Today we’d like to introduce you to Niki Brown. Them and their team share their story with us below:
Niki originally attended UNC Chapel Hill as a pre-med student, only to realize that the business of medicine was not for her. After some soul searching, Brown realized that interior design was the perfect mix of the technical process—technology and principles of design—that spoke to both the designer and scientist in her and would allow her to create a tangible, visible final product that would treat both her and her clients to world-class design.
Soon after completing her bachelor’s degree in Psychology, she enrolled at Meredith College in Raleigh where she completed a BS in Interior Design and has been immersed in the industry ever since!
Brown spent the first five years of her design career in Atlanta, GA. There she started as an intern for a residential design firm and moved into working as a production assistant for HGTV. There she learned how to produce interior design content for TV. In 2011, she put her knowledge to the test as a featured designer on HGTV’s “Design Wars,” then, in 2013, she joined the design team for the Emmy award-winning show, “Elbow Room.”
Brown’s experiences in Atlanta taught her a great deal about interior design, but she ultimately decided to move back to Raleigh to continue developing stronger professional opportunities and to connect with her family and loved ones regularly. Brown settled back into life in Raleigh, where she was grateful to be near her family, and the local housing market was booming. Brown joined a small design firm that introduced her to the multi-family market, which gave her a valuable blend of commercial and residential work experience.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has definitely not been a smooth road as I started my career right around the last recession in 2008/2009. At one point, I questioned whether interior design would be a profitable career at all!
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about McNeill Brown Interior Design?
When I first started my company, I used the name of my blog SingleBubblePop. That name came from my meditation practice: I would try to make my mind so quiet that I could hear a *single bubble pop*. That brand had so much significance for me and still does, but over the years I have evolved as a business and my new business name, McNeill Brown Interior Design, reflects that.
We are a full-service interior design firm offering customized solutions for private residences and businesses know for a colorful mix of old and new.
Since I started my business, I’ve gotten married, changed my last name, and expanded on the type of services I offer my clients. ‘McNeill Brown Interior Design’ reflects where I came from, where I am now, and exactly what we do! I’m most proud of the customized solutions I’ve been able to provide homeowners and businesses that they cannot get anywhere else. There is something so fulfilling for them to know that no one else has what was designed specifically for them.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
One of my favorite childhood memories is Girl Scout camp! One of the camps I attended had these huge teepees with an opening at the top where you could watch the stars at night from the comfort of your sleeping bag.
Contact Info:
- Email: niki@mcneillbrowninteriors.com
- Website: www.mcneillbrowninteriors.com
- Instagram: http://instagram.com/mcneillbrowninteriors
- Facebook: http://facebook.com/mcneillbrowninteriors
Image Credits
Me placing pillow on sofa = Images by Amber Robinson Bedroom = Images by Amber Robinson
