The Aurora Interiors Story

Where I started, and where I’m going…

Like most stories told by creatives about how the business started or how they decided to work in an industry, mine is a twisted path. Only difference - I knew quickly Interior Design was my path. 

This month I’m celebrating one year of working full-time on my business, after seven years of having it as a side hustle. I’m so thankful for the road I’m on and the life I have chosen - though some days are better than others. 

Taking a moment here, I wanted to give you all a little back story about my company and the journey ahead. 

I could take you way back to the days of tape bridges as a kid and my poor cat getting trapped - my parents knew right away I’d work with my hands or build things. I could tell you about all the little businesses I had from vet clinic to plant care… but I’ll jump to high school. 

There was always one foot planted in the band room and one foot in the darkroom - yep, I was that teenager, artsy nerd. I’ve always had a thing for music, but to be honest, I wasn’t very good at playing it - so bass clarinet was my instrument. As for photography, I had a box full of ribbons and certificates from various competitions I had won - visual arts were my thing. My senior year consisted of at least 3 periods of photography - I loved it, probably because I had the best teacher!

She took us on a field trip to the Art Institute where we had a day to learn about different careers in the creative realm. We were able to choose between graphic design or interior design. I knew graphic design well enough, but interior design felt different to me. They had project boards with tiles and fabrics glued to them, with hand sketches… sounded good to me!

Not sure when it happened, but that day I decided that was my future profession. I was later accepted into the University of Nevada, Las Vegas for Interior Architecture and Design - which turned out to be one of the hardest programs at the university, go figure.

During my time at UNLV, I was able to study abroad in Torino, Italy. Going to collage and later graduating during the recession, there were not a lot of options for an internship. We were able to study abroad to fulfill that requirement for graduation. My time there was hard but one of the best experience of my life. It started a deep obsession with travel and learning about other cultures.

Fun Fact: I almost got a minor in  anthropology, but by the time I got to my senior year I didn’t have the time in my schedule to finish and another year of school for a minor didn’t feel like the right move. I was able to take the classes I found interesting and that’s what mattered to me!

After graduation, I was able to find a job at an iron shop that was just starting to hire back some help in the office. Fellow Lucky Brand employee and a UNLV alumni was already working there, so I was able to interview and start immediately after graduation. I was so thankful to have a job, and honestly I was so excited that is wasn’t exactly interior design - after four years of intense schooling, burnt out was an understatement.

I was able to use a lot of the skills I had gathered in school to learn this industry and help run the business. My dad had owned his own tile and stone installation company for practically my entire life, so I understood entrepreneurship but here I was able to help with the inner workings.

For years I took other designer’s intent, and assured we were able to create something out of their design. Usually, we had to make the impossible… possible. From there, trust began to form and designers would ask me to create the designs for the steel elements that’d embellish their overall design. Then clients and homeowners would  ask for artwork, sculpture and detailed designs for their home and I’d be the one to sketch, oversee and sometimes apply the finishes to the end product.

Learning about metal fabrication was an unexpected twist to my first job in the industry. The owners of the company have been my favorites to work for, and I am thankful for everything I was able to take from this experience and apply the next. 

Fun fact: During my time at the fabrication shop, I picked up a bit of metal fabrication of my own. I had started my own jewelry business a few years after I had graduated, and was selling my work at local art fairs and shows. After a while, I took classes at a silversmith studio and began working on sterling silver. Cool way to work in a much smaller scale and create some unique jewelry focused around some incredible stones. If you ever see In Her Drawer on anything, that’s my LLC’s name.

Once I received my NCIDQ certifications and was sworn in as a Registered Interior Designer for the state of Nevada, I began to do more work on the interior design side of the company. Focusing on budget-minded taverns and bars, hotel lobbies and some super unique residential work - my spark for design began to grow again. I started my own company, Aurora Interiors, to start building a name for myself and take on a few projects here and there as time permitted. KITCHEN + DINING

Fun Fact: The name Aurora Interiors came from a few sources of inspiration. I knew I didn’t want my firm to be my name, but I liked the idea of it starting with an A for Andersen.

Second, I love working with light and naturally lit spaces - love the warmth of the sun in a space. That took me to Aurora, goddess of the dawn. She brings in the new day and disperses light into the sky - perfect inspiration. Finally, my dream travel destination is anywhere to see the Aurora Borealis. All those things wrapped up into a name that is so meaningful to me, it felt right. 

We parted ways when the owners found their dream home in Oregon, and I found a position with a design firm that was opening offices in Las Vegas. There wasn’t much to know about this firm - I didn’t know who my boss would be, there was no office, but it was going to be a new challenge and a chance to dive into high-end residential design and have the opportunity to work on some public spaces. 

As a firm of over one-hundred, I was able to see how a large design firm is structured. There were departments for purchasing and accounting, designers, drafters, project managers, and everything in between. It was helpful to go from a small business to a large firm, but being a branch of it allowed us to remain smaller and wear a stack of hats to learn more!

I was able to work with some of the most gorgeous materials and fabrics, meet amazing people and help grow an office of two into over a dozen locally. I’m thankful for the time I spent at this firm, and even more thankful for the introduction to some of my closest design friends!

Fun Fact: During my time at this firm, I treated myself to a trip to Deco Off - a fantastic textile and interior show in Paris, France. We were invited to Versailles for a masquerade dinner and firework show - can you believe that?!

As the years went by, I kept working on side projects as they came up. I completed a tavern, a home remodel or three, and little spaces that needed refreshed. When the pandemic hit, everyone was forced to work from home. I loved it so much! An internal clock started to tick and the weeks and months went by, I knew something was coming. 

April 1st, 2021 was my last day as an employee. About two months before I gave my notice, I stopped and realized how much work Aurora Interiors had coming in and how much I was holding back. There was only so much time in a week, and if I allowed myself to spend more time working on my own business - there was no telling what was going to happen. 

I struggled to keep up, then one day it clicked - it was time. 

Fun Fact: March 2022 marks seven years of Aurora Interiors, and April 2022 marks one year of self-employment. Know it is ok to wait to take the leap, it’ll feel right when you are ready.

That was the first time I could feel like the dam was going to break, and I was holding myself back. A year later, I’m feeling the same pressure - something has to shift for Aurora Interiors to keep growing. That’s all apart of the fun of entrepreneurship, right?

Over this past year: my office received a total revamp and is super functional and organized (although, usually a complete mess), my first quarter revenue of 2022 was greater than all of 2021, this company-of-one does have some help in the branding/marketing department, website/newletter arena, a wonderful virtual assistant that does all the things I hate, and research when I need it with hourly-time design assistance! 

Fun Fact: Aurora Interiors is going to start a newsletter! Sign up below - wink, wink!

The future for Aurora Interiors has a couple paths - I could continue to be a unique and personalized design firm for my clients, venture to a retail outlet could be in my future for travel finds and curated goods to use in the spaces I design or for anyone to purchase, or I could be a full service design-build firm. Something tells me I’ll probably try all three, but time will tell. There is a lot of path left for this story, and thank you for reading about the journey to this point. I hope to start traveling again to fill my inspiration cup and pick up some goodies to work in the spaces I design. Spending more time with family and being the boss of my calendar has been a gift. Creating this company that has attracted some of the best people as clients, can’t ask for too much more… well, maybe some more systems to make my work more streamline - that’ll come. 

Thank you again for being along for the ride!