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

Marie, appreciate you joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

I went to school for architecture and worked as a classically-trained architect after graduation. While working as an architect, I found myself gravitating toward wanting to finish out the interiors of my projects too, down to the finest detail. After years of architecture and attending business school for marketing, I decided to take a leap of faith and start my own interior design business. I went from a one-woman show where I worked from home to now a full-scale design firm with a team of over 20.

Looking back, I am so grateful for my time in architecture. My love of design was truly cultivated through my experience in architecture and they are both integral to my day-to-day work.  The first few years were a lot of hustle and a lot of learning, but I loved being an entrepreneur and the challenges it brought. To be a successful entrepreneur you have to be driven and focused and forgiving, success is not a straight line and comes with lots of learning experiences. When I started my small business, i became a jack of all trades;   having to wear several hats within the business; accounting, payroll, customer service, designer, manager. But quickly I Learned to specialize skills within the company and place people around me who complimented my skills.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I started my career as a classically-trained architect, but quickly found that interior design was my calling. Architecture showed me that I loved creating beautiful structures, but also that I wanted to see a project through to the interior, soft finishes and finest details. Now, my interior design firm enjoys the best of both worlds, as we’re involved in projects from the ground up, giving us the ability to provide thoughtful input on a home’s architecture to final interior installation.

For our clients, we take the guess work out of interior design. As a full-service firm, we consult on everything from initial elevations and renderings to mood boarding each room, along sourcing all hard and soft finishes, art work, rugs and more. One of of the most rewarding parts of the job has been growing along with our clients. We’ve had a number of repeat clients and it’s been fun doing first and second homes for them. I feel like that is such a testament to my team and the care that we put into our relationships with client’s and their homes.

Personally, I’ve also loved diving into product design. I have a lighting collection with Visual Comfort, which is an iconic brand to work with. I recently debuted my rug and bedding collection with Annie Selke. It’s been so much fun creating items that are available to everyone outside of the trade as well.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

One of my favorite stories to share revolves around how far kindness and attention to detail go when you’re offering a niche service. I was fortunate to be approached by one of Houston’s billionaires to help his family with a project. I learned that I was referred by a millworker who I’d worked with on a previous job. He mentioned that Marie Flanigan Interiors was capable of elevated design and fantastic customer service. I’ve always had the approach that when you’re professional, caring and respectful to everyone you work with and then deliver a fantastic product in everything you do, you’ll attract the right clientele. You never know where your next job is coming from, so it’s incredibly important to consider everyone you work with your extended team.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Our firm used to work predominately in Houston and around Texas. However, thanks to social media and our editorial accolades, we’ve grown into a nation-wide firm. Our Instagram following has grown steadily, but has become an incredible tool for brand awareness.   These new clients typically see our work on our handle or through publications that post our work.   Word of mouth and refferall also remains a vital way we source new clients.  Architect and builders who we have worked with for years bring us repeat business daily.  With the interest from across the nation, we’ve worked on projects in The Hamptons, California, Miami, New York City and Jackson Hole.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://marieflanigan.com/
• Instagram: @marieflaniganinteriors
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MarieFlaniganInteriors
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsn5K-uhIoEj4MBAhDSRYow

Image Credits
All Interior Design by Marie Flanigan Interiors — All photography by Julie Soefer