Today we’d like to introduce you to Joey Lopez.
Hi Joey, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I had always looked up to those with a dexterity for creativity. I reasoned that they must be brave to risk the chance of being a ‘penniless artist’. I had been told I had a creative flair, but I never took those remarks seriously for they were spoken by people I viewed as conventional. They couldn’t possibly recognize something in me that I had not even considered for myself. Design at an early age had amounted to putting my family’s home into order with our mismatched furniture and odd knickknacks.
I did my best with my emerging talents… It had become my exclusive responsibility each and every holiday to decorate my parent’s and grandparents neighboring dwellings. It was a tradition all to myself! An event that I could not comfortably wait on. I would prepare the boxes of decoration, organizing the bins by bulb type and location. Waiting for the calendar to reach a socially acceptable day to break ground. I loved the idea of transforming two homes on the same block to a world of my own creativity.
Pretty soon into my pre-teens, I had gone as far as tearing up the carpets to expose the wood flooring and had decided to spend my birthday money on an automatic paint sprayer. I had to do away with the drab. Permission was not needed as far as I was concerned. It wasn’t until after I pursued Sociology in college, did I figure that I had any keen eye for the details. Aside from assuaging my own home needs and that of my friends, I hadn’t really put anything on exhibition. I wanted to take a leap and went back to school to become a working professional and 2nd time student. From the time I held leadership positions in my high school’s Kiwanis chapter, volunteering at food banks and various charity events. I concluded that I thrived working with others and sought to understand better our social interactions through the brilliant lens of design. Finally, I began to consider that I could marry my need to serve with my passion for decorum.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
The biggest challenge I had to overcome was the roadblocks that I laid out for myself. For years I told myself to slow down and that I was chasing a fool’s dream. I had no idea how to draw and lacked confidence in my work. How could I possibly convince anyone one day that I was an Interior Designer? It wasn’t until my father had a triple bypass surgery and I was walking into the waiting area that it occurred to me that I should take a leap. I went immediately to my car and called up the nearest school to request a showing. They asked me to come in for their class that evening.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a studying interior designer in the greater SoCal area who is seeking clients who want to merge individuality, passion and functionality into their homes. Currently, I am working out of a modern furniture showroom on La Brea boulevard, offering my clients curtailed recommendations and in home consultations. The work I am most proud of is my time giving back with Aviva, a local nonprofit focusing on causes such as supportive housing for women and children and crisis management. Located in the heart of Hollywood, Aviva’s Wallis House is a 42-bed home for transitional aged women (18-24 years old) and their children experiencing homelessness. They provide young women and their children a place to call home all while giving them the skills and support to live an independent future. I provided a design service with Aviva to engage their local philanthropic donors to fund the project through the use of rendered concepts. Incorporating a colorful palette derived from their Hollywood Hills residence during a famous Californian winter sunset with Contemporary furniture, I sought to give these women and their children optimism and a sense of belonging through the comforting hands of interior design.
Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Sheer luck has played an impactful role in my life through the experiences and people I have cultivated along the way. Those who have encouraged me to see my spark and nurture my talents. The individuals who have focused on internal happiness and are receptive to the blessings that they are willing to hurtle towards. Luck would have it, that I was graced with friends and family who have rallied behind me and made me feel like I am a game show contestant on the Price is Right. Shouting excited expletives as I am called down while I sport a loud and colorful button down as I nudge my way through the crowd.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: renardnoir.co
- Instagram: joeyelopez
