We recently connected with Sakkara Skinner and have shared our conversation below.

Sakkara, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s jump to the end – what do you want to be remembered for?

The legacy I’m hoping to build is one that when people hear my name, they will say I was special and I made OTHER people feel special. Like most designers, I want to be remembered for my unique mark in design, art, and creativity, but my mission is that when people encounter me, they learn more of who they are in any capacity. I am very unique and can’t be placed in one or even two dimensions. I will be remembered for being edgy yet refined, bold yet self-controlled, and risk-taking yet carefully calculated.

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.

My name is Sakkara Skinner and I am the lead designer and founder of Carte Blanche Interior Solutions! I am a wife of 12.5 years (lol) to a wonderful husband and mother of four to some pretty awesome kids. I graduated from the Illinois Institute of Art Chicago where I received my Bachelor of Fine Arts in interior design. I became passionate about design as a teenager and watched shows of people getting their homes revived and saw the thrills on their faces and I wanted to make people feel that way! But before receiving my arts degree and heading towards my dreams, I conceived my oldest son after my first year of college. What could’ve derailed me in becoming a teenage mom, became my biggest motivation. I took general courses during my pregnancy, had my son during winter break, enrolled into the art institute 6 weeks after he was born, and graduated on time! I took time to tell this start because being a young mom, my tribe was my biggest support and cheered me on when I decided to open my business full time after spending a decade at home to be with my younger children. 

Carte Blanche Interior Solutions was birthed from a place of giving people a taste of luxury that is curated uniquely but accessible to those who want to live in everyday luxury at home or in their work space. We also carry special order art, textile, and home decor through our line by request. Because of my unique capabilities of being a cool millennial who remembers when we first got internet in our home but still young enough to create and navigate Instagram reels, I’ve built my business to really meet clients across all ages and speak their languages. Helping clients express themselves when they don’t know how to start is our specialty. I’ve learned from another creative that it’s a gift called: “making the nonexistent, exist” and we for sure have that gift. 

What I’m most proud of is starting off this business on my own while still being a wife and mother! Some say you can only have one path but I believe you can have it all which was the inspiration behind the name “Carte Blanche” which means “blank slate”, without restriction or limitations, and the authority to do as you please. If you are a client afraid to make that start, we take the time to empower you to take ownership of your space. I believe everyone deserves a special taste of luxury and that’s what I deliver!

Do you think there is something that non-creatives might struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can shed some light?

I believe everyone has a little ounce of creativity but there are some, like myself, who may be considered masters! What we do as interior designers is make the non existent exist as said before. We see in different realms, we are visionaries, and we are very detailed oriented. What some who are not masters of creativity struggle to understand is that you cannot rush the process! It takes time to forecast, research and select what’s best for the project to produce the best outcome. Art and creativity should never be agile but should be savored. I like to use the analogy of food: Some of the best meats to get the best flavors are marinated. Some of the best wines are fermented longer. Some of the most premium cheeses are aged for quite a while. And knowing that when you taste these profiles what time and effort it took to make, you don’t rush and eat it either. You experience it. If you want luxury and you want the best quality, I would say to value and be patient in the time it takes for your designer to create. Trust the process and that we are giving you an experience that you will wake up to see every day!

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I believe what helped build my reputation in my market is that I’m authentic. Whether it’s a client or a colleague, I don’t pretend to know what I don’t know but I will for sure figure it out! I am a problem solver at heart. I have a reputation of being compassionate for others yet challenge people to deliver their best and people definitely need both aspects in their lives. This is effective in being an expert in my field while also maintaining a student mindset. Because I am always learning, traveling, and networking, I have more knowledge and solutions to provide on projects and within my market for my peers.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.cbinteriorsolutions.com
• Instagram: @carteblanche_is

Image Credits
Photo Credits: Logan Bowes (for portraits and tropical pictures) and Amber Danielle Photography for the modern condo photos.