Today we’d like to introduce you to Sims Holland.
Hi Sims, I’m so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, how can you bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I have been shifting, rearranging, and designing spaces since I was old enough to drag furniture across a room. My dad is an architect here in Austin, so I grew up around blueprints and tiny drawings of rooms and layouts and itty bitty foam replicas of homes. My mom, a wonderful designer in her own right though non-professional, bravely allowed me to redesign my room when I was 12; my first project, which I immediately painted an eye-wincing electric green. We live, we learn. I now work with a slightly muted palate, though I still love a cheeky, vibrant accessory here and there. My professional career began while living away from Austin, in Los Angeles. I connected with a brilliant organizer, Morgan Owens of Haven Home, and worked with her to organize and style homes, which I loved. Off the back of that, I began staging showrooms to showcase the gorgeous inventory from Hem, then took on staging grand, breath-taking homes for sale in Mid City and East LA with the incredibly talented Emma Green of Emma Green Staging. From there, I began to get hired independently for design projects. As a result of my progressive career path, I love every aspect of the design process, from the small organizing job to the full overhaul and resetting of a space. I moved back to Austin this past Spring and love getting to know the design community here.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I began designing – or organizing at first – as a side job that I would do as and when I could take on a job here or there. Then, one little job led to another slightly bigger job that led to another bigger, better job, and on and on down to where I am today. Thankfully, it did not have the pressure of needing to be my everything at first, or else I would have struggled with it more. As with any creative endeavor, it can be a stop-and-start kind of journey. Over the years, I have become increasingly more interested and fascinated by the artistic spirit of design and the art of connecting people to their spaces.
We’ve been impressed with Sims Holland Design, but for folks who might need to be more familiar, what can you share about what you do and what sets you apart?
There is something a little magic about those who curate spaces; it’s like we’ve learned a language that homes perk up to when we walk in because they know they will be listened to or can trust us in caring for them. A little woo-woo, I know, but after so many times working in client’s spaces, even if it is to tidy things up a bit, and hearing things like, “The room feels cozy now” or “It feels welcoming, and I never used to want to go into this room” it is hard to ignore. Be it Feng Shui, Sparking Joy, Hygge flow mood, or temperature, there is no denying things feel different when a designer helps bring love into a space. Sometimes, I stand in a room for ages to sort of try to figure it out or listen to it. Have you ever used a specific color in one home that worked perfectly, then tried to use it in another, and it felt all wrong? Designers are tuned to listen to those nuances our homes are trying to tell us. And that’s what I do! I love every process step and am available for organizing, styling, and design.
Do you have recommendations for books, apps, blogs, etc?
- The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo
- The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Live Well by Meik Wiking
- You are a Badass by Jen Sincero
- Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
- Get it Done by Sam Bennet
- Zen and the Art of Happiness by Chris Prentiss
Pricing:
- $100/hr
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.simshollanddesign.com/
- Instagram: simshollanddesign
- Facebook: simshollanddesign
Image Credits
Sims Holland Design
