We recently connected with Tracee Murphy and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Tracee, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

Love this question! When I was a young child, I always noticed the TM (trademark) symbols on various toys/dolls. I – obviously – assumed that the TM was a personalization my parents added to my toys as they are my initials (Tracee Murphy). I believe I was about 7 or 8 when my dad broke my heart by telling me what the letters actually meant! From that point on, I always felt a deep connection to the name trademark. As I always had an entrepreneurial spirit, I decided at a young age that my future company was already named. Even before I knew it was for Interior Design!

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

Trade Mark Interiors, Inc is a 22 year old full service Interior Design company serving luxury new construction & large renovations. Our service is “Plans to Pillows” (a registered trademark). Founded by Tracee Murphy in 2000 after accidentally falling into the field through designing her own home as well as friends and family. After completing a degree in ID, TMI was launched so that she could have a flexible schedule while raising her 2 young children as a single mom. TMI provides high touch customer service for busy homeowners who are looking for a luxury service to coincide with their luxury home. We are a unique business model in the interior design field incorporating the psychology of color & design into our clients homes to provide the “feel good” basis for living on an intimate level.

Tracee specializes in designing spaces that reflect ‘Your Style of Living’, making sure that each project is unique and reflective of the homeowner or business occupying the space. While not following a singular design aesthetic for every project, Tracee does have a passion for classic styling with a relaxed & sophisticated feeling. Inviting interiors tell the best stories! Her projects include luxury residential new construction, multi-family clubhouses, & executive corporate offices.

Tracee has earned degrees in both Interior Design and Psychology, making her particularly adept at understanding her client’s needs,  and managing multiple perspectives on a project.   Creating in the state of Florida, she is regularly attending continuing education and staying abreast of the codes and requirements to maintain healthy and safe interiors.

Tracee is passionate about traveling the world, walking the beach, enjoying the “salt life”, all while soaking in all the art & culture that Sarasota has to offer. She is happy to attend any wine event you would like to invite her to! Most of all, she enjoys spending time with her family and dogs, George Washington & Sophie Jo, who you will find in the TMI Design Studio on most days.

Have you ever had to pivot?

My pivot story involved business, career, and life! In 2016, I experienced a heart attack at the ripe old age of 48. This was a SCAD (spontaneous coronary artery dissection) where the artery breaks from the inside causing a heart attack. As a fit and healthy woman, this was very unexpected! Brought on ultimately by a high level of stress at the time, I had to do a major pivot in every aspect of my world. Digging deep to discover the cause of this, I learned I have a rare vascular disease and had to keep my stress & blood pressure low to maintain a healthy life. Easier said than done!! Taking a step back for self-care was eye opening. After six months of not working, I started back into the business with a fresh outlook. Rule #1 – only work with nice/reasonable people. Rule #2 – self care is a priority. Rule #3 – enjoy the process! After all, we’re not performing brain surgery here. After being in business for 16 years (at that time), I decided to take control of my career, business & life. “Designing my life” was in order and applying the rules and lessons I’ve learned to make my love of Interior Design shine through once more. The creative process can easily be bogged down by running a business and the new outlook on life made it a bit easier to focus on the fun, find clients that are a great fit for my business model and live life to the fullest.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

Yes! My tag line is “your style of living”. Most designers have a distinct and recognizable design style that they create for their clients, which is why they are hired in some cases. I’ve always felt passionately about creating YOUR style. After all, I don’t have to live there, you do! My style is at my house. Let’s create your style! I use my training in psychology and my passion for creating a unique interior to develop a design that truly speaks to my clients at their core. We dive in to get to know our clients and their wishes before we work together. Using basic psychology principles, we create interiors that provide peace and well-being for each individual by using color, space plans, and lighting in ways that enhance the feelings evoked in the spaces.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.trademarkinteriordesign.com
• Instagram: trade_mark_interiors
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/trademarkinteriors
• Twitter: n/a
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn9ISZUFGvjH3qCOTIAjqGg

Image Credits
Nicholas Ferris, Photographer