Where Are They Now: Faith Hoops, BFA ’18
It’s been just over a year since Faith Hoops graduated. You may remember Faith’s bubbly personality, or her infectious smile, or her deep commitment to her classes and her friends. However you remember her, Faith continues to make her presence known as she makes her mark in the world of interior design.
I’m Faith Hoops, Interior Designer, Workshop/APD
Upon graduation, I was fortunate to take a position at Huniford Design Studio, an interior and furniture design firm owned and operated by James Huniford. I value this experience as the foundation of my post-educational career. I recently moved on and have taken a position at Workshop/APD, a New York based design firm with nearly two decades of experience. The firm operates as a design collective, designing everything from interiors to architecture to product.
My first major project at Workshop/APD is on a new build residence we designed from the ground up in the Berkshires. This modern take on a ski chalet is a two-story loft space, complete with a field house for sports, an outdoor kitchen, and built-in pool. This project has already pushed my limits and has helped me grow as a designer, as I closely manage client expectations, deadlines, and execute the design of all the interior spaces. I also recently helped manage an install of a home in Nantucket, as well as a model apartment unit for the newest condo building in Asbury Park, New Jersey. It’s been refreshing dipping my feet into so many fun and interesting projects, and has definitely flexed my design versatility!
My advice to students and emerging professionals is to always take initiative, have a positive attitude (people notice!), and consistently troubleshoot problems with urgency and grace as they come. Be able to exercise your knowledge modestly, while also absorbing that of others and building your design repertoire. As you go along in your career, create a list of FF&E resources and trades people (custom furniture and upholstery workrooms, painters, refinishers, etc.) and continuously add to it. Take the list wherever you go and be able to recommend sources and work rooms you can stand behind. Our designs can only be as good as the people who help us make it happen!
I’m looking forward to continuing to dive deeper into new challenges and interesting design projects, while giving back to the school that helped me become the designer I am!