Interior designer Yvette Irene, who just so happens to be celebrating her 15th anniversary in the industry, is just getting started shaking up the world of residential and commercial design.
As a child, fashion and design came naturally to Yvette, and she had strong parental role models to help guide her on a journey to become a well-known and respected designer. Using memories of her mother rearranging furniture and home decor, combined with her father’s “hard work pays off” mantra, Yvette was ready and eager to jump headfirst into the world of design as a teenager. By the time she was thirteen, Yvette was taking classes at New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). Eventually, she wound up graduating with an Accessory Design degree from FIT, along with a degree from Rutgers University.
In 2001, she opened her own business, Yvette Irene, a Washington D.C.-based interior Design House and Fabrication Studio, which is still in operation today. Through Yvette Irene, Yvette is helping homeowners and business owners create spaces that are uniquely their own by taking a holistic look at her client’s lifestyle. Using what she refers to as “approachable design,” clients receive a custom experience resulting in a finished space that’s dynamic, inviting, and functional.
Instead of focusing on one style method, Yvette blends them all to reflect her client’s own personal aesthetic. You’ll see hints of every style from modern to traditional applied with precision throughout her expansive coast-to-coast portfolio. Explains Yvette, “It is so important as a designer to listen to your clients, find out who they are and whom they are trying to appeal to. It’s never about me as a designer; it’s always about my client.”
Charismatic by nature, it was only natural for Yvette to break into the world of design television. To date, she’s appeared on multiple shows across various networks, although she’s most well known for her roles on HGTV’s “Curb Appeal,” Food Network’s “Restaurant Impossible,” and DIY Network’s “That’s So 80s” and “That’s So 90s.”
But it’s not just her work through Yvette Irene and on television that’s drawing attention; it’s her innovative take on what is often considered an inaccessible service that makes her a true modern design star.
In order to help people solve their design needs, Yvette created “Design Wish Genie.” This remote, question and answer-based design service provides clients answers in real time. If you’ve ever just closed your eyes and wished for an interior designer to appear and help you overcome a design hurdle, then look no further; Yvette is there to help.
Everyday customers looking to use Design Wish Genie have the option of “Three Wishes,” questions to three specific design questions answered through email or text, or the “Magic Carpet Ride,” a 15-minute Skype call with unlimited questions. By using the power of technology, Yvette is helping bring expert interior design help to the masses, and is ensuring everyone gets a chance to speak with a professional to create their ideal home or office space.
There’s simply no stopping Yvette Irene. She’s a force within the design industry, a go-to source across all design television platforms, and an innovator helping to change the way interior designers interact with their customers.
It’s an exciting time to know Yvette Irene!
