A passion for giving new life to old spaces is but one of a range of shared interests that drew Sydney Radford and Amber Sierra together and prompted them to launch one of Greenville’s newest interior design firms, Sheppard Knight Interiors.
In a very real sense, their combined backgrounds, experiences and design sensibilities reflect the kind of community Greenville has become, with both a deep history and a constant infusion of people with new ideas and interests.
Radford brings experience for her work in Atlanta on numerous renovation projects to make historic homes suitable for modern needs, while Sierra brings experience in high-end residential, hospitality and health care design.
Both women say their perspectives are complementary and enable them to tackle a wide range of projects, including one of their first, renovating the historic house at 505 Hampton Ave. that will serve as both Radford’s home and the firm’s headquarters.
“This is our dream as designers — to have our own business,” Radford says. “Our passion is design. We wake up talking about it. It’s an everyday, all-day obsession with us.”
Sierra says being a woman business owner is important to her not only in honoring her deep family roots — the firm’s name pays homage to Radford’s and Sierra’s grandmothers — but in setting an example for her three children.
This connection to people is at the heart of their design focus in every project.
“We really do want to tell people’s stories,” she says.
Over the course of their combined 20 years of design experience, they’ve worked with clients of all ages and backgrounds. Understanding where clients are in their lives and what needs that stage entails helps them tailor design choices to each client, according to Redford.
Both women say although starting a new business can be daunting, neither of them wanted to look back years from now and regret not having taken the leap.
“If everyone let that fear run this part of it, then no one would start their own company,” Radford says.
For more information, visit sheppardknightinteriors.com.
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Sheppard Knight Interiors services
Founding partners Sydney Radford and Amber Sierra offer a full range of interior design services, including:
- Design for new construction
- Renovations
- Complete home decor
- Design consultation
