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

Hi Emily, thanks for joining us today. Let’s talk legacy – what sort of legacy do you hope to build?

I am sure most people want to leave behind a legacy whether it is big or small. I want mine to be of helping others and making their life better any way that I can. It may be through my work as an interior designer or as a product designer or just a helping hand when someone needs it, and I am able to help. For my business I want to leave behind a brand that my family, friends, and especially my son will be proud of. With that being said not only do I want to leave behind a lasting brand that creates spaces and products that people love and brings joy to their lives, but I want to leave behind spaces and products that do no harm to the user/occupant, those removing and renovating the space in the future, or those that may have to respond to a structure fire and run the risk of a multitude of health problems after years of exposure. Our industry has been making great strides in improving products to lessen long term health issues and reducing the impact on our environment and I want to help in continuing to foster that way of thinking and designing and have open discussions about protecting all those that may encounter what we design not only in the present, but in the future. Hopefully when I am gone those that knew me will remember someone who worked hard, who cared maybe too much at times, loved, strong, independent, and a fighter. I have been through a lot in my life, but I am still here trying to keep going and finding ways to not only survive, but to thrive. I hope others will be encouraged to keep trying, to keep that chin up, and try to look for opportunities and paths everywhere. You just never know what door is about to open.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Welcome readers! My name is Emily Roose and I own Emily Roose Interiors. I am an interior, furniture, and lighting designer. I ended up in my industry later than most because I had another career first in marketing/advertising/promotions in radio. After a layoff I decided to take a few classes on interior design. I really enjoyed it, so I earned my bachelor’s in interior design from the Art Institute. I was born and raised in Southern California and worked and trained under two amazing designers in Los Angeles. From there I relocated to Lake Tahoe where I worked for an architectural firm, two builders, a showroom, and an interior design firm. In 2018, I started my design firm that was mostly focused on new construction and remodels of residential vacation homes. Over the last few years, I have branched into commercial, hospitality, multi-family developments, furniture, and lighting design in addition to residential interior design. As an interior designer we are focused on problem solving. I help my clients with creating spaces that function for their needs and truly reflect who they are. I like to take the time to get to know my clients on a personal level so I can better understand their taste, lifestyle, personalities, and expectations. I aim to not only address each client’s needs and wants but to also solve their design problems with thoughtful solutions that help them to achieve their desires, and to improve their lives through a space that functions better and represents them. What sets me apart from other designers is that I have a marketing background in addition to my over 13 years of experience in the interior design industry, that helps me look at each space in creative and unique ways as well as being able to work with a broader clientele. I love all sorts of design styles and enjoy the opportunity to work on projects of all different types, styles, and sizes. I feel like being able to work in a broader range rather than one style or one type of structure allows me to be more creative and each project presents different challenges that in the end make me a better designer. I am also passionate about sustainability, health and well-being and want my projects to be healthier for the occupant’s long term and reduce the environmental impact. We service the Lake Tahoe region, Northern California, and Nashville and the surrounding areas. We are always open to discussing projects of different types, styles, and locations.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I have had to make changes or pivots a few times in my life. My first was being laid off from the music industry and taking the chance to pursue a career in interior design not knowing if I was going to be any good at it. The second was two layoffs in the interior design industry that made me decide that it is hard and challenging to be a business owner, but I would rather invest in me and a future that I can build for myself than trying to make someone else happy and successful. The last time was having my son and getting divorced. That can change everything from personal life to business life virtually overnight. I know with each new direction I have had to make hard decisions and do a lot of self-reflecting to decide what I want my future to look like and know that if I keep moving forward then each problem will have an eventual solution.

If you have multiple revenue streams in your business, would you mind opening up about what those streams are and how they fit together?

I have been working hard at creating other revenue streams because you never know when it is going to possibly save you. My mentor and former boss, Steven Cordrey, an amazing and talented interior designer in Los Angeles always would talk about the importance of having other ways to bring in revenue. He has his interior design firm that specializes in residential, commercial, hospitality, and medical, but he has his designer showroom called Cordrey Collection and he is a furniture designer. He was involved in movie set design and even had his own TV show. That concept has stayed with me and has echoed over the years. So, I specialize in residential, commercial, hospitality, and multi-family developments, but I am also an accredited home stager, furniture, and lighting designer. I still want to branch out to design my own furniture and product lines and have a store front selling home furnishings and décor. I have been a part of two design panel discussions and would love to do more of those in the future and open to other opportunities that may arise from there and create other viable revenue streams.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.emilyrooseinteriors.com/
• Instagram: @erooseinteriors
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/erooseinteriors
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/emilyrooseinteriors
• Youtube: emilyrooseinteriors
• Other: https://www.houzz.com/pro/emilyrooseinteriors/

Image Credits
Photographers: Katey Hamill, Vance Fox, Rob Retting and Paul Hamill