Meet Naomi Brown | Interior Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Naomi Brown and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Naomi, what do you think makes you most happy? Why?
What makes me happy is getting to wake up every day and live the dream I’ve had since I was a teenager. Sometimes I genuinely can’t believe this is my real life. I’ve always loved being in beautiful spaces, places where you can feel the thought and intention behind every detail. It’s like I recharge just by being in them.

Design inspires me constantly. When I can’t sleep, my mind wanders to ideas for my clients, and I love that feeling of creative flow. Things like helping someone discover their style, especially when they weren’t even sure where to start, gives me such a rush. Being invited into someone’s home, learning how they live and what matters to them, feels like a true honor.
After years of working with barcodes and building other people’s career dreams, I’m so grateful to get to step into a career where I get to use my creativity while also strategizing and building my own business, it feels incredible. It’s fun, it’s challenging, and for the first time in my professional life, I feel genuinely alive.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I’m really proud of the fact that I dove headfirst into a completely new field after spending 20 years in other industries. It hasn’t been easy, but it’s been incredibly rewarding. I’m proud that I’ve been able to show up fully as myself and bring my love for color, wood, and character into a design world that can sometimes feel dominated by gray and beige.
I also feel lucky that I get to bring all of my past experience, marketing, product management, and business development into my own business. It’s been a huge advantage.

Of course, mistakes have been made and the plan is to continue to learn from every project. The goal is to create a luxury experience for my clients even if their budgets aren’t massive. A lot of work goes into make a house feel like a home and people who don’t have the vision or time to make it happen is who I want to help. Bookkeeping is still not my strong suit, but I’m learning. I’ve invested in courses, I’m refining my process with every project, and I can see my business becoming better, smoother, and more profitable because of it.

For anyone considering interior design, I’d say: soak up all the business advice that’s out there such as podcasts, blogs, and courses. Develop your backend before you launch, so you can focus on the client as much as possible when you start. Build your network. Connect with other designers, builders, sub contractors, and suppliers, they can help you land clients and have great industry contacts themselves. It’s easy to underestimate how much work goes into these projects, so learn to price correctly and always track your hours. Designing someone’s home is incredibly personal and intimate. It can also be overwhelming and intimidating for clients to hire a designer. Working with an interior designer should an exciting and fun, stress-free experience that results in a home that reflects who they are and supports how they actually live.

For me, it’s not just about picking beautiful furniture. It’s about really listening to my clients. It’s about honoring the personality of the home itself. It’s measuring to make sure every piece fits, that the coffee table is the right height for your feet to rest, the dining table doesn’t come up to your chest, or choosing fabrics that make sense for their dog’s fur. So many details and thought go into every piece I select. I’m paying attention to where they love to travel and what inspires them. All those tiny details are important to create a home that looks like it’s been curated over years not months.

The best advice I can give to someone looking to hire a designer? Find someone who listens to your needs and takes them seriously. You want to work with someone you find easy to connect with so you’re comfortable letting them get to know you. So at the end of the project you walk into a home that is a reflection of you not them.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Hands down, whenever anyone visits Longmont, I take them downtown. The area has come so far, and there are so many cute shops and restaurants to explore. We’d have to stop at Juniper Goods for their amazing coffee and maybe a little shopping, because honestly, at least three-quarters of my wardrobe comes from there! After that, I’d head to The Den for Happy Hour, their food and drinks are so good and who doesn’t love a deal? Next, I’d take them to West Side Tavern for the best cocktails in town and their unbeatable french fries, and it’s just a fun, lively spot to soak in the heart of town.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I’m constantly in awe of how supportive my community has been. The moment I mentioned taking this leap, it felt like lots of woman entrepreneurs came into my life and said, ‘You’ve got this, how can I help?’ I can’t thank my close group of mom friends enough. They always ask about every detail of what I’m working on, and that kind of encouragement means everything.
Interior design can be incredibly saturated, and it’s easy to slip into a mind set of imposter syndrome, feeling like you’re not good enough. Whenever I have those moments of doubt, I think about the people cheering me on. My Husband, my Best Friend, and my Mom have all gone out of their way to help with childcare or be a sounding board. Whatever the task is they help so much to make sure I get to do the thing that makes me light up.

Honestly, even the friends who haven’t been as supportive have pushed me in their own way—they’ve added fuel to my fire. This journey comes with high highs and low lows, but I’ve learned you have to take it all in stride. At the end of the day, I’m just so grateful to be on this ride.

Website: https://www.nestnew.com

Instagram: @nestnewinteriors

Facebook: https://facebook.com/nestnew

Other: https://share.google/o39zmh2Duy5rPlTNu

Image Credits
The shots that are with bright colored furniture and say Branded Beet should be credited to Jennifer Bridge Photography.

The rest the, mid century home and green Denver condo should be credited to Whitney Devoto Photography.