Today we’d like to introduce you to Hannah Crowell.
Hi Hannah, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
While I grew up in Nashville, I lived in LA until I was five, and as soon as I could get back to CA, I did. I spent most of my 20’s in San Francisco and Southern California, pursuing my dream of being an actress. Thank God I let that dream go (translation- I couldn’t book a job to save my life!) and I somehow fell into Interior Design, for lack of a better idea, really. As fate would have it, it is the career I am most suited for and one that I never grow tired of. I work all over the country, but Nashville is my home and forever will be.
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?
Is any road smooth? There have certainly been struggles along the way, although I will say most of them have been in trying to navigate raising two daughters on my own while running a business, which is complicated at best. My girls grew up on job sites, know their way around a marble yard like the back of their hand, and can spot an irregularity in the way a tile has been laid like nobody’s business. I wouldn’t change this for anything because they have grown up with a solid example of what work ethic means and the importance of being able to pivot when obstacles arise.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I do not know that I am “known” for anything, but I can say that I am not known for being muted, traditional, minimal or safe. I love color and pattern and throwing all of it together as often as possible. I would say that I specialize in creating a narrative and character for a space that is indicative of my clients and their histories. I love incorporating odd and quirky pieces into the design, creating moments of the weird and whimsical. This definitely carries into the art curration component, which may be my favorite part of the process. I have a background in vintage and contemporary photography, so I naturally turn to art to truly define a space. Incorporating antique pieces alongside edgier photographs and found objects gives the space a sense of character and heart, while also being playful and not taking yourself too seriously, which, for me, is essential.
What does success mean to you?
I define success in more nuanced ways than you might typically, with, say, the amount of money in your bank account or accolades in the press. The fact that I have raised two beautiful, well-adjusted, and hard-working young women while building a business from nothing is a success. Having the opportunity to work with and learn from artists, architects, contractors, and craftsmen daily is a success. Waking up every day knowing that I am doing exactly what I want to be doing is a success. That I get to spend every day in a beautiful studio I dreamt up, with two dogs sleeping at my feet, making things up is a success, if I have ever known one.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://hannahcrowell.com
- Instagram: hannahcrowell
