NYIAD Graduate Lauren Liess Stars in New HGTV Series
"The most surprising thing I've discovered is that my work doesn't feel like work anymore," said Northern Virginia-based interior designer and decorator Lauren Liess. She spoke these words more than 10 years ago after graduating from the New York Institute of Art and Design's interior design course. At the time, she had just opened her own small business and was decorating for family and friends in the area.
Since that moment, to say Liess has progressed by leaps and bounds in the interior design industry would be an understatement. This fall, the small town style icon will star alongside her husband David in Season One of HGTV's new design show, "Best House on the Block."
The show gives viewers a look inside home transformations facilitated and planned by Liess and her husband, throughout the Washington D.C. area. "What we're focusing on is taking generic, typical houses and making them really special, really custom, really tailored to the family," Liess said in an interview with the Washington Post.
When Liess originally enrolled in NYIAD's interior design program, she was looking for a curriculum that infused fun, hands-on projects every step of the way. "I chose this school because it seemed straightforward, all-encompassing and fun. I really loved it and was able to start my business from what I learned," she shares.
The program, now fully online and accessible to aspiring interior designers throughout the world, is truly like nothing else offered in the field. The industry-commended online course platform is easy to navigate and content-rich with text, images and video. The school provides every student one-to-one mentorship from working interior design professionals. These mentors review student projects, provide tailored feedback and inspire improvement every step of the way.
From measuring and drafting to color theory and fabric selection- from client interaction to contract development, NYIAD provides students an easy-to-follow path to success. Plus, the course is entirely online, so it can be taken from home and completed at the student's own pace.
"It's true what they say," Liess shares. "Choose a job you love and you'll never have to work another day in your life."
After months of intensive filming and rigorous design work, Season One filming of her show is finally complete, and she has officially announced that they are set to air in October on the HGTV network.