Lindsay Carlile’s interior design work on West Texas couple’s dream home wins grand design
2020 Interior Design alumna Lindsay Carlile was recently awarded the Tahoe Quarterly's Grand Design Award alongside Kelly & Stone Architects and NSM Construction for their work on what's being called a picturesque dream home in the Tahoe, California area.
Carlile owns and operates Lindsay Carlile Designs and is National Council for Interior Design Qualification and Texas Board of Architectural Examiners certified.
Her work as an interior designer introduced her to the West Texas couple who hired her to complete the Tahoe project.
"After completing two other homes for them, we built a great relationship and trust,"
Carlile said.
The project itself took a year to complete from discovery to scope to working with the architects to choose exterior finishes, interior design, and selecting interior finishes all the way to completion. After its completion, the home's builder entered the Lake Tahoe Quarterly competition – with the home being one of 200 entered in the contest.
After being considered by a board of 10 professionals in the field of design, architecture, and construction, the home was awarded the Grand Design prize, which is a combination of best interior design, best architecture, and best builder.
"I was honored and surprised to receive the award," Carlile said. "The house really stood out as the most unique design from any of the other homes submitted. It's the award to win!"
Thinking back to her time at Texas Tech, Carlile said she chose the Interior Design program at Texas Tech because of its accreditation. She also liked the wide variety of classes offered by the program including drawing, AutoCAD, construction, architecture, landscape architecture, and photography – all of which she says help her in each of her projects, whether they be commercial or residential.
"My degree gave me the advantage in commercial projects," Carlile said. "The knowledge
of ADA, codes, commercial materials, and more definitely helped me in standing out
over other interior designers that didn't have the same education."
For students pursuing a career in interior design, Carlile said it's essential to have the ability and passion for creating and designing. While natural talent for envisioning and creating unique spaces is important, it's also imperative to stand out from the crowd by having the education and knowledge that comes with interior design knowledge and education.
"With that degree and being accredited by the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCID), you will be a cut above the rest," Carlile said. "You will be an actual interior designer, not a decorator. There's a difference. With that education and background, mixed in with a little talent, you will be able to meet any challenge you face. The ability to do any style for any client is what makes a great interior designer."
You can read more about the Grand Design Award and the Tahoe home in the Tahoe Quarterly.