Tyree Whitson Speaks on His Interior Design Career, His Style Influences and The Future of TMWHITSON
It all started with a viral tweet. These days it doesn’t take much for a tweet to take off. Sure, likes, retweets, and comments are cool, but it takes a really good tweet for me to bookmark it. Scrolling down my timeline a couple of months ago, I came across a gorgeous bedroom. Deep emerald green walls with jeweled-toned bedding and gold legged accent chairs - it was as if one of my Pinterest boards came to life. The mastermind behind it all was Tyree Whitson, founder and principal designer of TMWhitson Design Co. I had the opportunity to catch up with Tyree and learn more about his love for interior design, what’s the most rewarding part about his job and how he’s staying sane during the quarantine.
1. When did you discover your passion for interior design?
Hmm… my passion for interior design goes back as far as I can remember. When I was younger, I use to love going into furniture stores, rearranging the furniture at home and watching HGTV. When I was around 10 years old, I got into Google Sketch up and taught myself the entire program. Once I mastered it- I began drawing full 3D renderings of homes and different spaces.
2. Can you remember your first project? How did you feel after completion?
Of course I can! My first project was a barbershop. It was so spur of the moment. I had just moved to Huntsville, AL and I was looking for a barber. As I was getting my haircut we were having general conversation and I told him I studied interior design and I ended up designing the barbershop I currently get my hair cut at. It was surreal to actually see the finished project because I was so proud of it! The fact that people interact and love this space is still one of my proudest moments.
3. Where do you look for inspiration when it comes to your projects and who are some designers you feel have influenced your design style?
I build inspiration off of my clients. They inspire me to create beautiful spaces for them. I like to get to know my clients on a personal level because I learn the most from them when I’m not asking them to answer consultation questions.
Two of my favorite designers are both male. I’m a HUGE advocate for men in the design industry because it is rarely seen. I love both Michel Smith Boyd & Justin Williams. They are absolutely amazing at what they do!
4. I was reading an article in Elle Decor, and I came across a question that asked “How do you combine beauty and function?” Can you tell us your take on this?
Whew! This is a good one. It’s actually a lot simpler that people believe. You first have to define your function and then wrap the “beauty” around it. As I speak with clients, I’m taking myself on an imaginary walk through of their space and I’m placing items based on the function. Beauty comes into play based off of their design style and personality.
5. What’s the most difficult or frustrating aspect of your career? What’s the most rewarding part?
The most difficult part of my career is the “excited client”. It takes time to produce a design package that you feel best displays your clients wants and needs- clients don’t always understand this and expect a 3 day turnaround on a package. It’s frustrating when I feel rushed to provide a package for my client.
I’m sure any interior designer will have the same answer. The most rewarding part of my career is the client reaction. I’ve had clients jump for joy, be speechless, hug me endlessly and even cry. That is the BEST feeling in the world because goal is to always be able to change someone’s life through design.
6. When curating/designing a space for a client what goes into your process? Do you listen to music? Set the ambiance with candles? How do you prepare?
The design process is rather simple. I send a consultation form for the client to fill out and then we schedule a phone/in person conversation. I then move to the design package process. During this process, I create color boards to convey my ideas to the client. After approval, I send a quote sheet, order product and schedule installation.
During the installation, I have to have the entire space to myself… this helps settle my nerves lol. I have to have water and a very loud speaker. Here lately, I’ve been blasting Beyonce’s Homecoming haha. At the end of every installation, I gift my client with my favorite candle (currently enchanted pearl from At Home) as a thank you for trusting me.
7. Out of all the interior projects you’ve completed which do you feel like “Damn, I really did that!” - in other words which are you most proud of?
I literally laughed when I read this question because when I finish a project I legit say “Damn, I did that” lol. Hmm, to date its probably the master bedroom I did with the Jade green accent wall and accent ceiling. I LOVE that project because I chose to do a huge play on balance. Every color I used was evenly dispersed, no one side of the room was heavier than the other and the color palette was BEAUTIFUL!
8. How are you staying sane during quarantine? Do you feel the pressure to stay creative or are you taking this time to relax and recharge from work/life?
Can one really stay sane during this time, haha! I’ve been watching A LOT of Netflix (watch Dynasty if you haven’t) along with every attempt to stay creative. I’ve painted accent walls, built furniture, changed out art… all of the simple things. Work is keeping me extremely busy as well, so that’s great! All in all, I don’t necessarily hate the quarantine because I was literally running myself thin- so this has been a great time to actually sit and breathe… and save money. Lol.
9. Lastly, what can we expect from TMWHITSON in the future?
You know, I don’t even know what to expect. I’m still “wowing” myself honestly. I can say that I have a lot of exciting projects in the works and I’m ready for you all to see them come to life! As far as the future, I can’t really speak on it… I’m just going to continue creating dope spaces, one room at a time.
To stay connected with Tyree check out his Instagram @tm.whitson to view more of his projects.