Avery Solmssen likens her first meeting with a potential client as a date, posing the question to herself: \u201cDo we match?\u201d Apparently, during her initial encounter with Serena & Lily CEO, Lily Kanter, the two immediately clicked. In addition to colors and textures, they talked about interior design and Solmssen\u2019s approach to her own work, all the while developing a burgeoning close personal relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI really like to get to know my clients before I fully commit to a job,\u201d says Solmssen, who graduated with her BFA in Interior Design from Chaminade in 2004. \u201cEvery project takes on a different life; no two projects are ever alike.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Interior design has a timeless appeal as a profession, drawing talented individuals who possess a passion for creativity, aesthetics and transforming spaces into functional works of art. That appeal, in part, is the reason Solmssen pivoted from her first career in education. After earning her bachelor\u2019s degree in Sociology from the University of Colorado in 1998, Solmssen changed her mind about getting her degree in Special Education, choosing instead to pursue her BFA in Interior Design at Chaminade University.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAt the time, I was a teacher with Assets School, and I really enjoyed working with the kids,\u201d Solmssen says. \u201cBut I\u2019ve always had an interest in interior design so I chose to change careers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n