We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Quintin “Que” Tate. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Quintin below.

Quintin Tate, appreciate you joining us today. Is there a lesson you learned in school that’s stuck with you and has meaningfully impacted your journey?

Throughout life, we are all taught so many impactful lessons or attributes to obtain taking into adulthood. I remember when I got to high school, I had an amazing, yet very passionate English Teacher by the name Mrs. Staton. Whenever we would either act out/goof off, talk goals, or just have random discussions; Mrs. Staton would make sure to give us her infamous line “Life Is All About Choices”.

“Life is all about choices” was so important for me to remember. Becoming a professional interior designer and business owner, I feel like I need to decide everything, plan out the functionality of my clients lives through their spaces, and experience everything to scale upward in my business daily. Working towards your goals and making plans for the future is commendable and often very useful, but rushing full-speed ahead towards anything is a speeding ticket awaiting you; and we all hate those. [ laughing] That’s why til this very day, I a still hear Mrs. Staton’s famous quote. Because everything I do is a choice! Literally! Being in my element of design, I have to make the right choices to bring my vision to fruition on behalf of the trust my clients have put in me. Everything that is happening in our lives seems so big, so important, so do or die, but in the grand picture, we’re just making some good choices…… hopefully.

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

Well, my name is Quintin Tate, but I go by “Que”. Its more personable for my peers and my clients. I created my interior design brand based upon my desire for interior architecture. My father actually begin renovating homes when I was about 13 or 14, and he would wake me up at approximately 6:00am every summer morning to assist on those properties. That’s when I knew, “okay once i get over this crazy heat, I can do this when I get older”, but better. [laughing] I have also been creative with the arts for as long as I can remember, so I knew I could combine that gift with this, once I got the educational knowledge in place.

In 2013 I went off to college to fulfill that goal, and graduated in 2017. After completing 3.5 years of undergrad, achieving a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design, and becoming the Best In Show Senior Graduate for the Spring Class of 2017, with a CIDA (Council for Interior Design Accreditation) certification, Twenty Sevyn Interiors was born.

Twenty Sevyn Interiors, was named based upon the age I had the desire to hit the ground running in this industry, I began developing polished spaces from the male experience, that are functional and appealing to the eye, through quality, textiles, fixtures, and furnishings for residential, commercial, and future hospitality projects.

My ultimate mission is to transform lifestyles and businesses through the renovation and beautification of projects. Currently Twenty Sevyn Interiors, primarily services projects in Washington, D.C. (DMV Area) and North Carolina. However, accepts “homies” [as I like to call my clients] from anywhere.

Outside of how I got started and my company’s background, if you follow me on social media, then you will also notice I am a HUGE music fan; therefore I am always cross referencing music on my platforms. It actually helps my long work days run way smoother, and believe it or not, I am more focused in a chaos of music. [laughing] I have actually started a new segment on my Instagram called “The Hangout” where I go live on Thursdays to chit-chat with all my supporters. We go over topics such as music, design, life goals, trials and tribulations, and many other things you can think of under the sun. Its just a great atmosphere where you guys can get to know me, as well as me getting to you.

Me being so open and going against the grain of the stereotypical designer demeanor, I honestly believe that is what sets me apart from others. People love my personality, and I am so proud of that. Because I am remaining true to who I am, and it shows.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I think we all were completely caught off guard by covid-19 in 2020. I know I was for sure! This was a scary and very unpredictable time in my personal life and business profession. Everything came to a standstill!
I literally had about 5 new clients in the pipeline, 3 of them had actually signed contracts and were ready to get the ball rolling.

Then news broke across the globe, and every single client had backed out of those contracts. I undoubtedly was discouraged and confused as to what to do next, personally and professional. I prayed day in and day out, while being locked up in my home re-watching all the seasons of “How To Get Away With Murder”., and asking the universe to give me a sign. Then it hit me!

News anchors, radio host, and many others where doing interviews via zoom, on every channel I switched to. I yelled, “ELECTRONIC DESIGNS! That’s it!” I realized I could offer E-Designs to keep my workflow going and still give clients professional services, from the virtual comfort of their homes at a fraction of the cost, if we had to be in the spaces face to face like my regular full service designing. I began creating templates and instructions, that I believe would make the process easy for them and their family. It was a hit! Because I was being paid for my services but allowing clients to order merchandise at their own pace on their own time. This was an exceptional pivotal period for Twenty Sevyn Interiors. Thats why its still apart of our design offerings, even in 2023. No matter what state you’re in, this service is for you.

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Social Media! Social media has become one of the best tools to date for growing my brand. Listen, social media truly helps to develop loyal supporters and generate leads. Your consistent presence allows the brand to develop business partnerships, reduce marketing costs and improve sales cross the board. This method also allows you to utilize creative templates from resources like Canva, to design your platform that’ll reflect your desires. I say get creative! That’s what draws the people in.

Also, I must say joining organizations that are supportive to your industry is a must. I have been apart of 3 myself, and their support, tools, and leads also assist in growing my clientele list.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.twentysevyn.design
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/TwentySevynInteriors
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TwentySevynInteriors
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/TwentySevynHome
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@twentysevyninteriors

Image Credits
Don Evan Photography