Interview with ShoutOut Atlanta

Local Stories

Meet Andi Morse | Interior Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Andi Morse and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Andi, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.

Taking risks is what improves your life. If you don’t take risks it’s hard to get ahead in life. Basically life is a risk. I look at risks as a challenge that if accomplished will improve myself and if failed, I’ve learned something important; whether it’s what to do the next time around to succeed or realize the risk wasn’t what was intended. Either way I look at risk as a win. You’re walking away from it with something whether it’s success or a learned failure.

I took a risk when I created my business. At the time and even now I love what I do. To me, I wasn’t going to fail because even if financially it wasn’t successful, I knew the fact that I had found something that I love to do, was the success for me. Fortunately, the financial end worked out for me.

I encounter challenges every single day in my job. Most every one of those challenges is a risk. Between renovation, new builds, and furniture installs, you are making decisions every minute of the day that can completely change the outcome of a project. Being confident and gaining knowledge has been the best weapon in my arsenal. I’ve gained the confidence and knowledge over the years from many projects by taking a risk of making the decision to change the outcome.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?

I’m an interior designer. That means not only am I a creative, but I’m a problem solver. I figure out how to solve a homeowner’s problem. It can be creating a new kitchen or bathroom by a complete gut Reno or a facelift. It can be creating a new floor plan with better flow and more comfortable seating. It can be figuring out the best paint colors for the lighting the room receives. No matter what I’m doing I feel I am solving problems for clients. I love what I do because not only am I helping with pain points but I get to use my creativity to do it. It is more fun than a job.

Being an interior designer allows me to express myself. I started my business my accident. I happened to have friend that wanted some help because she just liked my style. She insisted on paying me. It forced me to get a business license and start to pursue vendor relationships to be able to create the space my client needed. She recommended me to friends and so on. Social media has also played a large roll. Many clients have come to me from seeing my Instagram and Facebook feed. That part has been really fun. I enjoy the community I have been able to create on social media.

There are always ups and downs in every business. It’s choosing a positive way to manage them that gets you through it. I have learned that with every problem whether it’s the economy or a client issue, it’s a learning experience. It helps you for the next time to learn how to manage the situation. It also helps you to avoid them. I’m a positive person. I have learned over many years to look at life in every facet in a positive way vs. a negative one. I extend this attitude to my businesss, as well.

I create homes that are safe havens from the world. I want people to not only think their home is beautiful, but that it’s comfortable and functional. That’s key. It’s great to have a pretty house, but if you feel you can’t touch anything, it loses the purpose of being able to live in it. And that is key. To be able to live in your luxury that creates a safe zone for you and your family.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?

Some of the places I would take a visiting friend would be first to go shopping. Atlanta has some great places to shop. There are the Streets of Buckhead, the Virginia Highlands area as well as Ponce Market. There’s also Lenox and Phipps Mall. I would also make sure to include the West Side which has so many beautiful home stores. I would also venture out to Alpharetta to experience the shopping and eating. There is a ton out there, too.

Some of my favorite restaurants I would make sure to hit up with her would be for lunch Goldbergs, Cafe at Pharr, and Superica. For dinner I would be sure to take her to Blue Ridge Grill, Talat Market, Anis, Beetlecat, Le Bibloquet and Le Colonial.

I would try to see if there was a play in town. I would also try to take in a sports event depending on the time of year. That’s always fun in Atlanta. Going to the High Museum is a great place especially if there is a traveling exhibit. Taking her to the Swan House, Fernbank and the Botanical Gardens are gems to the city.

I like to drive around and show people the beautiful homes in Atlanta. There are so many just in the Buckhead area. Also, so many of the suberbs have developed over the years and include gorgeous homes. On a pretty day it’s just fun to drive around and see it all.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?

My shoutout is to my family. They have been incredibly encouraging throughout the entire process of my development. From the beginning stages, my husband cheered me on with lots of business advise. Running a design business takes so much time and energy. It also takes a good bit of business savvy. I have had to learn on the go with tons of advise from my husband to help me manage the finances to keep my business going. My mother also played a pivotal role. From the time I was young my mother was always interested in design and fashion and passed that love on to me. She also had a great deal of innate style. She knew what looked good on people as well as in her home. I learned so much by just being in her company and her constant interest and encouragement gave me confidence to pursue this dream job. As my children have aged through the process of my business, they have been able to give great advice and suggestions from their perspective that has been able to enhance my business in terms of design and skill. Like I said, family has played a pivotal role in my success.

All images by Heidi Harris