Tanya Shively, ASID

Tanya Shively, ASID 

Sesshu Design Associates

www.Sesshudesign.com

The Home Trust International (HTI): What first compelled you to become an Interior Designer?

Tanya Shively (TS): I took an interior design class in high school and realized that this was my calling. All those years I spent rearranging the furniture in my bedroom and my parent’s living room finally made sense. I never looked back. The artistic side of me, the structures I created with scrap wood or Legos, and the one time thought of pursuing psychology all coalesced into one career. Who knew?

HTI: Who has been the strongest influence on your career?

TS: My father is the one who first inspired me to love architecture and design. He gave me a set of exterior elevations and rendering of a new home we planned to build and let me add color. Just being exposed to the blueprints and learning about the process was so exciting as a young child and a memory I will never lose. In addition to that, he has lived with severe chronic asthma for my entire life and the air quality inside our home was always a big deal. He is the reason I am so passionate now about creating healthy homes that protect and enhance wellness and well being.

HTI: If you could have told your 20-year-old self one thing, what would it have been?

TS: Don’t worry, everything will be alright in the end. If it isn’t alright, it isn’t the end. You have the power within yourself to do anything you want to do.

HTI: What is the best advice you have received and who was it from?

TS:It is more of a quote from Red Adair that I heard somewhere, but I take the advice to heart both for myself and for my clients – “If you think it is expensive to hire a professional, wait until you hire an amateur.”

HTI: Is there a common thread that runs through all great products?

TS: Function and simplicity of design accomplished in a beautiful way.

HTI: Do you prefer the country or the city?

TS: I love living in the city, but I will always have the country in my heart. I love escaping to the mountains or the beach to reconnect with nature and recharge. One of my favorite quotes is, “The mountains are calling, and I must go,” John Muir. It is a mantra for me in a way.

HTI: What makes a room sing?

TS: Creating a unique combination of things that reflect the owner’s personality, taste and lifestyle is the true measure of success. I believe I am there to act as the guide who can direct and orchestrate so that all the pieces flow together in a harmonic way, while keeping the flavor of what the client’s like still present and visible.

HTI: What place most inspires you?

TS: I am always inspired by nature and finding ways to bring it in to my rooms is foremost in my design work. I love the perfection and the beauty and abundance found everywhere when we look for it.  I grew up in Jackson Hole, surrounded by the mountains and wildlife. The conservation concept of both Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks very much influenced my thinking and desire to create environmentally friendly homes.

HTI: Something tells me you enjoy reading.

TS: I love to read! I have about five books on my nightstand at any one time, although my Kindle takes some of the load off that pile. I love the classics of great literature; I was one of the kids who actually enjoyed the books we were assigned in High School English class. Charles Dickens’ novels are some of my favorite books of all time and I’ve read many of them more than once.

HTI: When you’re not working where are you most likely to be found?

TS: If I am not working, I am most likely traveling to someplace beautiful that I can enjoy being outdoors, whether it is mountains or the beach. If I am home, I am usually outside somewhere hiking, or possibly curled up in a lounge chair by the pool with a good book.  Being outside just helps me relax and recharge like nowhere else can.

HTI: What makes a great organization?

TS: People who are working together for a common goal. I love collaboration, both within my own team and with others who create a synergy that elevates the final results beyond what any one person could do.

HTI: Why The Home Trust International?

TS: It resonated with the idea that quality and luxury matter, and that the service we provide as professionals also matters. I believe that good design can make a difference in the world, and The Home Trust helps me share that message.