I WAS DETERMINED TO BE A ROCK ‘N ROLL STAR BUT, I REALIZED THAT WASN’T HAPPENING. THE MUSIC BUSINESS WAS TOUGH ON ME; I STUCK WITH IT THROUGH COLLEGE AND FOR A WHILE THEREAFTER. IT FED MY CREATIVE SOUL UNTIL I FOUND A NEW, MORE FORGIVING AND SUCCESSFUL CREATIVE OUTLET. DESIGN AND ARCHITECTURE ALWAYS FASCINATED ME; IT ALLOWED ME TO BE AS CREATIVE AS I AM WILLING TO BE. MY PARENTS ARE IN THE DESIGN & BUILD INDUSTRY AND AS MUCH AS I DISLIKED BEING DRAGGED AROUND AS A CHILD TO JOB SITES, ANTIQUE SHOPS AND FABRIC STORES, IT HAD A MAJOR INFLUENCE ON ME. I STUDIED DESIGN A BIT IN COLLEGE BUT DEVELOPED MY STYLE AND PASSION ON MY OWN. DURING THAT PROCESS, I WAS ABLE TO DISCOVER AND APPRECIATE MANY ASPECTS OF DESIGN & ARCHITECTURE. WHETHER IT IS EXTREMELY ‘OVER THE TOP’ ORNATE OR A MINIMALIST & STREAM LINED DESIGN, I CAME TO REALIZE THAT THERE IS ALWAYS SOMEONE -A DESIGNER, ARTIST OR ARCHITECT- THAT IS THE BEST AT WHAT THEY DO. ALL RELATIVE I KNOW, BUT I THINK PEOPLE CAN BE SURPRISED BY WHAT THEY CAN APPRECIATE. I JOINED MY FAMILY ‘S ANTIQUE FURNITURE BUSINESS IN ATLANTA, GA IN THE 90’S AND AS OUR IMPORT BUSINESS GREW TO INCLUDE CUSTOM FURNITURE I LEARNED BY TRIAL AND ERROR TO DESIGN FURNITURE. I WAS CURIOUS ABOUT THE WOODWORKING ASPECT AND DECIDED I SHOULD WORK IN THE MANUFACTURING FACILITY IN ORDER TO BECOME A MORE EFFICIENT DESIGNER AS WELL AS LEARN ABOUT THE INNER WORKINGS OF FURNITURE & CABINETRY. IT INHERENTLY AFFECTED THE WAY I DESIGN, KNOWING HOW TO BUILD MANY OF THE PIECES I DESIGN FROM THE FLOOR UP, SO TO SPEAK. ALSO, I WANTED TO KNOW WHAT THE HECK I WAS TALKING ABOUT WITH THE KNOW-IT-ALL WOODWORKER CAME IN THE STORE AND DRILLED ME. INTERIOR DESIGN WAS A PART OF OUR BUSINESS AND I REALLY ENJOYED THAT ASPECT TOO. SPACE PLANNING, COLOR PALLETS AS WELL AS BUILDING MATERIAL SELECTIONS & FURNITURE DESIGNS WERE ALL FASCINATING TO ME. CLIENTS LIKED MY WORK AND I LIKED HELPING PEOPLE WITH THEIR PROJECTS. I DEVELOPED MY STYLE THROUGH MY RENDERINGS AND CREATIVE ENVIRONMENT WHICH LEAD ME TO KITCHEN & BATH DESIGN. I BECAME THE HEAD KITCHEN AND BATH GUY…OK, I WAS THE ONLY KITCHEN AND BATH GUY :-). IT WAS A FAMILY BUSINESS AFTER ALL, BUT I FOUND MYSELF AT THE FOREFRONT OF A NEW INDUSTRY. AND WHAT AN AMAZING OPPORTUNITY THIS AFFORDED ME AND MY EVER EXPANDING DESIGN EDUCATION!