Hello there!! It is with so much excitement that I introduce myself and my passion for design to you. My name is Mariafernanda Diaz, but you all can call me Maria, and I am the founder of Diaz Bianco Design.
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT MYSELF…
On this first blog post I just wanted to tell you a little bit about myself for you guys to get to know me on a more personal level. I am originally from Venezuela, specifically from a small town called El Tigre (which translates to “The Tiger”, funny right?). I grew up on a ranch, surrounded by my family, and attended a small international school which became my second home.
As a child I wanted to be so many things… I wanted to be a veterinarian, then an actress, then a singer, and I stuck with the dream of becoming a singer for a long period of time. At that point design had not crossed my mind yet, even though I have always been highly creative. When I graduated high school I came straight to the US to start my Bachelor's Degree in Journalism (initially). There has always been something about lights, camera, ACTION that has caught my attention. However, after taking my first Journalism class I knew instantly that I was not on the right path. I then decided to switch careers (still not sure what direction I wanted to take; I was kind of going with the flow). After looking at all the degrees offered at my university, I decided to go with Business Management. I know right? Like what? Haha yes, my train of thought was the following: this is a career in which I will learn broad knowledge about how to run a business, something I always knew I wanted to do, I just did not know what my company was going to be about. So I picked what I considered the best option at the time given the circumstances.
NOW WHAT?...
I ended up graduating Cum Laude with my BBA in Business Management from Houston Baptist University. I felt incredibly accomplished and proud, but then the next question came up… now what? I kept asking myself, what industry do I want to go into? Where do I want to apply? I live in Houston, should I consider the oil and gas industry? OMG… I was going crazy!! Mainly because neither of these options really called my attention or fulfilled me. That is when I discovered the Art Institute of Houston and subsequently my love for Interior Design.
Like I previously said, I have always been super creative as a child and very inclined towards the arts, whether that be painting, singing, writing, or designing! I just never saw it as a career path because I grew up hearing about degrees such as Business, Medicine, and Engineering (or at least these were the ones discussed in my household all the time). So yes, my bad for not doing my research from the beginning, but everything happens for a reason, and my experience as well as the knowledge acquired at HBU was incredibly useful and applied later on.
I discovered the Art Institute through a friend, and I had also seen the building a few times as I drove past it to school every day; I always had this curiosity to check it out, but never did so at the time. As my friend spoke to me about Interior Design and the industry my heart started to pump faster! This career caught my attention in seconds!!!! I immediately scheduled a meeting with an academic advisor at AIH, and as they explained to me what the classes were about I literally kept thinking “wow… I am going to become a designer”, I literally imagined myself in that position effortlessly. It is like something was pulling me in that direction; my creativity was like “girl this is IT!”. I began my studies that fall after graduating with my Business Degree and the rest is history.
GIRL THIS WAS CERTAINLY IT!
Five years down the line, I became an Interior Designer, won the Interior Design Award at my school for Best In Show, worked under the leadership of a great Residential Designer for a while and subsequently went on designing hotels in a leading Hospitality firm as well. I have learned so much in this career, and it has given me the opportunity to meet amazing creative and inspiring people who have motivated me to continue growing as a designer.
The study of design itself is, in my opinion, both an art and a science. It is not only how to make things look pretty, but how to make spaces work better, how to solve functionality problems, how to make you, the client, feel better and more connected with the interior, whether it be your home or a commercial space. With that comes a vast understanding of the clients’ needs and wants, a study of the space and surrounding areas, and a lot of listening! As interior designers we have to certainly be great communicators, we have to both know how to convey an idea to the best of our abilities, but most importantly, we need to know when to stop talking and listen to what the client envisions. Even though we all have our style, it is still the clients’ home and we are hired to elevate their living standards, not to make them our own. This is why I always say I create personal spaces, because I am there to help YOUR ideal space come to life and educate on the best way possible to achieve that.
This is one of the many reasons I decided to pursue interior design, there are many incredible firms out there, and every designer is different, which is why I like to differentiate myself in that I am there not to impose trends or styles, but to help you discover your own, if you haven’t already, and walk you through the process of making it happen as smoothly as possible; resulting in a space that represents who you are and makes you feel at ease.
WHAT TO EXPECT FROM MY BLOG?
There is no doubt this career offers ways to help each other live better, and I want to share with you my knowledge and experience from doing so. I will be sharing information of value, my accomplishments, and my mistakes (because those are packed with valuable information), all with the goal of creating a community in which we elevate our spaces together, have fun, and also learn from each other in the process.
Welcome! And be ready for new and useful content coming your way every week! Also, follow our Instagram where we will also be featuring projects and inspiration DAILY! Feel free to leave a comment below, ask any questions you might have, and subscribe if you want to be the first to know when new content is out!
Sending so much love your way and hoping everyone has an amazing rest of their week!
-Maria Diaz
“An empty room is a story waiting to happen, and you are the author!”
– Charlotte Moss.
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