Pam Goyette has been a principal at Studio Interior Design Associates for six years.
WHAT DOES SHE DO?
She and her partners, Betty Bach and Marie Hurst, started the commercial interior design company six years ago. Goyette focuses on hospitality and clubhouse design. “I basically shop for a living. For instance, when LandMar builds a clubhouse, they require art work, lamps, furniture, area rugs and accessories, so I basically shop for them on an as-needed basis. To get paid to do that is fun.”
WHY OPEN YOUR OWN INTERIOR DESIGN FIRM?
“I wanted to treat clients like I felt they needed to be treated. There is a history between Betty Bach and I. She was my mentor out of college while I was at Saxelbye Architects. Eventually, I went into clubhouse design and started like a niche. Betty and I always knew we would come back to do what we are doing now which is commercial interior design, including clubhouses.”
POPULAR COLORS?
Goyette said blues and browns are popular colors right now. “They like natural and neutral colors. A lot of people want a spa-like theme.”
CLIENTS?
A few are The LandMar Group, Lifestyles Realtors, Medtronic, Reinhold & Mairs and Washington Mutual. Most of her clientele include developers, attorneys, medical buildings and real estate companies.
HER HISTORY?
She has an associate’s degree in interior design. Out of college, she interned with Saxelbye Architects. “My first project was the new City Hall. She threw me into that project and I knew then that I wanted to do commercial interior design.” She was with Saxelbye Architects for three and a half years. Then she joined Clubhouse Interiors where she stayed for a year and a half before starting her own firm. She is a licensed interior designer.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT YOUR JOB?
“I think the best thing about my job is seeing a job completed and knowing that you’ve achieved what your client asked you to achieve. The steps getting there are not always easy. Educating my client is another part I enjoy.”
HOW WERE YOU AS A CHILD?
“I would let my room go for three months at a time and then my mom would ask me to clean up my room. I would do it, but at the same time everything would get moved around. Growing up, my thought process wasn’t in interior design, but I knew I liked color and I liked change.”
ADVICE FOR NEW INTERIOR DESIGNERS?
Goyette said it is important for them to acquire some education in management, finance and running a business. “Because almost every interior designer has dreams of owning her own business. I know from personal experience that you can be a great designer, but that doesn’t mean you know how to run a business. So, if you take business management or business courses, it can be a huge benefit.”
EVER DONE RESIDENTIAL?
Only for a few select commercial customers who also wanted her to design their home. “We’ve dabbled in it, but it’s just so different.”
DOES YOUR HOME REFLECT YOUR STYLE?
“Because it is commercial work that I do, my home is more relaxed and comfortable. There’s nothing stuffy about it at all.”
PROFESSIONAL ASSOCIATIONS
She has attended Commercial Real Estate Women of Jacksonville and is a member of the International Interior Design Association.
LESSONS LEARNED?
“Customer service is so important.”
- by Michele Newbern Gillis