Meet Shivani Vyas | Interior Designer

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

Hi Shivani, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
“Create a life you don’t need a vacation from.” Cheesy, I know, but I saw this quote on a TJ Maxx piece of artwork when I was 26. Back then, I was working in a cubicle for Biogen in Durham, NC. I immediately bought the framed quote, hung it up in my apartment entryway, and started thinking. Truly, this was the catalyst for every move I made afterward. I wanted every day to feel creative, energizing, and challenging. I also wanted freedom—this was everything to me. I never started my business for monetary gain or wealth but for time. I wanted to be able to set my own hours, work at my own pace, and schedule my life on my own terms. This meant everything — from the small things like going for a walk at 10 AM to not having a commute and eating lunch on a rocking chair in my backyard.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I’m the owner of Studio Vyas, LLC, a boutique interior design studio in Macon, GA. I specialize in designing timeless, elegant interiors that modernize traditional style—gravitating towards classic, high-quality pieces paired with an infusion of color! I want my clients to come home to beautifully designed spaces where they can work, play, and grow (without worrying about reinvesting in an otherwise trendy design that may become outdated a few years later).

My journey to becoming a designer was odd and painstakingly long. Initially, I wanted to be a physician, and at age 22, graduated from East Carolina with a BS in Neuroscience. I spent my summers volunteering at local hospitals and completing internships in medical offices, consumed in what felt like an endless pit of chemistry, physics, MCAT courses, and human biology. Back then, my only dream was to attend medical school; it was all I ever thought about.

My gut, on the other hand, always had a different agenda. 🙂 Ever since I can remember, interior design was the light of my life. Even as a child, I would collect flooring and paint samples from home improvement stores (for absolutely no purpose) and store them in a box. I even decluttered every single stuffed animal at a very young age because “it didn’t match my aesthetic” and started a neighborhood “decor swap program.” My friend knew the cheat code on Sims for unlimited money, so I’d spend summers on her boxy Microsoft computer designing character homes (but never played the game itself).

Even in my first year of college, I wanted to be an interior designer, but as a South Asian — it truly was a non-existent career choice. So instead, I tried to minor in Art, hoping to explore my creative side just a tad, but ended up giving that up too (never making it past my first homework assignment, which was to draw straight lines without a ruler). I quit my art minor to pursue Neuroscience full-time because it felt impossible to do both. But on occasion, when I did get a chance, I would sneak up and stand outside the doors of art and design classrooms in awe, desperately wishing I could trade places with one of those students. I was also lucky to earn a spot as a campus journalist for our university newspaper, The East Carolinian. I wrote stories and interviewed a range of experts, from scientists to astronauts and movie directors. I always loved to write. Even stories and poetry as a child.

Fast forward to graduation, I studied another 6 months to retake my MCAT, landing a score that was just shy of 1 point for DO schools and a total miss for US MD schools. Back then, I worked at a GI scheduling call center for Duke PRMO in North Carolina, and that’s when I got the news that a Caribbean medical school had accepted me. Instead of feeling happy, I felt nauseous and depressed. I knew it was time for me to face reality — I didn’t want to be a physician, I never really did, but cultural influences got the best of me (without even me realizing so).

To move up the corporate ladder, I started working for Biogen — a perfect fit for a washed-out Neuroscience student who never made it to medical school. Biogen is a biotech company specializing in developing medications for neurological diseases for patients worldwide. Here, I networked and submitted at least 10 applications to become a junior scientist in their Neuroscience department but never even landed one interview (not to mention the hundreds of other job applications I filled out at the time for a myriad of science-based roles). So, I continued to work in their office/call center side, helping MS patients with their medication needs. Knowing that I was helping patients motivated me to come to work every day, but I still battled bouts of depression because the job didn’t align with who I really was.

The job did teach me to be independent, hardworking, and professional—something I’ll forever be grateful for. It also became pretty clear to me that I wasn’t cut out for cubicle life! I always craved challenges, a variety of projects, and creativity. In hopes of having a more fulfilling career, I started managing marketing and communication efforts for Biogen’s fundraisers and building TV displays. I also became the Editor-in-Chief of our staff newsletter. Both of these roles made me very happy, and I genuinely felt excited to get to work. Unfortunately, I had a manager who did not prioritize my professional growth or foster an environment for me to excel— she was only concerned about my role as a Patient Services Coordinator. But it was because of “feeling stuck” in my role that I decided it was time to create a new path. I applied to hundreds of jobs, called several managers, physically dropped off at least 20+ copies of my resume (and did everything you can think of under the sun), but never received one call back. So I did the next best thing: I returned to school —and I was accepted into Johns Hopkins, earning my Master’s in Digital Communication.

I was 28 when I graduated from JHU, and despite a Master’s degree, still couldn’t find a job for months! I was 100% broke, and my husband now (partner at the time) was in medical school. This was when my entrepreneurship itch first started. I created a wedding sign bundle for rent, reaching out to 50+ venues and setting up networking events and shows but without one call back! Failure #1001 I thought to myself. Finally, a super talented woman-owned event decorating company agreed to meet with me, stating they wanted to work with me but also needed an event design assistant + social media coordinator. Of course, I eagerly took this role on! At this time, I also populated a few side hustles, graphic designing logos in Photoshop for Fiverr and local NC clients. I made logos for every job you can think of, from cleaning companies to driving schools. Overall, this event design experience led me to start providing full-service decorating for weddings and events. My largest wedding was 450 people, and my assistant was none other than my mom! Of course, I lost money on this business and couldn’t find new clients for some time.

Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, I was still working for the event company on a freelance basis, but the jobs were limited, and it was not providing a sustainable income. I realized I needed to return to the drawing board, so I started applying for jobs again. At the time, I had an interior design, organization, and home DIY blog, which only had about 50 followers. So, I was hired by a construction/design communication company job in Fayetteville, North Carolina, making about 50K. Within the same week, something in me said I couldn’t return to the corporate world. I wanted to live out my true purpose, which had always been design. Event design was a beautiful experience, but residential interior design was so much closer to my heart!

Randomly, one day I thought to myself, “what the heck, why not?” No degree, no training, no real shot — I proceeded to “Google” “interior design jobs near me. Luckily, Havertys Furniture was hiring, which happened to be just a mile away from my apartment. The manager took a chance on me because I had an avid home design and decor blog where I wrote several articles about interior design and took photos of small vignettes I designed in my own home using the Canon I bought for my event design business (I also took my own photos at the time because I couldn’t afford a photographer). This, coupled with a good interview, and I was hired!

And that was it! That jumpstarted my career as a design consultant, where I met mentors who taught me space planning, how to draw floorplans, give design presentations, and specify furniture orders. I am still so thankful to this hiring manager and my colleagues at the time! Without them, I would not be where I am today. This job was short-lived, though, when I ended up moving to Georgia for my husband’s residency 1 year later.

Macon, GA, had absolutely no design jobs. I called every designer in town and tried to network and apply. I failed here too. Right before COVID, I started freelancing as an interior designer and started my own business. I barely had any design work coming in, so to build my business, I worked part-time. I became a freelance interior design copywriter and website designer, working for other interior designers. I also worked at Floor & Decor part-time and communication companies to stay afloat (and also took on e-design jobs that equated to about $10/hour after the projects would end).

Now, I’m in year 3 of my business and continue to thrive. My business is my livelihood. It’s the reason I get up in the mornings.

Advice: You must really love and breathe your business — because only you can see it through. And if you’re expecting people around you to be supportive, think again. You will often be alone, and you’ll need to believe in yourself (and your crazy ideas) no matter what society, your friends, or your family say. There may even be people around you who want to see you fail. Surround yourself with authentic, soul-aligning friends, mentors, and people. Always have faith in yourself and treat yourself well. Be kind to yourself when things don’t go your way, and have the patience to keep persevering even when you feel like giving up.

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?
Amerson River Park is a beautiful place to relax, read a book, or get some exercise in. For the best fresh juices and açaí bowls, go to Harp & Bowl LA Bistro downtown. In March, Macon is also home to the International Cherry Blossom Festival, which is full of fun and treats!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
To my husband— an incredible, funny, loving (and patient) man.

Website: www.studiovyas.com

Instagram: @studiovyas

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shivani-vyas/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Shivanivyas20

Other: https://muckrack.com/vyas-shivani https://www.bhg.com/author/shivani-vyas/

Image Credits
Robin Gatti Photography | DSTO Moore Photography | Anna Guzzi Photography | Fixr