Today we’d like to introduce you to Sara Queen.
Hi Sara, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Before I became a designer, I worked in the art world. I earned my MA in Art Business from Sotheby’s Institute of Art. During school and following graduation, I worked for a well-known art appraiser and advisor in Malibu, and I worked with a fellow SIA graduate at her namesake art gallery in West Adams (Ochi Projects). I’ve always loved art, whether that be fine art, design, or performing arts (I grew up dancing competitively), and I’m lucky that my father always encouraged me to follow this passion, even when my parents requested that as an undergrad I major in something more “practical” like PR & Advertising! What I didn’t realize until I had some experience working as an art business professional was how much I longed to participate on the creative side.
Quite serendipitously, I was explaining (and complaining) about what I wanted my life and career to look like to my boyfriend at the time, who is now my husband, and he looked at me so simply and just said that what I described to him sounded a lot like what my mom did for a living, interior design. I always wanted to run my own business and be my own “boss”, and now not only do I get to be those things but I also get to do them alongside my mom! She took me under her wing and I apprenticed with her for several months to be sure the arrangement would agree with us both. Most importantly, we did not want to sacrifice our mother-daughter relationship for the sake of the business, so we had to be sure we could keep that sacred bond secure before jumping fully in. Safe to say now that we’ve since jumped, and I’m now her 50/50 partner in the business. We run a boutique firm under her namesake, Lisa Queen Design, out of Calabasas, where we both live now. We have a small but mighty team and we have so much fun together. I never expected interior design to involve so much administrative work; we joke that running a design firm and being a designer is 90% administrative and 10% creative! Of course, I have my days where work is work, but I’m so grateful to be on this path in my career and to be doing it with family by my side.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Working with my mother has not always been a smooth ride! A lot of people look at us and wonder how we keep our sanity. I don’t want to say it’s been easy because it hasn’t, and we’ve had to work on our communication and boundaries throughout the process, but overall it has been fairly “easy”. I’m a very mellow, even-tempered person, and I think my mom and I balance each other out in a lot of ways. Personalities and relationships aside, the biggest learning lessons for me have come in the way of learning how to run a business and the kinds of sacrifices you have to be willing to make along the way. For example, as a business owner and not an employee, I see and feel the effects of when we’re doing really well and when we aren’t. I’m often kept awake at night recounting the details of a job or wondering if we’ll close a deal. Work doesn’t turn off for me when I leave my office. Ultimately, these greater commitments pay off in the end, and I get out what I put in, and that’s really what I wanted! I’ll work twice as hard not to answer to someone else’s schedule.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Lisa Queen Design?
I, alongside my business partner and mother, run an interior design firm based in Los Angeles called Lisa Queen Design. We have two key sides to our business – design build/interior architecture and design furnishings. We work on remodels and new builds, specifying materials, drafting interior architectural plans, managing procurement, and so much more. Lisa has her California Council for Interior Design Certification (CCIDC) license, and that definitely sets us apart from other decorators. We select, design, purchase and implement all aspects of furnishings including furniture, rugs, window treatments, lighting, art, bedding, and SO much more. We pride ourselves at being quite the chameleons; although we have a signature style that we love, we believe that our clients’ homes belong to our clients, not to us, and therefore should reflect our client’s lifestyles and aesthetics. Their homes should feel like them, not like us.
Thus, most of our projects are very different from one another. You can definitely get a sense for our signature style by checking out our online shop, The Queen’s Trunk, which can be found through our Instagram and on our website, www.lisaqueendesign.com. We love to work with color and antiques. We also, of course, aim to prioritize art in the design process, which I think is unique from other designers. We recently collaborated with Apothenne, LA to create a signature line of candles, which we are calling The Home Collection. There’s a unique scent for four different areas of the home or spaces and places. The candles are absolutely divine and I can’t wait for everyone to get their hands and noses on them. We are also working on our first coffee table book, which is slated to release later this year. Oh, and I’m expecting my first little one, due in July, so we’re a bit busy to say the least!
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success is very fluid for me. On some days, success is about balance and being able to do what I love at work and also in my personal life, or it’s about being able to take that vacation I’ve worked hard for. On some days, success is about money, wealth, and the importance of feeling financially capable and independent. On some days, success is seeing my company’s name in an article or magazine, or more simply, having a stranger compliment my work. I hope everyone can define success a bit differently because for me, it’s really about a feeling. Recently I’ve found a new fire within me, knowing that I’m bringing a little boy into this world. I want him to grow up seeing his mamma working, hustling, and generally perceiving me as a badass!
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.lisaqueendesign.com
- Instagram: @lisaqueendesign
- Other: @saraathome.co
Image Credits:
Mary Omel
