A More In-Depth (first-hand) Look…

I GREW UP IN THE HEART OF MIAMI BEACH. AS A KID, I WOULD HANG OUT IN THE LOBBIES AND POOLS OF THE MOST EXQUISITE BOUTIQUE HOTELS. WHEN MY FRIENDS AND I WERE EVENTUALLY AND INEVITABLY ASKED TO LEAVE FOR FAILURE TO PROVIDE A ROOM KEY, WE WOULD UNABASHEDLY WANDER over TO THE HOTEL NEXT DOOR AND DO THE SAME THING ALL OVER AGAIN. WE ALL HAD POOLS AT HOME, BUT WE LOVED BEING IMMERSED IN THE LUXURY, AND ME, IN THE CAREFULLY CURATED SPACES.

AS A K-12 STUDENT, I WON AWARDS FOR MY ART ACHIEVEMENTS CLOSE TO, IF NOT, EVERY YEAR. IT WASN’T UNTIL ENTERING HIGH SCHOOL THAT IT EVEN FELT THERE WAS ANY COMPETITION FOR THE SPOTLIGHT. EVEN THEN, WHEN I WASN’T SURE I WAS THE BEST, I WAS STILL ALWAYS THE ONE TO TAKE HOME THE PRIZE. I RECEIVED AWARDS ACADEMICALLY AS WELL, AND EVEN GRADUATED IN THE TOP 3% OF MY CLASS. BUT WHILE THE OTHER SCHOLARS WERE INTERESTED IN GOING TO IVY LEAGUE SCHOOLS, I FOUND MYSELF MORE INTERESTED IN HOW TO CREATE A CAREER THAT INCORPORATED ART AND DECIDED TO MOVE TO NEW YORK TO GET A FORMAL ART & DESIGN EDUCATION.

I ATTENDED PRATT INSTITUTE, THE then TOP RATED SCHOOL FOR INTERIOR DESIGN IN THE COUNTRY. IT WAS ONE OF THE FIRST SCHOOLS IN THE COUNTRY TO BEGIN OFFERING COURSES IN INTERIOR DESIGN AND REMAINS AT THE TOP OF THE LIST TO THIS DAY. I MADE THE DEAN'S LIST EVERY SEMESTER AND GRADUATED WITH A BFA IN INTERIOR DESIGN. THE PROGRAM WAS RIGOROUS. There were many, and i mean many, sleepless nights spent working in the studio. Harsh critiques hit Doubly hard on no sleep. so, ASIDE FROM THE TECHNICAL SKILLS I DEVELOPED AND HONED, the most valuable lesson i learned was just HOW FAR I COULD PUSH MYSELF BOTH CREATIVELY AND PHYSICALLY. spoiler alert, i’ve yet to reach that limit. The limit does not exist.

sure, MY DESIGN EDUCATION HAD BROUGHT MASTERY OF VARIOUS TECHNICAL DESIGN TOOLS, PRESENTATION TECHNIQUES, AND ROUNDABOUT WAYS TO APPROACH A DESIGN PROBLEM AND THINK OUTSIDE OF THE BOX, BUT ADMITTEDLY, IT WAS NOT SO GROUNDED IN REALITY. THERE WAS LITTLE IN THE CURRICULUM THAT WENT OVER HOW TO MANAGE A BUDGET, MUCH LESS A COMPANY.

I WORKED PART-TIME FOR SOME REALLY TALENTED DESIGNERS AT THEIR BOUTIQUE FIRMS AS A STUDENT AND FOR THE FIRST FEW YEARS OUT OF COLLEGE. WITH EACH OF THEM I LEARNED VALUABLE CLERICAL SKILLS TO FILL THOSE GAPS, BUT I’D BE LYING IF I SAID I WASN’T FRUSTRATED THAT MY CREATIVITY WAS SITTING PRETTY IN THAT TIME. PLUS, I HAD THIS BURNING CURIOSITY ABOUT WHAT CLIENT INTERACTIONS LOOKED LIKE AND, DESPITE MY MANY ATTEMPTS, NONE OF MY EMPLOYERS WOULD ALLOW ME TO be a fly on the wall iN CLIENT MEETINGS TO OBSERVE AND TAKE NOTES— SOMETHING SEEMINGLY BENEFICIAL TO EVERYONE!

BUT THEN THINGS GOT INTERESTING...

ONE OF MY PART-TIME JOBS WAS CREATING TECHNICAL DRAWINGS, FOR CARLOS MOTA. HE WAS TRANSITIONING FROM HIS ROLE AS A NOTABLE STYLIST with a fantastic eye INTO AN INCLUSIVE INTERIOR DESIGN OPERATION, AND HE ASKED ME ON FULL TIME. BEFORE ACCEPTING, I NEEDED TO KNOW IF I COULD BE PRESENT FOR CLIENT MEETINGS. LAUGHING, HE REPLIED, “HONEY, THE MEETINGS DON'T RUN THEMSELVES!” THAT WAS MUSIC TO MY EARS and I took the job on the spot.

HE GAVE ME CREATIVE PLAY SPACE, VALUED MY OPINION, AND PUMPED ME FULL OF EXPERIENCE AND AN UNAPOLOGETIC DEMEANOR IN A TWO AND A HALF YEAR INTENSIVE. THE TWO OF US REALLY MADE A GREAT TEAM. I HAD POLISHED TECHNICAL SKILL, CURIOSITY, DRIVE, AND AN EVOLVING PALATE— WHILE HE HAD REFINED STYLE, VISION, PALPABLE CONFIDENCE, INDUSTRY REPUTATION, PLUS, WEALTHY CONNECTIONS. I MANAGED PROJECTS SINGLE-HANDEDLY, DEVELOPED RELATIONSHIPS WITH VENDORS, CLIENTS, ARCHITECTS & CONTRACTORS. I DESIGNED CUSTOM FURNITURE PIECES AND TEXTILES, LEARNED NOT TO BE AFRAID TO MAKE BOLD CHOICES OR SHY AWAY FROM COLOR, LEARNED HOW TO STAY CALM IN THE FACE OF DISASTER, & MOST IMPORTANTLY, I LEARNED HOW READY I WAS TO STAT A DESIGN FIRM OF MY VERY OWN!

I MADE THE DECISION TO WORK FOR MYSELF QUITE YOUNG. I COME FROM A FAMILY OF ENTREPRENEURS AND HAVE ALWAYS WANTED THAT FOR MYSELF TOO. TYPICALLY, YOUNG DESIGNERS WILL WORK UNDER ANOTHER MORE ESTABLISHED DESIGNER FOR MANY YEARS, WORKING THEIR WAY UP TO THE TOP, CREATING CLOUT, client lists, AND CUSHION FOR THEMSELVES TO THEN BRANCH OUT ON THEIR OWN. BUT I HAVE NEVER BEEN ALL THAT PATIENT, SO I RECREATED THE ROADMAP FOR MYSELF.. AND FOR VEYEBS.

I had arrived at the name years prior, as a student, when I created a side instagram account that would act as a textural diary and collection of interiors by designers i looked up to. Veyebs was coined as a play on words for vibes and the artistic eye needed to produce them. It was also a little poke at my own eyes, which are uniquely large. The name is constantly mispronounced but like most things in my world, i’m committed to it.

AT THE TIME I STARTED TO TAKE ON WORK INDEPENDENTLY, HOMEPOLISH (RIP) WAS HOT ON THE SCENE AND AFTER A RIGOROUS APPLICATION PROCESS, I WAS ADMITTED TO BE REPRESENTED BY THEIR AGENCY. THIS MEANT I DIDN'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT CLIENT ACQUISITION, THEY WERE SENDING EAGER CLIENTS RIGHT TO MY INBOX. IT WAS FANTASTIC FOR SOME TIME, BUT THEN THINGS STOPPED OPERATING AS SMOOTHLY AND THERE WERE RED FLAGS SCREAMING FOR ME TO GET OUT AND CUT TIES. TWO WEEKS LATER, THE COMPANY WENT PUBLIC ABOUT THEIR BANKRUPTCY. COUNTLESS CLIENTS LOST THEIR DEPOSITS & YOUNG DESIGNERS WERE COMPELLED TO WORK FOR FREE IN ORDER TO KEEP THEIR NAMES FROM BEING MUDDIED. TRUSTING MY INTUITION HELPED ME TO DODGE THAT BULLET, BUT I STILL HAD A NEW AND DAUNTING TASK TO MASTER…

I'VE TRIED OUT EVERY LEAD GENERATING PLATFORM YOU CAN THINK OF, BUT HAVE FOUND THAT THE BEST LEADS REALLY JUST COME FROM ENTHUSIASTIC FOLLOWERS AND WORD OF MOUTH FROM PREVIOUS CLIENTS WHO'S LIVES I HAVE HELPED TO TRANSFORM. THE TRUST THAT IS BUILT OVER THE COURSE OF A PROJECT IS TOTALLY UNPARALLELED SO WITH CLIENTS THAT ARE REFERRED, THERE IS ALREADY A LEVEL OF TRUST AND RESPECT ESTABLISHED THAT REALLY LENDS ITSELF TO THE PROCESS AND ULTIMATELY THE PROJECT.

I AM A "SUPER EMPATH", WHICH MEANS I'M HIGHLY SENSITIVE TO THE FEELINGS OF OTHERS, EVEN IF THEY DON'T VERBALIZE THEM. IT SOUNDS WITCHY, BUT THIS RARE ABILITY REALLLLLY HELPS ME TO SERVE MY CLIENTS AND MAKE SURE THAT EVEN THEIR SMALLEST CONCERNS ARE TAKEN INTO CONSIDERATION AND RESOLVED. WHEN MY CLIENTS ARE GENUINELY HAPPY, I TOO AM GENUINELY HAPPY-- AND I DON'T SETTLE FOR ANYTHING LESS.

I'M ADAMANT ABOUT ALWAYS LEAVING A ROOM BETTER THAN HOW I FOUND IT, CREATING SPACES THAT ARE MORE THAN SIMPLY NICE TO LOOK AT, SPACES THAT ACTUALLY MAKE PEOPLES LIVES EASIER AND BETTER BECAUSE I CONSIDER HOW AND BY WHOM IT WILL BE USED. CLIENTS HAVE OFTEN DESCRIBED ME AS A GOOD LISTENER AND GUIDE; UNDERSTANDING, PATIENT, INTUITIVE, PROFESSIONAL, CREATIVE, THOUGHTFUL, ENCOURAGING, calming, COMMUNICATIVE & COLLABORATIVE.

FOCUSING MY EFFORTS BETWEEN MIAMI AND NEW YORK, I SPECIALIZE IN RESIDENTIAL DESIGN WORK, WITH TEN YEARS OF EXPERIENCE UNDER MY BELT. AS MUCH AS IT JOYS ME TO WORK WITH CLIENTS ON BUILDING, RENOVATING, FURNISHING, AND STYLING THEIR HOMES, I'M EXCITED TO ANNOUNCE THAT I AM ALSO BEGINNING TO BREAK INTO THE HOSPITALITY SECTOR. MY POOL-HOPPING ERA WAS JUST THE BEGINNING OF A LOVE FOR TRAVEL AND ADVENTURE, SO I'M FINALLY ACTING ON THE ALLURE THAT BOUTIQUE HOTELS, RESTAURANTS , AND BARS HAVE HAD OVER ME.

FOLLOW ALONG ON INSTAGRAM TO KEEP UP TO DATE WITH OUR EVER-EVOLVING STORY.
@VEYEBS

XX, STEFANY (FOUNDER & CHIEF DESIGNER)