Community Highlights: Meet Natalie Llorente of Everyday Elegance Interiors

Today we’d like to introduce you to Natalie Llorente. 

Hi Natalie, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My passion for interior design started when I was about 14 years old. I started out decorating for friends and family by first creating collages out of catalog and magazine clippings with design ideas for their space. Today we call these “mood boards” or “concept boards”. I’d even sketch out the room with the design plans I had in mind. We’d then bring the design to life by purchasing some of the materials but many times painting existing materials and even learning how to sew fabrics to mimic the look we wanted. I was quite the DIYer at a very young age! I was also obsessed with the early home makeover shows of my time like “Trading Spaces”. Being inspired by that show, I would do these “makeovers” for friends and family, take before and after pics with my disposable camera, and give my “clients” a fun room reveal. I kept all my mood boards, designs, drawings, and pictures in a notebook and labeled it my “portfolio”. I still have that book till this day. 

Fast forward into college, I decided to study Biology because I was working at a lab at the time and wanted to pursue my career in that field. And so, I worked in healthcare for years, met the love of my life, got married, had my first child and continued decorating and designing spaces for friends and family as a hobby. 

When I was pregnant with my second child, I discovered a newly launched interior design app for creating mood boards (welcome technology!). I became obsessed with creating these boards and my best friend told me “Why aren’t you doing this for a living?” That was my “aha moment”! 

That same week, I decided to create an LLC for my interior design business and announce it on my social media page. I instantly gained several clients for multi-room projects. I was offering both in-home design services as well as E-design services (virtual design) as a side hustle while still working full time as a healthcare worker and eventually left my full time job and dedicated myself completely to my design business. That was 7 years ago.

About 2 years after starting my business, we moved out of Miami and eventually landed in Dallas. I had a goal to really grow my business in Dallas. But having all my clientele in Miami, I had to start from the ground up. I joined local Facebook groups and started advertising my services on there. I offered my services at a ridiculously low rate just to get my foot in the door. I searched on Google, Facebook and help other resources and found contractors, vendors, other designers and quickly had an entire Rolodex of vendors to use for my projects. I went from tiny budget decorating projects to $200k full renovation projects in my first year alone. 

As I’ve been pursuing my career goals, so has my husband. While his career is what took us to Dallas, it’s now lead us back home to Miami. And so, here we are…back where it all started. A few weeks after the move, I announced on my social media that I’ve moved back and have already contracted 3 projects. I’m so excited for what’s to come here in the city where it all began. I’m back to my Trading Spaces roots and ready to take on major projects and hopefully bring someone else on my team soon! 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
It wasn’t always easy, especially moving around the country a couple of times. A few months after starting my business, my husband accepted a position in Boston, MA. We moved there and my business took a back seat. I was offering virtual designs but it wasn’t fulfilling me. Then the move from Boston to Dallas happened and I had to start all over again. Now moving back to Miami from Dallas, I’m faced with the same thing. I’ve had to stop and restart a few times which has many times left me feeling defeated and uninspired. It takes a lot of effort and work to build your clientele from scratch but it’s all been worth it! 

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Everyday Elegance Interiors, LLC?
Everyday Elegance Interiors is a residential interior design business that specializes in accessible interior design. My business is recognized for its simple, cozy, timeless and elegant design aesthetic. I believe there’s a true art to knowing how to achieve a designer look without breaking the bank by knowing how to mix high end pieces with affordable pieces. I’m not your stuffy interior designer. In my designs, not ever piece needs to be an investment for the client. I educate them on what’s a wise investment and what’s not, resulting in a timeless design that will last them years. I’m all about creating beautiful spaces that feel good in your soul because after all, home is where the heart is, and I want my thumbprint on all of my projects to always resemble that.

While hiring an interior designer is considered to be a luxury, I believe that everybody should love the home they live in. It’s vital for me that my client’s feel incredible after hiring me. I design for my clients as if I’m designing for my own home, so every project I work on has a little piece of my heart within it. So, I guess what sets my apart is ultimately, that I do it with a lot of heart!

Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?

I guess in my case, I can say that the biggest risk I took was when I said YES to leaving our hometown of Miami and move to Boston, in pursuit of a better future for our family. We left everything we knew and started a whole new life in a foreign city. As a result of our move, I left my job in healthcare and was then able to dedicate myself to growing my business full-time. It really paid off in the end. I never thought I’d be able to stop working in healthcare and actually do what I love FULL TIME! 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.everydayelegance-interiors.com/
• Instagram: @everyday_elegance_interiors
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/everydayelegancebynatalie