Photo credit: Jennifer Hughes
by Davina van Buren
Q & A with Laura Hodges
Laura Hodges is taking the design world by storm.
It was just a little over two years ago that she opened her Catonsville, Maryland studio. That same year, Home & Design featured her as one of their “Designers to Watch.” Last year, Laura was featured in Traditional Home as a New Trad and a Next Wave Designer in House Beautiful, and most recently, she was named as one of the 20 Designers for 2020 by Sotheby's Home.
And this is just the beginning.
Known for a distinctly international aesthetic—a direct influence of her own multicultural family and love for travel—her signature style is tailored and eclectic with a mix of curated art, natural elements, vintage finds, and one-of-a-kind pieces. Her design studio is also home to Domain, a brick-and-mortar and online shop which features fair trade and sustainable art and décor. Sustainability is a large focus of her business; she is LEED AP and GREEN AP certified, signifying her commitment to sustainable design practices including sourcing fair trade and renewable resources, donating unwanted furnishings, optimizing energy efficiency, and indoor air quality, and recycling cabinetry and other building materials.
We caught up with Laura this month, and she was generous enough to share some advice and insight into her brand. If you're ever in the Baltimore/Washington, D.C. area, stop by and show her some love.
1. What led you to a career in interior design?
I've always loved interior design but didn't quite realize the full potential of this industry when I was in high school. I earned my business degree and after a few years of working at a marketing company after college, I felt the need to do something more creative and decided to go back to school for a second degree in interior design.
2. How would you define your personal and professional style(s)?
My style is refined and eclectic, with a mix of influences from my travels overseas. I love studying all kinds of design from architecture and interiors to textiles, furniture, and ceramics. I have a love and appreciation for a range of styles, so I tend to mix and change my design style frequently while maintaining a tailored aesthetic.
Photo credit: Jennifer Hughes
3. Has social media played a role in your success? Any tips for designers on this front?
I do think that social media plays an important role as a way for potential clients for our design studio and customers for our shop, Domain, to see our design aesthetic. We're able to connect with people in a much more approachable and down to earth way so they can see behind the scenes and learn more about us. I would suggest to other designers that you make your social media a true reflection of your design aesthetic and carry along with the style of your website and portfolio for a cohesive brand message.
4. What skills and experiences have contributed most to your success?
I find that as designers we need to have excellent communication skills and really be empathetic with our clients. We sometimes play a bit of a therapist's role in working with spouses and families, so we have to read our clients and understand how they want to live in their homes.
5. What are the biggest challenges of growing your business/brand?
A big challenge of growing the business is balancing marketing and PR with design projects and family life. We definitely want to grow and continue to explore new opportunities, but we also love being a small business and want to always stay connected to our community.
6. What business adaptations have you made due to COVID-19? Any business advice that relates to doing business post-pandemic?
We have pivoted to integrate more virtual technology in our business from doing entire design presentations via Zoom to initially exploring e-design offerings early on in the pandemic. We've actually been fortunate enough to have enough projects to keep us very busy right now. We're working from our home offices, doing limited site visits as needed, and operating our shop, Domain, entirely online.
7. What design/business apps or software can you not live without?
We use Ivy and really love the functionality of the program for our design business. This industry is so detailed and unique that having our own software that is both easy to use and beautiful for our clients to interact with has been a great benefit to our company.
8. What's your favorite place to travel and why?
My favorite place to travel is France, specifically Paris or Provence. I love art, design, food, architecture, and music. There's so much to see and do no matter how many times we visit.
—Davina van Buren, Senior Editor, and VP of Marketing, Designer Society of America