Owner Spotlight: Donna Moss

I look forward to sharing my story and hope that you will enjoy getting to know me better.

Although I was born in Philadelphia, I moved to Florida right after preschool. I grew up in the Palm Beaches, attended the University of Georgia, then got married and moved to Connecticut.

Growing up in a completely different aesthetic environment, I found my new New England home lacking in the glamour and visual excitement I experienced back in Florida. I yearned for restaurants and night clubs where I could feel comfortable getting "all dressed up". So it was great fortune I was engaged to design model homes in an upscale area on the North Shore of Long Island, a very fancy Italian Restaurant called Valentino, and the poshest and largest nightclub in Connecticut called Daniel's and Backstage, A Private Club, within the first two years of opening my own design firm.

Every project was and is a a new learning opportunity, and I did just that. Fortunate to collaborate with lighting and sound engineers from Studio 54, successful real estate developers, restaurant and night club "know it all's", I became educated in areas not taught in a classroom.

As the world and fashion change, I strive to change with it. Focusing on environmentally and pet friendly design, along with rapidly changing technology, I offer knowledge of classic design of the past with a look to the future. I feel every client and project has it's own requirements and needs: it's own DNA. I pay close attention to what a client is saying and not saying, and I fit the puzzle pieces together to create an environment specifically designed for them or their targeted market. Sometimes the space or a piece of cherished furniture will dictate the direction, but it will always be a unique space with their personal imprint.

I have spent many years building a workforce I can count on to get it done right, on time, and in budget if humanly possible. The most difficult aspect of my profession is the designer is somehow held responsible for things that are beyond our control. Weather, delivery delays, mistakes by the supplier or manufacturer, damage in transit, malfunction of an appliance are just some of those "things".I would always get a lump in my throat when a client would eat at a restaurant I designed and call me to say the food was awful or they had terrible service. I know I wasn't responsible, but I would just feel awful.

If nothing is going on, I'm on the golf course, where even then, design development is part of my thought process. A designer's brain is always at work. Whether I'm walking the dog, at the gym, watching a movie, chatting with friends, or sitting at the drafting table, being a designer is a full-time occupation. I am passionate about my family and friends, including doggie friends. I volunteer to walk and care for my daughter's dog, Winston, and my neighbor's dog, Kody. Currently I support two underprivileged children in 3rd world situations after watching two others I supported move into respectable professions helping support their own family.

I attribute my success to my ability in many instances to maintain relationships with many clients after completing their projects successfully. I count on them to count on me for their next project or to tell their friends about me. The most satisfying moments are hearing someone say they were recommended to me by a former client.

Away from work, I play golf as a member of the The Course at Yale and am currently about to compete on the Yale Women's Golf Team. I am a former extremely avid tennis player, although golf takes up most of extracurricular time now. I still play a little tennis, attend the theater, concerts, and sporting events, and am a big fan audio books. I travel great distances sometimes to and from job sites, so audio books come in very handy.

I am very passionate about educating the public about the difference a professional, liscenced interior designer can make in your project. In my future blogs, that is my intention. I hope you will stay "tuned in " for that information and tell your friends how unwise it is to go it alone even if they are talented.

I have enjoyed sharing my story about the things which matter to me and how they influence the way I do business.