Organic Design
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A package of multicolored construction paper was inspiration for Julie Sousa ’17 during high school. When her request to paint her bedroom hit a wall, she grabbed some tape and thumbed through the stack, choosing the boldest hues to transform her space.
“I was always looking for an excuse to decorate my room. But my dad, who’s a contractor, didn’t necessarily trust my decisions because I was young,” Sousa recalls. “So I’d think of alternative ways to achieve a desired effect. Interior design is like that: starting with a small idea and finding creative ways to fulfill it that are feasible at that moment in time.”
The same kind of pragmatism helped Sousa launch an interior design business, Avant Garde Home LLC, in 2020. At the time, she was working as a digital marketing specialist at PTC computer services company — and redesigning her condo in Boston.
“During COVID, I started using TikTok and Instagram to document what I love doing, which is home decor and design,” Sousa says. “But having gone to Bentley, I understood that not everyone has an artistic side; they may be more analytical. So I started sharing more about the process of design.”
She had a knack for making videos that turned artistic concepts into practical advice.
“That’s how I started building my audience on social media,” says Sousa, who, three months into the new endeavor, left corporate life and began taking on interior design clients.
Her own analytical skills came into play as Sousa monitored traffic to her website and best-performing posts on TikTok and Instagram. Her first video to go viral, with 5.1 million views, featured tips for avoiding “farmhouse” decor.
A Natural Selection
In her own home, Sousa favors biophilic design, which brings nature indoors.
“Plants help ground me and spark some Zen,” she says of one strategy for managing her attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. “Whenever I start to feel like there’s a lot going on in my head, walking into a room with lots of greenery tends to be very relaxing.”
Other ways to incorporate biophilic design: maximize natural light; choose wood or glass, not plastic, for furniture and accents; set up small indoor water features; and incorporate natural stone.
“The goal is to make a seamless transition between the outdoors and your home,” Sousa explains. “In addition to providing health benefits, biophilic design has a sustainability aspect. Using more natural light and less plastic, for example, is better for the environment.”
The approach also ties into her Brazilian roots. “I particularly love the jungle concept. I’m incorporating it into my baby’s nursery and using Brazilian-based furniture, bold colors and earthy materials. My culture has a major influence on my style and taste.”