Inspiring Conversations with Stephanie Stuart of Stuart Design Co

Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Stuart.

Hi Stephanie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
In 2017, I was reminded how important interior design is to me and how our mental and physical wellness is impacted by our interior spaces. I was living in Utah and my older sister called me from California. Our mom was in a head-on collision and was in the hospital. She was going to make it, but with her immune system and bone density compromised from pre-existing conditions including Lupus and Rheumatoid Arthritis, recovery was going to be slow. Luckily, and we can seriously say we were lucky, her main injuries were 3 broken limbs, with no brain or spinal cord damage. After surgery, my mom was discharged to a care facility where the conditions were horrendous. After a long three days in a dark facility with metal guest chairs, overflowing garbages and dirty walls, we were successful in getting my mom transferred to a different rehab center. Walking into the bright, clean, newly remodeled rehab facility was such a relief. I was so grateful and immediately overwhelmed with the desire to return to Senior Living design.

Years earlier, while a senior in college at San Francisco State, I took on an internship at an interior design firm that specialized in senior living. It was a niche market and I loved the technical aspect of marrying medically functioning spaces with a residential feel. As we age, our needs, wants and abilities evolve and our living space needs to adapt too. After an eclectic career in the interior design industry and my mom’s accident, I have come full-circle to open my firm, Stuart Design Co. We specialize in senior living, multi-family housing, and procurement for designers that need furniture purchasing support.

My mom has lingering challenges from the accident, but is extremely optimistic and has moved on to continue her active lifestyle. I am grateful to support the goal of maintaining an active, independent lifestyle for all seniors through interior design.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Interior design can be superficial, there, I said it! I hope the other interior designers don’t stone me. Senior Living is a niche market and the general perception is we’re creating the nursing homes of the 80’s and 90’s. It’s not perceived as sexy, but the industry is working to change that. Educating the general public about the emerging market of 55+ and active, multi-generational community models help demonstrate we’re not talking about great grandma’s knitting in ricking chairs. We’ll all be seniors if we’re lucky and we’re including coffee shops, bars and state-of-the-art exercise facilities into our projects. Harnessing urban infill opportunities to build senior communities also invites the general public to re-frame their vision of a senior community. Many people fall into senior living and stay because it is genuinely rewarding to help people.

As you know, we’re big fans of Stuart Design Co. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Stuart Design Co is a commercial interior design firm specializing in senior living, multi-family housing and hospitality projects. A personal approach to commercial interiors allows us to spotlight your target resident and guest to design a space to support your mission. Our experience in senior living highlights our technical knowledge of healthcare finishes while designing to inspire an active lifestyle of leisure. We’re no fluff when it comes to project management, budgets and schedules. Keeping your project on track is our jam. You’ll be inspired by our eclectic, timeless design.

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I. love. the. people! Moving to Phoenix was one of the best decisions my family and I have made. Our neighbors wave as we drive by, people are kind in the stores, and customer service is top-notch. The community has made us feel at home. We also enjoy biking the hills just outside our front door, community events in the park, and heading up north to enjoy the lakes. Since things aren’t all sunshine and roses, I don’t love zeroscape. Pretty funny in the desert, but I would love to learn more about indigenous plants that are colorful to brighten up the yard.

Contact Info:

• Email: hello@stuartdesignco.com
• Website: stuartdesignco.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stuartdesignco/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stuartdesignco