HSD Event: Interior Design Perspective

Name: Lindsay Lightner

Classification: Senior

What made you choose Baylor? At nineteen, I had already experienced many things that changed my occupational dreams a few times, and moved around a lot, but I still did not know what I wanted to do with my life. I lived in Colorado when I decided to move to Waco to be near my family. My mom convinced me to go back to college, and where better than Baylor. It was a four-year university, nearby, and had a good educational reputation.

What inspired you to create your project? When I got into Interior Design, I discovered that my career goal was to design and own apartment complexes. So, when our capstone project had to be either a hotel, apartment building, or senior living building, an apartment building seemed like the obvious choice. Which was further cemented after I completed my research of the surrounding area and demographics.

Does your project have a name? The building I am designing for my project was originally home to the printing press for the San Antonio Light newspaper. I named the building “The Light Apartments,” after the building’s original name, “The Light Building.”

Is there an overall theme? If so, how did you come up with it? My design for the building demonstrates modern industrialism. I chose this to drive my design because the building was a factory, serving as a printing press, and as of 2018, the building had undergone a redevelopment project, which included two sides of the brick building, being made up mostly of a glass curtain wall (much more modern than the two intact brick walls). So, I chose modern industrialism to tie these two characteristics together.

How has being a part of the Interior Design program influenced you? Once you join the interior design program, interior design has a way of moving into every part of your life. You cannot help but notice what you learn in class, everywhere you go. Interior design is always on the brain. One thing I learned from this program, and I will take with me going forward is to always design for the client. Every design is not for the designer. It is great to add your own flare to the designs, it is hard not to, but as people, we know that we do not love every space we walk into, but that does not mean that someone else does not. Our job is to create spaces that others will love and choose to spend their lives in, we cannot make it about ourselves. Additionally, this program has exposed me to a multitude of opportunities that I could not help myself but to fully delve in. I am baffled at the person and professional I have become since joining this program and I am forever grateful.

Who is your favorite interior designer? An interior design student at Baylor has learned nothing if their favorite designer is not Frank Lloyd Wright after taking Professor King’s History of Interior Design II class.

How many hours do you spend a week working on your project (estimate)? Too many. This major, even just the capstone class, is a full-time job. I would average about forty hours a week give or take. Some students are blessed with the ability to work quickly, but even they spend a hardy number of hours working on projects.

What are your post-graduation plans? I have accepted a position as an Interior Construction Designer with Creative Office Pavilion. I am beyond excited to work with this team in Boston. I am incredibly blessed to have found a company whose morals and priorities align with my own. I also plan to get my MBA online. Then, long term, I would love to start my own development company, redeveloping rundown businesses, as well as developing and owning apartment complexes.

Do you have any advice for future interior design students? As a student who has changed my major so many times, my advice is the following. Interior Design is not for the faint of heart. Every major has its own variation of difficulty, and the grass is not always greener on the other side. So, what is tremendously important is to find what gives you purpose and let that fuel your passion. So, if you love interior design, do not give up. It will all be worth it in the end.

Anything else you would like to share? Just one more piece of advice. The phrase we all know too well, “You get out what you put in.” This could not be truer. Putting in effort, any effort at all, has seriously opened some doors for me, which have only benefited me in the end. I used to want to just show up to class, do what I had to do, then go home, but once I found what I cared about and put effort towards it, my life was infinitely better.