Designing Success
Local interior designer rides the reality TV wave
Photograph by Chris Edwards
Will Smith’s talents as a designer are evident here at his home. It is also what led him to be a finalist on Design Star. – Chris Edwards
Step foot into the west Charlotte home office of interior designer Will Smith and it's easy to see why he finished in the top three on season two of HGTV's reality show competition Design Star.
Rich brown hues and black undertones dominate a space that's accented with modern and traditional office furniture. Touches of bamboo and Indonesian and African art emit a calm yet bold vibe. Smith's dog, Chubbs, even benefits from his owner's keen personal touch. The miniature Doberman pinscher rests his paws in a custom-made doghouse that's disguised as one of the office's end tables.
Not bad for someone who, after splitting with a live-in girlfriend, discovered his talent for design during a home-remodeling binge.
"I looked at HGTV all the time and thought that it would be fun to be on the show," says the thirty-one-year-old Kenansville native. He battled eleven other finalists in tasks such as designing a Las Vegas penthouse and decorating on a dollar-store budget.
"The challenges came easy to me because I'm a designer," he says. "The only difference was that a TV camera was following us around."
He started Interior Motives by Will Smith in 2000, after leaving his job in insurance. He uses a self-described style of modern touches, clean spaces, and bold colors to work his magic for local and national clients such as author Omar Tyree, retired NFL star Yancey Thigpen, and South End's Glamour Puss Boutique and Salon.
Capitalizing on his burgeoning appeal, Smith is set to launch a series of design seminars, in which he will offer affordable design tips. Also on tap is a Will Smith line of furniture that debuts this year.
Smith says his passion still lies in helping people love their personal space—no matter their budget. "I'm a person first, and then a designer. Once I find out what the person needs, the designer in me comes naturally. Everyone should live in a well-designed space."
