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

Hi Bridget, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
It’s important for my design studio to have a personal touch throughout, and I wanted to make sure our clients know who is providing them with their interior design services. I am a career driven mother of two, Emerson and James, happily married to my incredible husband, Dalton. I wanted to build an interior design studio that has a positive work environment where my amazing team and myself can provide the best personalized service for our clients. My career is also my passion. Therefore, doing what I love in a curated space with the ability to be as hands on as possible to foster and mentor young designers to grow within the design industry. My parents always fueled my passion as a young child traveling the world and seeing many different designs, cultures, and outlooks on life. I am so thankful for the love and support from my family, friends, and clients as I take on this new venture!

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?
It is never easy to start a company, but with my passion and dedication the decision to start my own company came naturally. The biggest lesson that I have learned is to keep moving forward and to be myself. There are all different successful design studios, but I had to ask the question to myself on what can I bring to the table and to the industry? It is not about doing the exact same thing that someone else has done, it is about letting your passion and your expertise shine to be the right fit for a client or development company. There is competition in any industry, but my approach is to stay focused on what I know best and allow my work ethic, passion, and expertise to shine. My team at Emerson James Studio came together quickly, and I am thankful for their trust in me as I started my own company. We all come from a similar design background but have different areas of expertise within the industry. Emerson James Studio offers full commercial interior design services for real estate developers. We have experience in multifamily developments, corporate office interiors, senior living facilities, and hospitality as well as residential design experience. Commercial interior design and residential interior design differ tremendously in our industry, and we are excited to have areas of experience in both categories! Weather it is furnishing someone’s dream home or designing alongside architects and consultants to bring new multifamily developments and apartment homes to a city all across the United States, we truly love what we do. My brand is a reflection of myself and what I aspire to create. Emerson, my daughter, and James, my son, are the backbone behind the name. Being a parent is the most rewarding job I have ever had. Knowing I am building something with their names on the sign brings me great joy and continues to push my dreams and passion. It was important that the Emerson James Studio branding had a strong appearance. I worked with Cameron Chamblee and Jacob Morton our of New York to create Emerson James Studio. They took my passion and words to describe what I envisioned and created full branding material that I am very proud of that merges my creative mind with my business mind.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Although I grew up in Houston, DFW is now home to me. Eat – Lucky’s Diner for breakfast, lunch at Rise, dinner at Town Hearth
Drink – Katy Trail Icehouse, Happiest Hour, Catbird for a fancy cocktail, High fives
Visit – The star in Frisco, The arboretum, Rangers Game with drinks and food at Texas Live before

Come check out Emerson James Studio at 4250 W lovers ln & all the cute boutiques and restaurants on lovers ln!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to thank first and foremost, my family. My family is full of entrepreneurs and creators. My whole life I have watched the people I love be successful in doing what they love. My two children for being my reason WHY I work so hard and my husband for supporting me in everything I do.

My professors at Louisiana Tech University had a great impact in fueling my love for design. Marla Emory, Robert Brooks, and Stephanie Carwile are 3 of my professors I give credit to. The program at Louisiana Tech was not only very technical under the School of Architecture, but also creative enough to allow our creative minds to connect with the technical side of interior design.

My first ever boss and mentor, Melanie Hanna, guided me through very early years of the design industry. She taught me the level of service and thoughtfulness that needs to go into every decision and project. All of my experience in this industry has made me the person I am today. I appreciate every boss, coworker, sales rep, contractor, and vendor that I have worked with along the way. It was always an aspiration and dream of mine to start my own interior design studio, and I am proud to say that 2023 is the year it has come to life!

Website: www.emersonjamesstudio.com

Instagram: emersonjamesstudio

Linkedin: Emerson James Studio

Image Credits
Nicole Wierick Photography – for the family photo

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