Today we’d like to introduce you to Monica McCaskill.
Hi Monica, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have been working on Monica McCaskill Interiors my whole life, it seems. Ever since I was a kid, I have loved design, whether it was fashion or interior. I used to ask for gift certificates to places like Pier One (ya’ll remember that store?). Anyway, I was constantly redoing my bedroom, and I didn’t want anyone picking out things I didn’t like, so hence the gift certificates. When I got to high school, I always had teachers and peers telling me that I needed to be in fashion, and that excited me. I am from a very small town in East Texas, and fashion nor design was not something people did for a career around there. After high school, I moved to Dallas to pursue a degree in Fashion Merchandising. After graduation, I was a Visual Merchandiser and Apparel Buyer for a few different stores for several years. I loved the Visual Merchandising the most because I got to do all of the window displays and make them as fun and as wild as my imagination would let me. While I loved what I was doing, my dream was not paying the bills at the time… I think I was making $13 an hour when I was 28 years old… I needed more. One of my friends started working in the Oil and Gas Industry and got me a job at her company. What a complete turnaround in career paths, right? But the money was great, and the freedom was way better than working retail. I did this for a few years until I began to recognize that my young self would be asking me what the hell I am doing if she could. My new job was paying the bills, but it was soooo boring to me, and I couldn’t handle sitting behind a desk doing mineral research for the rest of my life. My mom told me about Home Staging in 2015, which was new to me. I got certified in Staging and Interior Design and started my first company “Staged by Design” within a few months. I started off doing just home stagings, but requests for design and color consults started coming in. Oh did I mention that I was still working my 9-5 O&G job at the time. Thankfully I had some really awesome bosses, and they knew I wanted more, and as long as I got my work done, I could take on any appointments that came my way during work hours for Staged by Design. Jumping forward to 2023, we provide Full-Service Interior Design, Home Staging, Color and Design Consults, just to name a few. I have also recently gotten married and changed my business name to Monica McCaskill Interiors. So much has happened in the past year, personally and professionally, and I am so excited to see where everything takes me, my family, and my business.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Anyone that tells you that owning a business is easy they are holding out on telling you the truth. I for one am not a businessperson, so that alone has been something to navigate, from accounting to creating boundaries with people. Thankfully I am a highly organized person and have implemented a whole design process because this job can get messy fast with all of the moving parts. While I can outsource my accounting, the way I run my business is on me, and I am proud of the new things I am learning and implementing into the business every day so that I may do what I do best, which is design.
As you know, we’re big fans of Monica McCaskill Interiors. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Monica McCaskill is a certified home stager and interior designer. Monica has completed the most comprehensive and intensive home staging and redesign certification courses in the country.
In addition to a staging certification and interior design certification, Monica is also a member of the Interior Design Society and holds a degree in merchandising. Monica has been decorating and rearranging rooms all of her life and can’t wait to bring her passion into your home.
Our Services Include
Interior Space Planning & Furniture Layouts
Finish Selections
New Construction & Remodel: Interior Finish, Fixture & Material Selections, and Specifications
Furniture, Accessories & Art Selection
Purchasing & Scheduling Delivery/Installation
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
One of my passions in addition to designing is helping newbie designers. I don’t have all the answers or even half of them, but I am constantly learning to stay on top of my game in this industry, and I enjoy passing along what I know to others. I would say above schooling and/or certifications, find a mentor, whether paid or volunteer. Being a designer is creativity and passion you are born with, what to do with it and how to turn it into a successful business is something you learn from those who have gone before you. Find someone in this field that you admire and wish to be like and ask them to be your mentor. All they can say is no, and if they do tell you no, then ask them if they can point you in the right direction towards someone who can. I have a Staging mentor and several Interior Design mentors. They all have added tremendous value to my overall growth in the business…
Pricing:
- Initial Design Consultation $200
- Basic Staging Consultation $150
Contact Info:
- Website: www.monicamccaskill.com
- Instagram: @monicamccaskillinteriors
- Facebook: https://www.Facebook.com/monicamccaskillinteriors/
