Meet Giana Shorthouse | Interior Designer & Stylist

We had the good fortune of connecting with Giana Shorthouse and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Giana, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I started my business back in 2016 when I was working full time as a Marketing Director for an Interior Design company, but my journey into working for myself began prior to that in 2014. I always knew that I wanted to own my own business but at that time I did not know in what capacity or even what my business would be, so for two years I toyed around with a few ideas until I took up prop styling as a side gig. I spent those two years building up my portfolio and carving a path for myself so that I could go off and do it on my own. After two years of very hard work, and a lot of fun portfolio shoots, I ultimately left my full time job in Interior Design to take the leap as a freelance Prop Stylist. I gained clients and worked as a stylist for several years under the representation of a local talent agency and through that developed a ton of experience working on set with clients of all sorts. I learned how to juggle a lot under tight deadlines and come up with quick solutions to ultimately create a beautiful end product, but photoshoot after photoshoot left me massively burned out by the time 2020 rolled around. Thankfully I was already thinking about stepping away from prop styling, or, at the very least, reducing my footprint in the photography industry with the hopes of finding something more in line with what I felt I could offer the world at that time, so I decided to step back into my true calling as an Interior Designer. It would still allow me to work on projects but at a slower pace. I continued to style, but project-by-project, I built up a roster of interior design clients, focused on rebranding my business, and by 2021 I was able to fully launch my Interior Design business, Studio Giana.

What should our readers know about your business?
I now own and run Studio Giana, a multidisciplinary design studio that offers both Interior Design and Styling services. My primary client base is residential and commercial Interior Design clients. That looks like homeowners, builders and small business owners. My team and I work on projects ranging from single-room interior design projects to full-home renovations and more. It’s been so fun scaling the business and tapping into my roots as an Interior Designer. My secondary client base is interiors and home based product companies. I work with companies like Jaipur Living, AmericasMart, and publications like Apartment Therapy & HGTV, to tell their brand story through prop styling for their brand photography. Catering to both allows me to take on as many or as little clients at any time and keeps my work flexible and ever-evolving.

Although owning a business has been a natural progression for me, there have still been a number of lessons and challenges that I’ve learned along the way. From communicating effectively and learning to never take things personally, to setting and sticking to boundaries, to accepting that I simply cannot do it all and that hiring support would be one of the best decisions I’d ever make. Through it all, one of the greatest lessons I’ve learned is that no one truly has it all figured out and there’s certainly no one way of running a business. It’s ok to ask for help and it’s ok to change your mind. Owning a business is an evolution and you have to be willing to pivot. Allowing myself the room to continue to be curious, grow, and change has been the greatest take away from my professional journey.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Well breakfast is favorite, so I would start the day at any number of my favorite breakfast places. Julianna’s for crepes and coffee or Bread & Butterfly for their yummy pancake are the top two that come to mind. I’d then take them for a walk down the Beltline and give them my own personal history tour of the ever-evolving landscape of Atlanta. We’d stop at Ponce City Market, The Victorian for plants, and grab a snack at LottaFrutta off of Auburn Avenue. From there I’d take them to all of my favorite shops for home and vintage finds. Dixon Rye, Brick & Mortar, Westside Market & Kudzu Antiques. Then we’d end the day at one of my absolute favorites Muchacho in Reynoldstown and maybe grab a movie at Midtown Art Cinema or the Starlight Drive-In, or a concert at The Tabernacle, The Eastern or Terminal West.

As an Atlanta native, I do, however, have to pay respect to some my old favorites that I had to exclude because they are no longer around. Those being Highland Row Antiques, Octane Coffee, 8 Arm, Golden Eagle, the old Goat Farm, the original Masquerade, and Sound Table. I sure do miss those places! – if you know, you know.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would not be where I am with my business today without the people who took a chance on me. My first job out of college, and the company who allowed me to tap into my many gifts, Terracotta Design Build, is still around today and thriving! The team there was always so supportive, kind, understanding, and flexible, and continue to treat me like family still today. After my time at that job, I went on to work under the wings of my talent agent, Darcie Adler at The Spin Style, and learned so many wonderful things about my craft and working with different people. I was pushed as a professional and creative in so many ways. If Darcie had not recognized my talent and had not taken a chance on representing me, I certainly would not be where I am today. I am forever grateful for the wonderful women who believed in me!

Website: https://www.gianashorthouse.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gianashorthouse/

Other: Book Me for Design Advice on Intro: https://intro.co/gianashorthouse Book Me for a 1-on-1 Design Work Session: https://www.gianashorthouse.com/work-sessions

Image Credits
Marah Brown, https://www.instagram.com/marahbrwn/ Brittany Wages, https://www.instagram.com/bdwages/