USU Interior Design Students Take On Big Apple

Start spreading the news, Utah State University interior design students have hit it big in the Big Apple. Five USU seniors from the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences packed up their design skills and headed to New York City last summer to work alongside some of America’s top designers. Decorating for TV stars, political leaders and high-class moguls were just a few items on these students’ to-do lists. For some, just getting to New York was a challenge.

Senior Amelia Daines discovered that her dream of interning in New York was going to take a lot of time and sacrifice. Leaving behind her husband to finish their partially renovated home, Daines left for New York to take on the world of big-name designers.

“Living in such a vibrant city and unique place was a great growing experience for me,” said Daines. “In New York I gained a better understanding of the business world, how to get a job finished and the best way to interact with clients along the way.”

Daines spent her summer working with Scott Salvator Inc., whose designs have been featured in magazines all over the world. One of Daines’ favorite tasks was renovating an apartment located on the 76^th floor of a large Manhattan building.

 

“The apartment was all windows, and you could see Central Park and the entire city,” said Daines. “I must say, I didn’t get to relax and enjoy the view much because I was responsible for supervising the entire crew during the remodeling.”

Daines said her internship experience taught her several valuable lessons about life and the world of design. Daines said you don’t have to know a lot of designers to make it; you just have to know the right designers.

Senior Lindsay Leithead also learned some very important lessons while interning with Vicente Wolf Associates, a top designer whose client list includes Clive Davis and David Copperfield. The most important lesson Leithead learned was the importance of listening to the client.

“I learned the client always comes first,” said Leithead. “This is a people business. Not only do you have to impress with design and presentation but with spirit and character.”

While Leithead worked on several projects over the summer, her favorite was helping with Vicente’s new furniture line featuring hand-designed pieces. Leithead used computer-aided drafting, or CAD, to make production of Vicente’s furniture easier. During another project Leithead learned that being a designer is not always fun and games.

“While working on a summer home in South Hampton, another intern and I had to iron every piece of bedding in the house,” said Leithead. “It took us an entire afternoon to complete the project. However, when everything was done and fresh flowers were brought in, the room was dazzling.”

 

Sharon McKinlay, a senior with a studio emphasis in interior design, knew she wanted to do her internship with a top designer. After looking over a list of the best in the business, McKinlay made a few phone calls and landed an internship with Amanda Nisbet Design, whose designs have been featured in several magazines including Elle Décor.

 

“It was wonderful working with Amanda,” said McKinlay. “To see how the business works, what components go into a project and how long it really takes to get things done has helped me focus on what I still need to learn at USU.”

Some of the projects McKinlay worked on included decorating and upgrading apartments, beach villas, country homes and restaurants.

 

Senior Alison Clissold also knew she wanted to work with the best in the business and knew exactly the designer she wanted to intern for. Clissold wrote a letter to Jeffrey Bilhuber of Bilhuber and Associates expressing appreciation for his work (and slipping in a resume and a few samples). Two days later Clissold got a phone call and a paid internship.

“I didn’t have to work too hard to get my internship, I got really lucky,” said Clissold. “I could not have had a better experience. It worked out perfectly.”

One of Clissold’s biggest challenges came not from any projects she worked on, but from the big city life.

“Being on my own and figuring out how to pay my $1,500 rent proved to be the most challenging part of my experience,” said Clissold. “The actual work with the firm was great and I soaked up every opportunity to learn new things.”

Being in the heart of New York City brought Clissold closer to the stars — a TV star to be exact. One of Clissold’s favorite projects was working on a penthouse apartment for Mariska Hargitay, star of Law and Order SVU.

Senior Kevin Peterson didn’t get his internship quite as easily. If fact, Peterson had to send out several resumes before he got the internship he wanted.

“I walked into my professor’s office at the beginning of spring semester and told him, ‘I want to go to New York,’” said Peterson. “I spent a lot of time creating a great resume and design project. Many mailed resumes and phone calls later, I landed an internship with Drake Design Associates.”

Jamie Drake is a well-known designer in New York City where his client list includes Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Madonna. Peterson actually got a chance to help decorate Bloomberg’s home, and an entertainment center Peterson built is in the mayor’s home today.

“It was projects like Bloomberg’s home that gave me that invaluable experience only an internship can bring,” said Peterson. “I do know my education at Utah State got me the internship and that the unique skills I learned here at USU gave me an edge over other intern prospects.”

For more information on USU’s interior design program, contact program director Tom Peterson, 435-797-1556, tom.peterson@usu.edu.

 

Contact: Tom Peterson, (435) 797-1556, tom.peterson@usu.edu