Today we’d like to introduce you to Cassie Hanlin.
Hi Cassie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I moved around a lot growing up, and most people thought I was an Army brat. I wasn’t, but I did move to 5 states and 10 plus houses in 18 years – my family always moved for my dad’s next job opportunity. I got to meet a lot of great people and see amazing towns across the Midwest.
However, one of the few downsides was that the houses we live in always had to be ‘move-ready,’ which honestly makes sense when you are moving every couple of years… it just makes life easier. ‘Move-ready’ for my family looked like ‘contractor grade everything,’ white walls, and little to no artwork – most often nothing on the walls. In other words, a white box! But, like most people, growing up and moving out of the nest meant that I had the opportunity to spread my wings, break some rules, and add some color, artwork, and anything that created that cozy lived-in feeling.
Fast forward, post-art school, and a stint in the commercial design industry refreshing optical retail fleets (some footwear shop in shops too!) and senior living, I had a yearning to break out on my own and scratch the interior design itch from a personal level. I left my architecture job in Cincinnati, OH, and my husband and I moved to the Nashville area. I decided it was time to try doing something on my own.
With a little back and forth on what my business model would look like, I’ve landed in a trades-trade role, design consulting, creating space plans, design intent sets, and most recently 3D plans for other designers, project managers, and real estate agents in the area – so far only taking on clients via word of mouth.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
It has not been smooth, and it shouldn’t be, growth isn’t linear and neither are careers. My winding path into my role today has made me who I am. I went to private art college part-time maintained an A average, and worked 2-3 jobs the entire time I was in school in order to pay as I went. It was hard, I was tired and definitely burnt out.
The budget was tighter than tight, definitely not eating very healthy for most of that time, and it has taken me this long to not be riding that severe struggle bus. But I’ve held a variety of jobs in my life from nannying, lifeguarding, selling furniture & bridal gowns, bridal alterations, day of event planning, customer service managing, retail designing, senior living designing, and now residential designing.
Through all those experiences I have learned so much, and it makes me a more considerate and well-rounded designer.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Through my business, Hello Good Design, I am known for my design intent drawing sets. These sets are not construction drawing sets but scaled drawings that show you the existing space, space plans for new wall locations or cabinetry, furniture plans, lighting placement plans, elevations, and now some 3D modeling.
These are becoming more sought after as other designers, contractors, and project managers, don’t need full architectural sets but need scaled drawings. Specifically, they need to show how you get the renovation from its existing look into its best final version, all the while planning everything out to minimize mistakes or changes in the field. I am most proud of the fact that I have been able to help so many people! There is a real hole in the residential field, where people like me can bring our commercial experience in to bridge the gap because more people are doing larger renovations or more custom changes at their homes.
What sets me apart from other draftsmen or designers is my background in commercial design/architecture. Most don’t know, but at an architecture firm its not licensed architects that are drawing the sets, it’s the unlicensed architects and interior designers that are drafting everything out… or at least that is my experience at the firms I worked at!
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
I don’t want to diminish the effort I have put in, because I have pushed myself a lot, but I have been supported by many people at different phases of my life/career. My high school sweetheart turned husband, has definitely supported me along the way and I have also supported him.
We kind of lean on each other at different times where one person is maybe working more or taking on more home responsibilities to support the other through different phases of life like undergrad, career changes, starting businesses, starting a family, and into grad school for him. There is no doubt that I have been able to make career and business decisions because we scale down our budget to live off of one income – like when we moved to the Nashville area. I also have had different mentors and leveraged connections I’ve made in my varying careers.
With my first interior design job for Luxottica’s retail design team, I had the best managers that were true mentors and helped to mold me into the designer I am today. They taught me so many things, but I was also hungry to learn and glean anything I could from them. Another great asset here that I have is kind of random, but my real estate agent, Kate Webster!
She has leveraged her connections and made introductions that gave me opportunities that have helped me get where I am today in Nashville’s design market.
Contact Info:
- Email: hello.good.design@gmail.com
- Website: https://hello-good-design.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hellogooddesign/
Image Credits
Elliot Fireplace + Stair Final, Ruby Peach, Allison Elefante, Olivia Carswell Interiors & Olivia Consulting, and Hello Good Design, Cassie
