unapologetically tell your story.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Building an audience on social media has been a much more organic process than many people expect. I’ve never approached it with the mindset of trying to go viral or chase trends. Instead, I’ve always viewed social media as an extension of my design philosophy and a place to connect with people who appreciate the same things I do.

On TikTok, I primarily share design inspiration, beautiful spaces that catch my eye, trends I’m loving (or sometimes questioning), and the ideas that genuinely excite me creatively. I also enjoy giving people a behind-the-scenes look at the reality of running an interior design business. Whether I’m sourcing materials, visiting job sites, meeting with clients, or navigating the day-to-day challenges of a remodel, I think people appreciate seeing the process behind the finished photos.

Instagram serves a slightly different purpose. It’s where I share more of my project work, design progress, and the details behind upcoming renovations and new construction projects. It’s also where I give followers little glimpses into my life in San Diego, because at the end of the day, people connect with people. While design is certainly the focus, I think it’s important to let your audience get to know the person behind the business as well.

If I could give one piece of advice to someone just starting to build a social media presence, it would be this: be yourself. It sounds simple, but it’s surprisingly easy to lose sight of that when you’re constantly exposed to what everyone else is doing online. The most successful content creators and business owners aren’t trying to be someone else. They’re simply amplifying who they already are.

Your social media presence is often the first impression potential clients have of you, so it should accurately reflect your personality, your values, and your work. The clients you attract will be a direct reflection of what you’re putting out into the world. If you’re trying to fit into a mold or create content that doesn’t feel authentic, you’ll likely attract people who aren’t the right fit for your business.

I’ve found that the more I’ve leaned into my own design perspective, my love of color and pattern, my passion for creating deeply personal homes, and even sharing snippets of my everyday life, the stronger my connection with my audience has become. Authenticity is what builds trust, and trust is ultimately what turns followers into clients.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

One of the biggest lessons I’ve had to unlearn is the belief that everyone else knows more than I do.

When I first entered the interior design world, I didn’t come from a traditional design background. I had a degree in Biology and Biomedical Sciences, and I was surrounded by designers who seemed to have decades of experience, formal design educations, impressive portfolios, and industry connections. I remember attending showroom events, meeting contractors, and walking into beautifully designed spaces thinking, “Everyone here must know exactly what they’re doing.”

I spent a lot of time assuming that other people had some secret knowledge that I didn’t. That there was a moment when you officially became an expert and suddenly felt completely confident.

Then my first full home renovation landed on my desk.

I was excited, but if I’m being honest, I was terrified too. There were moments where I wondered if the client had hired the wrong person. I worried I wasn’t “professional enough” or experienced enough compared to some of the established designers in my area. I thought everyone else probably had it all figured out while I was still learning as I went.

What I quickly discovered is that every project presents new challenges, no matter how long you’ve been in business. Every contractor, homeowner, floor plan, budget, and construction issue is different. The designers I admired weren’t successful because they knew everything. They were successful because they were willing to figure things out.

That renovation ended up being one of the most rewarding projects of my career. The client was thrilled, the home was transformed, and somewhere along the way I realized I had been waiting for permission to trust myself.

The lesson wasn’t that I knew everything. The lesson was that nobody does.

The most valuable experience comes from doing. From making decisions, solving problems, asking questions, adapting, and showing up day after day. Confidence isn’t something you earn before you begin. It’s something you build because you begin.

Now, whenever I’m faced with something new, I remind myself of that first renovation. The things that have helped me grow the most in business weren’t the moments when I felt ready. They were the moments when I jumped in before I felt ready and trusted that I would figure it out along the way.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.baileybaxterinteriors.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baileybaxterinteriors/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61563332397204
• Other: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/baileybaxterinteriors/

  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@baileybaxterinteriors