Rising Stars: Meet Christina Walker

Today we’d like to introduce you to Christina Walker.

Hi Christina, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
Since a child, I have always been a heavy observer and a creative daydreamer. Always paying attention to the details of a home and how things were placed and decorated. Growing up with a single mom and being the only child for a while came with a lot of alone time with limited access to extracurricular activities. My mom was hardworking with lots of long hours. So she let me move in with my grandmother in Panama City, FL both of my grandmothers live in the same city so it made things easy to go between the two. Both of them are amazing women with many talents who were hardworking and 1000 percent dedicated to their family and home life. Both taught me domestic skills, independence, and how to be a working woman who could have it all. That evolved into a love for making a house a home (Home Decor). I didn’t realize at a young age what their teachings were preparing me for but I later learned.

I originally wanted to be in animation. I was so intrigued with 3D animation and movies such as Toy story and hundreds more . I remember telling people that’s what I wanted to be when I grew up. I even used to draw 3d artwork in the 5th grade while living in Tampa, FL and selling it to kids at school for 50 cents to 75 cents for snack money. That was the beginning of my entrepreneurial “go-getter” spirit. I never told my mom because I was so scared I would get in trouble for drawing during class time. LOL.

Let’s fast forward throughout my years of growing up. Both of my grandmothers were crafty and great at decorating their homes. But I saw my Grandma Jeannie be a mastermind artist; she could create anything from scratch.

From arts and crafts to freehand wall murals, she could restore any damaged and broken furniture and repurpose it into a completely different look. You would be blown away by her creativity and how perfect the quality and details were. I am nowhere near her talent and gifted hands but I learned a lot by watching her decorate. She was ahead of her time with style and taste for the home and fashion. She had thousands of books on decorating and creating things.

Many weekend trips and summer trips to her house, I would just pick up books and read about it. Not really taking inventory that’s what I wanted to do for a living. I was still stuck on animation. To the point that I moved to Atlanta a year after high school to attend college for a Degree in Animation, I completed school with a bachelor’s in Animation, and after paying off the majority of the cost, the college lost its accreditation. Imagine that and how depressing that was, this was during the recession period.

I sent my transcripts off along with my resume to several companies for positions  and never heard back, however I read an article about Disney downsizing their animation department from over 100 employees down to 20 or 30 and sending some of them to California. I thought wow! My chances are slim to none to get into that door. I remember getting a call from a few major companies in atlanta for animator positions but not getting them because I had no work experience in the field.

I had a Job tell me they could not accept my transcripts because it was not an accredited school. WOW! Again, the school I attended for close to three years and paid a ton of money to a school not accredited, I felt like the biggest fool on the planet. Major embarrassment. At this time in my life, I was a new wife married to a soldier that was overseas, that brought much stress and anxiety to me. I went through a severe depression feeling like I was worked hard for nothing, that I didn’t have it in me to redo or the money to start over. It took a couple of years to get it together. I worked sales and customer service jobs during that break my. Ex-husband and I bought a five bedroom home to start a family in. And this was the start of my Interior Design journey. I enjoyed decorating my home just like I had seen my grandmothers do. So much so it gave me so much joy. It was like a light bulb came on, I started having vivid visions of completed spaces in less than 5 mins of walking into an empty room and everyone who came to the home was so impressed and loved it that they encouraged me to decorate others’ homes. That same quick vision would happen in everyone else’s home. So after much support and clarity, I decided to go back to school this time for Interior Design at the Art Institute of Atlanta. I was grateful and so excited when they approved my enrollment and accepted my transcripts in spite of what happened.

While in school I took a different approach. I took control of my journey. I figured I needed to get the experience, I would need to job hop around.

I listened to a career coach speaking on TV who said the days of our parents are over. You can no longer sit on a Job for 20 t0 30 years and retire and get the money you feel you deserve. Against popular opinion, it made perfect sense to me. So I set out to do just that. I made a plan that I would not be on anyone’s job for more than a year or two. I would learn what I could and move on to the next! Surprisingly it worked in my favor.  This allowed me to fast-track my career, make the money I wanted and move onto owning my own business.

The plan was I would own my own Interior Design business but I wanted to be licensed, educated, and have the working experience to back up my credibility. I needed people to take me seriously so that I could do more than just put colors and pillows together. I literally worked in every industry of design Retail Design, Commercial Design, Residential, Multifamily design, Corporate Hospitality Design to gain knowledge and be a well diverse designer. This Experience has allowed me to gain 11 years of experience and create a growing Interior Design business of my own. My company offers full Design Services and have started a candle line with much more on the horizon.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
No, it was not always easy, there were plenty of bumps in the road, you know the funny thing about life is it never stops no matter what your circumstances are, what you are feeling and going through. It keeps moving to force you to show up for it. The challenges were heavy with losing accreditation for my first degree, and going through major disappointment and embarrassment over it getting married really young, marrying a soldier that had to do a few tours our first few years of marriage overseas, Moving to a city where I had to start fresh not knowing many people learning to navigate, learning of a few health issue, (PCOS), suffering from severe pain and heavy bleeding that lasted 30 to 60 days straight consistently at a time. Not being able to have children.

Going back to school to try again while working full-time. Struggling with classes towards the end. Even took a break because I was overwhelmed and ready to give up, going through a divorce and starting life over. I don’t want this to sound like a sad sob story, but these were a few of the challenges. I overcame every last hurdle and met my goals in spite of the setbacks.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a Principle Interior Designer the Owner of C. Renee Interior Design LLC, I am a curated of spaces. I create spaces that are cohesive, stylish, and functional that represent and speak to my client’s personalities.

I absolutely love putting a smile on my client’s faces and bringing comfort and love to their homes. The biggest thing for me that I enjoy is connecting with new people on a one-on-one basis. I enjoy getting to know my clients and their world gaining their trust to create and push their vision beyond their expectations.

Our services consist of Consultations in person and virtually, we offer E-design so no matter where you are in the world, I can help you transform your space. We travel domestically and internationally. We do full renovations. We offer 3D and 2D renderings and Moodboard to show you your space before committing to furniture and giving you a visual concept. We shop and source furniture, textiles, and fixtures from our vetted vendors. Our team comes in to set up space and take care of all moving aspects to give you that final look.

Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
My advice to someone who is looking to become an Interior Designer. Be open to all industries for experience, never limit your style, and be open to every style so that you are not limited to a certain client. It’s perfectly fine to have a specialty, Be sure to go for your license and some sort of formal certification /education it will take you further in the marketplace. If you choose to start your own business, it will help your clients feel more comfortable that you know what you’re doing. Take business classes to learn the ropes of a good business model. and a great portfolio to showcase your work online and in person. Be sure to always vette license and ensure contractors for your jobs.

Never stop being creative, surround yourself with other designers this allows you to stay connected to the trends, tricks, and tips to share. And overall relationships that speak your language and always remember as a Designer you are the Trendsetter!

Contact Info:

• Email: info@iamcrenee.com
• Website: www.iamcrenee.com
• Instagram: Iam_c.renee
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/crenee85/

Image Credits
Photo Credit: http://www.rookmgmnt.com/ https://www.christopheramaral.com/index Builder: Glasshouzexclusive