Portland student Quinlan “Q” Walther started out in pre-med, but never felt passionate about her education—until she found Heritage! While still in the Fundamentals course Quinlan launched her design business “Studio Q” and began building her website: www.studioqid.com. We interviewed Quinlan to learn more about her background and goals for Interior Design. Read all about Quinlan and Studio Q below.
1) Tell us about your background – Where are you from? What was your career path prior to Heritage?
I was born and raised in Philadelphia, PA. Once I entered college, I bounced around from major to major trying to find my niche. As a pre-med student, I wasn’t sure if practicing medicine would fulfill me. I was waiting for that ‘ah-ha’ moment where all my hard work would make sense. My intuition never said “Yes! This is it, you’ve found your thing.”, until I found Heritage.
2. Why did you decide to pursue interior design as your career?
Design comes naturally, so work is never a hassle. For me, creativity is innate. I always believed the mantra, “If you love what you do, you won’t work a day in your life.” I knew that career was out there for me, and once I committed to design, there was no questioning I’d found it.
3. Where do you draw inspiration from?
Everywhere and everything! The composition of a space, a unique furniture piece or unusual use of color will draw my attention, and I’ll fixate on it. I take photos of anything that intrigues me, so I can catalogue it and possibly use it later. I’d consider myself a perpetual learner, which keeps me mentally busy— Always learning, always creating, always freshly inspired.
4. What challenges did you have to overcome to get where you are today?
In the middle of my time here at Heritage, my mom passed from metastatic cancer. Though losing my mother at 23 was heartbreaking, it ultimately provoked massive personal growth. I learned to only invest my energy into things that fill me, always lead with love and that life is only as good (or bad) as you want it to be.
5. What is your future career goal as an interior designer?
Truthfully, I thrive from learning, curating and contributing to the industry. I would love to see Studio Q become a household name, but my joy comes from working with clients and designers who challenge my normal way of thinking.
6. What is the best advice you’ve ever received?
Two things come to mind:
“In life, you’ll always get what you look for.”
“If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten”
In summary, stay positive and always challenge yourself.
Above are some of Quinlan’s current inspiration images. View more on her instagram here.