Meet Stephanie Stephy” Smith | Owner & Principal Designer”

We had the good fortune of connecting with Stephanie “Stephy” Smith and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Stephanie “Stephy”, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
Kings Consulting & Design is essentially a hub for all things creative. We offer interior design and constructions solutions to commercial and residential clients. I “unknowingly” came up with the idea for my business as a small child, believe it or not. Growing up in Washington DC, I was introduced to creativity, culture and construction early. My mother worked for a major real estate development company, and I was always on the scene… I mean; luxury condos, new restaurants and major retail project sites were after school hang out spots for me. I learned a lot on those site walks and design meetings I used to eavesdrop on as I waited for my mom as she conducted her business. I just knew that one day I wanted to start a business where I could merge my love for construction, interior design and creativity in one place. Fast forward to a few years ago, fiancé (now hubby) and I had a major pipe burst under our house that resulted in our kitchen floor being dug out to remedy the issue and replace the pipe. This was devastating yet game changing for us as we, as homeowners, now had the opportunity to design our kitchen the way we wanted and assemble our very own team of professional trades to bring our vision to life. Ironically, we have friends that have licensed businesses in every trade necessary for constructions projects, so the assembly of the team was pretty easy and beneficial on both ends. This experience allowed us to experience both the customer and business side of the game come up with a solid concept for Kings Consulting & Design.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Kings Consulting & Design is all about networking and engaging with our peers. I believe that in the Interior Design industry we all strive to be “the best” not realizing that “the best only exist in a perfect world -and as you know a perfect world is unknown to us. I can proudly say that I am not the best nor am I aiming to be…I’m a creator, an artist in my own right. Every design plan or creative idea I have comes from my heart and interpretation of my client I am serving – more so than any traditional training or published rule book. That kind of talent can’t necessarily be judged or in competition with anyone or anything. Ms. E. Badu said it best, I’m an artist – and I’m sensitive about my sh- (you know the rest)! I think being my true authentic self…mixed with being fearless when it comes to voicing my creative (sometimes daring) thoughts on projects has contributed greatly to my business sucess so far. It has not been easy at all, we are still young and growing as a company but we have big dreams and even bigger ambition to one day be mentioned amongst the greatest designers and creative curators out there! The world will know Stephanie Smith and Kings Consulting & Design! As a business owner I have managed to overcome some of the greatest challenges by being able to identify when I need help and not being afraid to ask for help or guidance. This is SUPER IMPORTANT as a business owner, as much as we would like to do it all ourselves, it is impossible after a while. Do not stretch yourself thin, you’re no good to anyone once you burn out. Ask for help when needed! The greatest lesson I’ve learned so far along the way is that you can NOT please everybody and there is always someone that thinks they can run your business better than you… acknowledge both and stay away from both! The less distractions the better…always protect your energy and your peace of mind.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Well if you know anything about Stephy, then you know I am a nature freak, I love to visit new restaurants and order most of the menu to sample and I will make an entire day out of visiting luxury model homes for inspiration! So if my bestie were to visit me in DC, we’d visit the Tysons Corner or some place similar for some shopping, food and luxurious Multimillion dollar homes to walk through.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First of course, I have to thank God for allowing the gift of creativity and the drive to always push through. I have to shout out my amazing husband, Bryan. He keeps me grounded, educated and always on top of my game! Thank you, babe, I love you more than you’ll ever know. My handsome sons, Christian, Carter, Cairo and Zavier, they are the motivation and the inspiration to everything I do. Shoutout to my mom for introducing me to the game, literally! Watching her hustle to make it happen for us as a child will forever be one of my driving forces to never give up. My daddy, he gave me the charm and gift to build a rapport with my peers no matter where I am. My family and my biggest supporters Pumpkin, Auntie Lorna, Laneisha, Larry, ChiQuita (my KK), Shay, Pam, Chris, Faye, Ray, Chris C and Tanya – I can’t thank you all enough for the love and support! This is my circle that I am so grateful for!

Website: www.kings4design.com

Instagram: callme.stephy (and) Kings4Design (Personal & Business accounts)

Facebook: Stephy Renee

Youtube: Foundation Smith – https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCvfFuqxRtg5xo3V-gHRZrwA

Image Credits
Hall Yeah Photography