Emily Fisher, of EJ Designs, has been in the business for 15 years. She has worked on home and restaurant renovations. EJ Designs’ approach is all about keeping the eye busy wondering about colorful modeled spaces. Learn more about her work in this interview for byDesign!
What is your favorite part about being a designer?
Working with individuals and helping them solve design and space issues gives me an amazing feeling, it is what gets me out of bed in the morning! Creating beautiful, cohesive spaces that inspire my clients to be their best selves in is so fulfilling to me. I love seeing my clients happy.
Who or what would you cite as your most important influence?
For personal development, I would say Simon Sinek.
For design inspiration, I get to know my clients personality and their branding, and that becomes my inspiration for each project.
Can you tell us about your personal brand?
My personal brand is full of color and whimsical accents. I appreciate Juan Montoya’s quote: “A room should never allow the eye to settle in one place. It should smile at you and create fantasy.”
I balance bold colors with neutral accents, floral art, greenery, luxury furniture and magnificent lighting.
What is your favorite color palette to work with?
I appreciate every color imaginable, but my favorite color palette to implement is a mixture of aqua and navy with splashes of pink and gold.
If you could travel back, what advice would you give yourself as you start this career?
I would have taken the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) exam as soon as I could have after graduating instead of waiting.
Please give us an overview of the more personal side of your business, how did it come to be, any interesting stories about the origin you can share?
I have a bachelors degree in interior design. I have always had a passion for design and creating beautiful spaces. I worked in the industry for years and when my second child was born I decided to stay at home and work independently. I did that for 10 years and had two more children. Our family of six moved to Pennsylvania in August of 2018. Since I didn’t know anyone in PA to work with, I decided to start my own interior design business and EJ Designs came to life in April of 2019!
I live close to Philadelphia and went there to take a class to learn SketchUp before opening the business. I have spent the last year learning how to be a better business owner and networking with the beautiful people of Central Pennsylvania.
Do you have anything you can share about how you and/or your firm have been affected by COVID-19, and any tips for other designers on how to navigate and cope?
My business was on such a fabulous track for the first quarter of 2020. COVID-19 brought it all to a screeching halt. I kept in touch with my clients, just checking in to make sure they were staying healthy. I continued working from home as much as I could on projects and created an e- design plan to implement and started marketing for it. I also signed up to audit a local college online class to help me spruce up some things on my business development. Something that has helped me cope through COVID-19, has been staying connected with my community via virtual networking and happy hours, including DesignerInc’s Happy Hours!
What do you like most about DesignerInc?
Being new to the DesignerInc community, I can say that the on-boarding system is amazing. I feel equipped now to utilize all the features DesignerInc offers. I also enjoy the sense of community it offers, the Facebook group and happy hours where we discussed e-design ideas that other designers had implemented. This was all very helpful.
How long have you been in the industry and what has been your favorite project?
I have been in the design industry for 15 years. My favorite project was just last year. A restaurant in a historical house was purchased and the new owner wanted to renovate and update. The owner was amazing to work with and had such a fun personality. I designed the four dining areas and entry area with a mid-century modern vibe mixed with floral accents as well as hired a local artist to create original artwork as focal points in the spaces.
Follow her on Instagram: @ejdesigns