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

Hi Madeleine, thanks for joining us today. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

Unlike most of my colleagues in our industry, I opted not to name my firm after myself and name it after my late mother Irma “Iris” Ruiz. She passed away when I was a senior in high school was the primary influence for my pursuit of a degree at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City. “Blue” is the favorite color of all three of my children, and so that’s how Iris Blue interiors was born. I wanted the name to reflect a multi-generational influence on my pursuit of entrepreneurship. My hope is that one day my son, who aspires to be an architectural engineer and my daughter, who loves everything about color and art, will take the reins and continue to build Iris Blue’s legacy.

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

I began my design journey at The Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City where I studied Textile Design and Marketing. As a Project Manager at Meyer Advertising, a marketing firm specializing in the Interior Design Industry, I developed a passion for fine home interiors, furnishings and decor.
Shortly after relocating to the Charlotte Area in 2020, my husband and I began the process of our 4th new construction build. It was this build that inspired me to return to my love for interiors, and to pursue a design certificate with the Interior Design Institute. A year later, Iris Blue Interiors was born.

Iris Blue Interiors is an interior design company that serves clients residing in the Greater Charlotte Region. Our areas of specialty include luxury residential new construction design, kitchen and bath textile design and bespoke interiors. Working with clients on luxury custom home projects allows us to provide valuable insight in the new construction design process. Our relationships with local tradesmen and textile vendors are significant assets to all our clients.

What makes us special?:

We believe that good design makes a difference. It’s about helping clients live better and fall in love with their home, whether for the first time or “all over again”. Good design creates a feeling of warmth and unity. It requires a commitment to detail – repetition of line and form, the subtleties of color, the contrast of layered textures, the play of scale and proportion. A finished room may look simple, but it is not simple to do. This is why Iris Blue Interiors exists. We want to come alongside every client to help them create beautiful, bespoke spaces inspired by the way they live. Beauty without function just isn’t good design!

As part of a designer co-op, Iris Blue Interiors is able collaborate with extraordinary talent. Most importantly, these partnerships allow us to streamline project logistics, and obtain competitive trade pricing which always benefits our clients. From functional floor plans, lighting layouts and textile/ finish selection, to bespoke furnishings and interior styling, the experience and knowledge at Iris Blue Interiors will benefit clients embarking on any new build and design journey.

Our core values at Iris Blue Interiors are faith, family, relationships, honesty, business integrity and transparency. Colossians 3:23 is our core business value.

We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.

My business partner, Courtney Copper with Copper Inspired Home, manages all of the procurement logistics for Iris Blue Interiors. Inheriting a multi-generational furniture company from her mother-in-law, Courtney provides procurement management services for several interior design firms in the area.

Meeting Courtney several years ago was a very organic process really. She was another soccer mom from my son’s soccer team and I was in the process of building my 4th custom home. After discovering that she owned a furniture company, I asked if I could source all my furniture through her business. Before I knew it, we were designing custom furniture together and establishing floor plans for myself, and other people in the area. It was because of Courtney and her dynamic encouragement to return to my design roots, that Iris Blue Interiors was born. I am forever grateful for her friendship and continued partnership. She is truly an integral part of my business.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I have made several major pivots throughout my career. The first was when I left the design world to pursue a career in nursing. I can’t really tell you why I left. I was just ready to leave New York City and begin a life of service in a way that I never have before. Being a pediatric critical care nurse was the toughest thing I have ever done. And I do not in the least regret my time in the ICU. It taught me how to sacrificially serve others, make critical decisions under duress, create systems and processes, and have grit and perspective. Honestly, there is nothing that scares or overwhelms me in the interior design industry, nothing. If I don’t know the answer or how to do something, I’ll figure it out. I can pretty much talk anyone off the ledge, including myself.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.irisblueinteriors.com
• Instagram: @irisblueinteriordesign
• Facebook: Iris Blue Interiors

Image Credits
Kristin Vining