We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Joni Middleton. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Joni below.

Joni, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

In the Charlotte area, you can’t throw a rock without hitting an interior stylist, I knew I had to stand out. I had all of the makings of an incredible stylist and business owner – artistic, eye for design, strong money management skills, years of exposure and experience, and charisma. But, something had bugged me for years when I walked into businesses. Many of the spaces were beautiful, but they lacked something – an experience. The psychology behind design isn’t something we often hear about – even in the design world. Yes, we’re taught about the psychology of color, but what about the other elements of design? Aside from color, why do I feel relaxed in some spaces and stuffy in others? Which aspects of design release dopamine and cortisol? The 7 year old girl that always wants to know “Why?” and science geek in me began studying relentlessly. What I discovered was that by working as many of our senses as possible creates a feeling. This feeling creates an experience. Any space can be aesthetically pleasing, but if you don’t feel something, it’s just a pretty space. I knew how beneficial this would be for businesses, but the ability to offer this principle in a client’s home was equally important and beneficial. This has become my niche – creating an experience!

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

Growing up, I had my fair share of exposure to interior styling as I watched my mom transform 13 different homes by the time I had graduated high school. Although I took another path, the passion for design stayed near to my heart. I held a 22 year career in healthcare, specializing in pediatric radiology. After toying around with the idea of starting my own interior styling business, I took the leap of faith. I began studying design, how to start my own business, softwares and how to build clientele. Since my launch, my business has been consistently booked out no less than 2 months. The fear of venturing out on my own was replaced with gratitude and confidence. I am beyond grateful for the opportunity to not only create beautiful spaces in my clients homes and businesses, but to offer them an experience. Taking a deeper dive into the psychology behind design is what sets me apart. Transparency and integrity during my client’s design process are equally important, as these are the foundation of my business.

We’d love to hear the story of how you turned a side-hustle into a something much bigger.

My interior styling journey began with my college peers’ apartments. I soon began offering advice and transforming spaces in friends, neighbors and my family’s homes and businesses. After a 22 year career in healthcare, the rewarding feeling of a calling to help patients shifted into feeling something a bit different. I knew I was at a crossroads and decided to take the leap and follow my lifelong passion. Soon my passion for design was overshadowed by the incredible difference I was making in my client’s lives and relationships I was forming. Although now it has a much different face, helping others will always be my calling.

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

I obtain the occasional client through my portfolio I share with my Instagram audience. However, most of my clients are from word-of-mouth. My clients throw a party, neighbors come over to their homes, friends visit their businesses – all with similar comments, “Who designed your space?”. From there, new clients are born. Word-of-mouth is the ultimate compliment and helps build the trust that is needed from the beginning of our relationship, as they’ve already seen my potential and my clients have shared their experience.

Contact Info:

• Website: middletondesignsclt.com
• Instagram: middleton_designs_charlotte