Episode 115: Becoming An Interior Design Star With Carmeon Hamilton
In this episode we sit down with... Carmeon Hamilton.
Carmeon Hamilton is a Memphis-based interior designer, content creator and lifestyle blogger spearheading her brand, Nubi Interiors, winner of HGTV’s Design Star: Next Gen and star of HGTV’s Reno My Rental. Her 15 years of experience in multiple facets of the design industry, from public health-care to residential to retail and merchandising, is the foundation of her work in discovering the beauty in all things and helping others find beauty in what surrounds them every day. Her work, story and content around design, business and branding and elevating the everyday are featured and referenced in Architectural Digest, Southern Living, Essence, Domino and more. She’s often asked to share her insights and opinions by way of podcast interviews or panel discussions with major industry associations, such as Popsugar and Ballard Designs. And when she isn’t hosting a workshop on social media management or creating content for Fortune 100 brand partners, she’s doting on her son, Davin, and her jungle of house plants! Carmeon was recently widowed after the passing of her incredible husband, Marcus, who was tragically killed by an intoxicated driver while riding his motorcycle in August 2021.
In this conversation we talk about:
Carmeon's personal body image story- from her body changing as a high school athlete to pregnancy to being in the public eye as a design star.
How she started her design career and the most successful moments to date.
Feeling comfortable in your skin during photoshoots & filming.
The importance of living with an open palm and surrounding yourself in supportive environments to foster success.
How we choose to grieve & Carmeon's inspiring perspective on life after the unexpected loss of her husband, Marcus.
Connect with our guest...
Resources we mention in this episode…
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TRANSCRIPTION Episode 115: Becoming An Interior Design Star With Carmeon Hamilton
Katelyn:
All right. Carmeon Hamilton. Hi. Thanks for being here.
Carmeon:
Hi, thank you so much for having me.
Katelyn:
I'm so excited about this conversation. Let's dive in and talk all about your body truth. So the first question that we asked everybody on the show is your first body awareness moment. So what did that moment look like for you? Where you realized, okay, I'm in a body? Apparently, this means something in the world that I'm living in, paint the picture for us? And then how did that moment shape your relationship with your body or food or yourself moving forward?
Carmeon:
Yes, I, when I think about the first time I was aware of my body, and that other people were aware of it was around sixth grade. So I grew up with two grandmothers that absolutely love to cook, one of which would literally make me my own pan of cornbread. Because I love bread, I will live and die by any type of bread, but corn bread is my favorite. And around sixth grade, I was eating all the bread that I could consume, whether it was at my grandmother's or we were at a restaurant, back then buffets were a thing. And you could just go get all the rolls you wanted. And I remember like my dad and my sister making a joke about me eating bread. And I wasn't really aware of my body then. But it was a year later when I went to seventh grade, and I played basketball, and was active every day. Kind of adversely to being in sixth grade and not being active. And my body changed, and everyone noticed me losing weight. Like, oh, oh, you look good. Playing basketball, like basketballs is really good for you. You've lost your baby fat. And I'm like, I didn't even realize I had baby fat. But okay, apparently I did. Um, so that's really the first time I was aware. And then as an adult, going back and looking at pictures of me from elementary school, to middle school, seeing the difference of the little fluffy face girl to the slender girl. And I'm like, Okay, this is what people were talking about. Is it baby fat? Or was irregular fat? Or was there a problem that I have a problem? Do I still have a problem because I still love bread. So it's just one of those things you're not really hyper aware of, like, I didn't register until I was an adult. But I didn't notice people saw me differently once I started playing sports.
Katelyn:
That's so interesting. So it sounds like it was like a lot of people stories. Very innocent, where you are just existing in your body, living your life, not attaching any meaning to your body, which my god, can you imagine if we all just lived in that world? It would just it would be incredible. And then you started getting the reinforcement and the ideas that your body meant something based on everybody else's feedback that they were giving you. So when you started getting that attention around your body? What did anything shift for you? Did you start to pay more attention to what you were eating? Or how you were moving? Or just any kind of like obsession? Or were you just kind of acknowledging it and letting it go? What was your relationship with yourself like back then?
Carmeon:
That was around the time that I realized because I didn't change the way I ate. But now that I was active, you know, minimally five days a week, I wasn't gaining weight. So I realized, okay, if I'm being active, what I eat doesn't really make a difference. If I can stay or keep the look that I have, which was really athletic and slender at the time, and still go to grandma's on Sunday and eat half a pan of cornbread and not gain any weight. I'm doing pretty good. So that was the beginning of me realizing how being active was important. Not necessarily what what I ate. So it wasn't that I loved bread, it was that I wasn't moving my body and my body will do what it needs to do with the bread if I'm moving it so that I had very little change around what I ate or even how I saw My body outside of you know, my body will do what it needs to do and look the way it needs to look, as long as I'm active.
Katelyn:
Mm hmm. It's interesting, too. I'm, I'm curious about your relationship with the sports that you were playing to and the team that you were on. This is a common story that I hear from a lot of people too, in terms of the theme of values being prioritized differently beyond your body because of the sport and the sportsmanship and the team camaraderie and all of that. So what did your social circle look like back then when you were growing up?
Carmeon:
Um, well, before getting to seventh grade, I thought I wanted to be a cheerleader. I was very adamant about being a cheerleader. But in my junior high, you couldn't be a cheerleader until you're in eighth grade. So a friend of mine who was leaving middle school came to the elementary school with a couple of other girls that were on the basketball team. They came over to kind of recruit and see what elementary school students would be interested in basketball in middle school. And she approached me because I was also very tall for a sixth grader, one of the tallest girls and I was always one of the tallest girls until, you know, 10th or 11th grade. So that was another thing. I always was aware that I was tall, but I was never made to feel bad about it. Especially by the time the boys finally made it to 16 1718. That's when they started to finally pass me. So it was fine. Fine around then. But they came to the elementary school and wanted to see who was interested. I told them absolutely not. I've never played basketball day in my life. I want to be a cheerleader. I was a gymnast up until that point. And that's when I found out I couldn't be a cheerleader. So she said, you know, just play basketball for seventh grade, you can be a cheerleader the next year. And I tried out for the team and ended up making varsity and apparently was just naturally gifted and coordinated enough to be great at it. So I had always been great at it. I played from seventh grade through intramural years in college, I turned down basketball scholarships for college, like I was pretty good at it. But my heart never settled on it. I never loved the game. My dad used to be upset because I wouldn't spend all my time practicing on the goal that we had in our backyard. I'm like, I practice that practice. I don't need to practice anymore at home. I just never had never had the heart for it. But I knew all of my friends who were my friends in elementary school, they were on the basketball team. I made more friends on the basketball team. And so I just felt comfortable there. They felt like my people. So I did what I had to do to stay on the team and to make sure the team was good. So I stayed in shape. And I practiced and did everything that I needed to do to make sure I was contributing to a winning team. But when it came time for college, I was like absolutely not. I do not want to devote my college years to year round practices and traveling and missing a spring break and missing winter break and like I wanted the college experience. So I turned down all of my basketball scholarships and ended up just playing for fun, and an intramural intramural league. And I did that because of health reasons like basketball has kept me in shape all these years it can keep me in shape while I'm in college. And so that's that's even why I played then. Not for the love of the game, but to stay in shape.
Katelyn:
That's so interesting. Did you notice when you stopped playing basketball, your relationship with your body shifted? Not even necessarily like from a physical standpoint, but from a mental or emotional standpoint. Did anything come up for you?
Carmeon:
Um I can't really say that it did. Genetically, like I have slender family like everyone in my family is very long, like just tall and slim. And so I even after playing basketball, I felt I saw my muscle mass leave but I didn't have this drastic change in my body. But also after college, I think two months after college is when I found out I was pregnant. So we're talking about an entirely different body situation virtually this time and That was, that was when I really had the most intense relationship with my body. My body did everything I expected it to do up until that point, and then becoming pregnant, my body did everything I never knew it could do, and things I didn't want it to do, either. So that period of time, I think the last four months of my pregnancy, that's when stretch marks showed up. And that's when, you know, my boobs got bigger, and my legs and ankles started to swell and all of these things. So I've gone from the tall, slender girl to the very pregnant full face. Slow, moving, achy, person. And there's nothing I can do about any of these things. They're happening to me, because I'm pregnant. And I struggled with a lot of it. When I first found out, I was pregnant, I was like, okay, I can work out and I'll just stay healthy and slim. And that worked for about six months. In the last couple of months of my pregnancy, all I wanted was Honey buns, and Mcdonald's chicken nuggets. And that's all I ate for like two months. So of course, with a change in diet, things happened. But that's literally all I wanted to eat. I couldn't stand the sight of a salad, which I had eaten the first six months of my pregnancy, salads and oatmeal, and you know, all the healthy things. And I was over it, like, give me all the honey buns and chicken nuggets I can eat. Yeah. So that was a very tumultuous time. For me. Like I shouldn't be eating a salad. But all I want are chicken nuggets.
Katelyn:
Oh yeah, I get that I've never been pregnant and even not being pregnant, I can understand that. Like the shooting voice in our minds. You know, I think that that's so common for so many people, especially living in this culture in America. So what did you learn about your relationship with your body at that time and your relationship with yourself? How did you navigate that?
Carmeon:
Well, it actually took having a conversation with my husband at the time, then fiance. It was when the stretch marks started. And I remember the conversation vividly because I was crying, I was crying. And at the end of my my rant or spilling my guts about how my body was changing. And you have to know who my husband was as a person to get this. I think for a lot of people, it will be jarring, but it was just how he was but he literally looked at me and said you're worried about stretch marks. And there are people out here with no feet. Calm down. So I was like, Okay, got it, my body is gonna do what it's gonna do. But I have an able bodied, I am able bodied, what's a few stretch marks on top of it. So he was a very tough love kind of guy. But it did bring things into perspective for me. And that's basically the attitude that I've had around my body. Since then, like my body does what I needed to do, it gets me where I need to go. I probably don't take care of it the way I should, considering it's my only body that I'll ever get. But I'm grateful for what it does do for me. So I try to keep that frame of mind when I look in the mirror, or when I'm working out for the first time in six months, like I take that approach that I'm grateful to have a body that is doing what I needed to do.
Katelyn:
I love that I'm a big fan of body neutrality versus body positivity. I just think it's way more realistic for people to get to and especially these days and Carmeon it sounds like your husband really gave you permission to feel seen in that moment. And it's it makes complete sense to me hearing your story as freshly having an athletic background and the mentality of wanting to do your best and wanting to win and wanting to get it right, and all of those things and, you know, with our bodies as women in this world, I mean, that's what we want to for so many of us, that's what we're, that's what we're taught. And so, yeah, I mean, like, we're in a culture that prioritizes anti aging, very fat phobic. Very diet, culture prone. And so yeah, if you have the mentality of wanting to get it, right, and the culture is telling you a very specific way that it is, right, it brings up a lot of stuff. So I really, I really see you and your story. And I think that makes a lot of sense. And how beautiful that your husband was able to offer a different perspective and hold that space for you, during that uncomfortable moment.
Carmeon:
And I love that he was able to give me that perspective, without further commenting on my body, like, Oh, you're beautiful anyway, like, they're trained to say that the good ones are, but for me, to, for him, to allow me to remove myself from my own perspective and go in the grand scheme of things. You're still in a great position, you're able to carry a baby, you're physically standing, you have all of your body parts, like you are great in the grand scheme of things. And you now have a few stretch marks like let's pull up to 3000 feet, 300,000 feet, let's get a better perspective and view of this scenario, or situation. And think about it. And so I was grateful, of course later, because at the time, I was like, I cannot believe you just said this said that to me as a pregnant woman, but a crying pregnant woman at that. But I was later, absolutely grateful for that perspective for him to not comment on my body, and literally go think about it this way.
Katelyn:
Yeah, totally. And you're speaking to something to another theme that I see a lot, and I think is so important in the relationships that we hold with ourselves and our bodies. And it's the environments that we put ourselves in. And if we find ourselves in highly critical, judgmental, rigid environments, just the people that we surround ourselves with, then yeah, of course, we're going to kind of become that ourselves, and hyper fixated on that. But it's pretty incredible that that your husband was able to, and I'm sure that you created this as well to and your family, but really taking the focus off of your body being attached to your worth, rather than just a vehicle for you living your life bringing a light into this world doing the things. And it's, it's so cool, because what we were talking about in your story before, it really is a full circle moment. It sounds like kind of inviting you back into that pre seventh grade experience. Yeah, just like in your body and leaving this existing planet moving through life. That's really amazing.
Carmeon:
Our family theme is like, we can't dwell on the things that we can't change. There's nothing I could do about getting stretch marks. So Why dwell on it? Why give it energy? So that's one of the biggest things that my husband and I focused on, we talk with our son about it, like that's something I tried to instill in him to this day. Like don't dwell on the things that you cannot change. Yeah.
Katelyn:
I love that. It was so interesting about stretch marks to is can you imagine if we lived in a culture where it just like wasn't even mentioned at all? Like, the only reason why we're self conscious about it is because there are literally advertisements in magazines and commercials on TVs, teaching women to hide their stretch marks and it's a bad thing and that you know, we're our bodies are wrong if we have them or whatnot. And God can you just imagine if it wasn't like that, but luckily we can decide whether or not we buy into that or not, which it sounds like you're doing and that's incredible. I mean, what freedom that offers you to just live your life and that mental mental space that it frees up as well to in terms of just living your life and doing all the things. I want to talk more of your husband, I also want to talk about your incredible design career. Where does design even fit into this equation? Were you always interested in design growing up, or did that come later on in your life?
Carmeon:
Um, I don't know if I was always interested, but it wasn't anything I was aware of until college, I went to school on an academic scholarship and chose the school that I went to because of their physical therapy program. And I chose to be a physical therapist, or at least I thought I did. I went to school to be a physical therapist, and two years in to my PT track, I lost my academic scholarship. And so to help pay for school, I became a resident assistant. And once you become an RA, you get your own dorm room. So I got to decorate my dorm room, the way that I wanted it to be without input from a roommate or anyone else. And by the time I finished setting it up, I mean, I had the help with my mom and her friend who was a seamstress. So I had like custom curtains and a custom bedspread and other special touches. The overall theme of the room was hot pink, and zebra,
Katelyn:
oh my god, yes.
Carmeon:
Um, but I arranged the furniture in a really cool way and lifted the bed to make like this loft kind of thing. And it looked like a tiny studio apartment. By the time I finished and one of my fellow RAS walked in, she's still one of my best friends to this day. She walked in, and she was like, Oh, my God, what are you doing with your life? Like, you should totally check out the interior design department. And I was like, what is that? She said, we have an interior design program where I think you should really check it out. And I went and talked to the Dean of Students the next morning and changed my major that day. And best thing I could have ever done, I had never considered it didn't even know it was an actual career or something you could major in or make money from. But once I found out, I didn't have to take any more science classes or history classes, or anything along those lines. I would finish school this semester early. I was like, Yeah, I'm sold. I will take art classes and drawing classes and whatever else this major pertains of
Katelyn:
That is so interesting. I can also relate because this is not my career anymore. But I switched to fashion design when I was in college. And I didn't know it was a major either. And I loved dress ups and costumes and fashion growing up and everything. I had no idea it was actually something you can major in. And I remember, somebody mentioned the same thing to me. And I switched over for very similar reasons. I was like, okay, good. I want to take any of these other classes that I don't want to take. And I remember stepping into my first design class and looking around the room and being like, Oh my god. These are my people, like know, that there was a group of people that could be in one room that I felt so seen and a part of and everything. Did you have any experience like that in any of your classes?
Carmeon:
Um, I wouldn't say it was that enthused when I got there, our program that was still very small. And I think my graduating class of designers like the group that I went through the program with I think there were 12 of us. Total, so yeah, very small. The year I joined the program was the first officially accredited year of the program. So it was it did start out pretty small. I'm pretty sure it's a lot bigger than that right now.
Katelyn:
What school was it?
Carmeon:
University of Central Arkansas. The University of Central Arkansas is a predominantly white institution. So when I joined the interior design program, I was the only black woman black person in the program. So I wouldn't necessarily say I found my people because it was still very white. Well, yeah, that. But also, like all of my grade school years from kindergarten to 12th grade was a very diverse population of students, like every school I went to, it was 50% black and 50% white, which I was blessed to have. Because it's not even the same way in West Memphis anymore in the West Memphis school district, but at the time, I grew up in one of the best eras for that school district when it comes to diversity. So I was used to being around different people, I was just not used to being the only black person.
Katelyn:
So how did that feel walking into the walking into your classroom, a body image perspective. I mean, I think body image. I mean, it's, it's who we're being it's our skin, it's our body. It's our, you know, our hair. It's so many things. So, feeling othered in that moment, what, how did you? How do you fit with that?
Carmeon:
I definitely felt hyper aware of my difference. Again, I'm tall. So I was the tall, tall black girl at that point. But it also made me like my mom had instilled in my sisters and I like you, you're always presentable. You never leave the house looking, you know, any kind of way. But to be the single representation of Black people to the other students in my class, like, I felt like I was responsible for making sure we looked good. So I was always leaving my dorm room on my way to class like, Okay, I'm not going to wear my pajamas, even though I really want to, I'm going to do my hair, let me make sure that I am completely presentable. Because I'm now a reflection of an entire race of people. When I walk into this classroom.
Katelyn:
No pressure, right? Like God. Wow. So I mean, that, that alone, I can't even imagine. And I'm saying this as a white person. So I have no idea like, what that was, what that must be like, you know, there's what do you want people to know about that experience? What do you want me to know about that experience?
Carmeon:
I want people to know that that experience exists, that we walk into spaces and immediately know that we're different. And you all have the luxury of walking into spaces and not feeling that at all. So you don't even know the feeling exists. So if you're in a situation where there are very few different people in the room than you like, whether they're black or Asian, or any other physically Visible Difference, like they could be handicapped, or anything. If they are the only person of that physical stature, then they are feeling othered immediately upon entering that room. So for the people that are not feeling othered I would hate for you to immediately make them feel other like oh my god, you're the only black person in the room let me go say hi, and overly compensate for them being different, but also acknowledge that they are experiencing feelings beyond whatever they're in this room for. And to give them grace for that.
Katelyn:
I really appreciate that. And I'm also curious, I'm not here because I expect you to give me a lesson on this. I mean, I don't think that's your job. I am. I am interested though in what you just said about making somebody feel seen without being overly inclusive just to make them feel included. What are some ways that you wish that people made you feel more seen and a part of the the group especially back then in a situation like that, what are just some some things that that you would have liked to have happen.
Carmeon:
A simple hi and look in the eye goes a long way. And natural communication and human existence happens after that. But saying hello and looking someone in the eye is a choice. And that is the first step to just acknowledging someone's existence without going, Oh, I'm acknowledging a black person's existence, like, I don't have to be black for you to look at me and smile, and say, hi, you could do that to anyone. But I think that's the case for just being a human in general. Because I know, in a space where there's all white people, someone is going to walk into that room and feel othered for one reason or another. So just being kind, saying, Hello, while looking someone in the eye is the best thing you could do.
Katelyn:
I love that. I'm so powerful. And I think that's something that if you have privilege in this world, which I know, so many people in this community do, only aren't even aware of where there's an opportunity to do that. I know that's something I certainly have become more aware of, in the past couple of years, especially really digging into a lot of trauma work and really just understanding trauma from a lot of different vantage points in the world. That was something that was actually brought to my attention in that part of my education, just what you're sharing, just looking somebody in the eye and acknowledging their humaneness with, with the Hello. So I appreciate that so much. And I think that's something that, that we can all do moving forward in, in this world, to become more collective and, and united. So thank you for that. I really appreciate that. And I'm also curious, moving out of college and into the design space. First of all, how did you get started in your career? And then what did you notice about diversity and inclusion, or the lack of diversity and inclusion in the design space, as opposed to just what you were seeing in your college space?
Carmeon:
Yes. So my senior year going into my senior year of my program, one of my college professors assigned us full on commercial projects that we had to create presentations around. And the final presentation was due on the last day of class for finals. And all 12 of us were given this same assignment. And on the day of presentations, I was the only person with a completed presentation to present. And also our professor had surprised us by bringing in a colleague of hers who was the VP of a design department for a healthcare company. And when I finished my presentation, she offered me a job on the spot. Why? On the spot? Yes. I want you, I want you to come work for me, I want to hire you as a junior designer. And I still had a semester of school left to go and she held the position open for me until I finished. And that is how I got my first job in interior design.
Katelyn:
That is incredible. Take us back to that moment. What was going through your head? How are you feeling? Who did you call first immediately after you got the offer? That's so cool.
Carmeon:
Um, so I remember being in class. I know we all had a habit of waiting until the last minute. I mean, it's just what you do in college. There was just something about the culture of the interior design department. I mean, we would all be at the studio on campus until 2 3 4 am working on projects. And I remember being up very late working on my presentation, like our boards and all these other things and getting to class knowing I had left people in the studio still working. So I get the class and I'm like did you guys finish and they're like, No, I'm not done. I'm not done and my professors calling on people, like okay, it's your turn like Sorry, I don't have such and such I'm not ready, I'm not ready listening to everybody go, I'm not ready. And then me raising my hand going, I'm ready, I can go, like I was ready to just get it over with. I was tired. Like, it's done, it's not going to be any more done. I'm just gonna go and getting through the presentation, and my professor going good job. And then the end of class, her colleague pulling me to the side, she was a beautiful woman with red hair, very tiny lady named Cecily pulled me to the side and she was like, I'm very impressed with you being prepared and how thorough your presentation was. I want to offer you a junior designer position at the company that I work for. And I'm like, Oh, my God, like I'm Oh, okay. But I still have a semester of school to go. And she said, Don't worry about that. I'll hold the position open for you. It's only a couple months. We can talk about this again, I'll have you come up to I would have had to move a couple hours away. Also. Just like you'll come up for an interview, official interview, and fill out your paperwork and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And I'm like, wow. So that was my first lesson in preparedness being prepared. But also, understanding. Life happens when you least expect it. Like, I don't remember what I was wearing that day. Hopefully I was presentable. You know, still being very conscious of what I look like to other people. But I do remember being up to I think, 4am, the day of my pre presentation, but I called my mom. First I absolutely called my mom first. Like I have a job. I'm not even done with school, and I have a job. And she I could not wait to tell my dad, I had to wait a couple of hours to tell him because he was at work. But when I told my dad that I was changing my major from physical therapy to interior design, he flipped out like I basically told him I was majoring in coloring books. He told me you will never make any money. There's that's not a career, you're not gonna get a job. Like he was petrified that I had changed my major and that up until that point, I had done everything my parents told me to do everything. I made straight A's from kindergarten to 12th grade. I went to school, my dad was like you make good grades, you get a scholarship, you get a good job and you make money. Like that's literally the only track there is. And they were very supportive of me picking the school that I went to and majoring in physical therapy. My dad's like, yeah, physical therapist straight out of school, you'll make about 80k. That's amazing. That's great. That's more money than I make right now. I remember that conversation. So when I told him, I was changing my major, like, I remember holding the phone listening to him yell at me. And at this point, I'm like, 20 years old. Okay. Okay. But then to be able to call him and go dad, I have a job. Like, I already have a job, I didn't even have to apply for a job. And I'm going to work for a health care company, like interior design is part of healthcare. So I still get to go make good money. It's not at but you don't have to worry about me working in the field that I decided to get my degree in. And he was very quiet, but also just like, Okay, well, good job, like a very quiet good job. His his good job didn't get loud until you know, the last couple years.
Katelyn:
Which which we'll get to. Yeah. Yeah. It's so interesting. Carmeon and I have, I also have a similar story with my dad when I changed my major. And then when I changed my career to it, you know, dads, they just want the best but you know, sometimes it's just a matter of, you know, letting it go and trusting yourself which you did paid off. So tell me how you started your business. Tell us how you started your business because obviously you got your feet wet within the corporate world, by way of this job. So what was the process like from starting your career to eventually going off and starting your own business?
Carmeon:
Well, I worked for that healthcare company for almost five years. Up until the point where they completely dissolved the design department. Minute. So I was laid off and I was laid off the day I came back from my honeymoon with my, oh, yes, I took off work, like we waited a year to go on our honeymoon. And so, the day coming back from my vacation was the day I got the news that I was being laid off. And right before I took off work they offered they asked me to relocate to Dallas to work for the company, like the company was moving offices and everything. And they wanted me to move so they were like you're going on vacation, think about it on your vacation. We'll talk about it when you get back. And then I get back and they're like, Okay, sorry, nevermind. We're dissolving the whole department. You're being laid off here. Six months severance. Good luck. So that was fun. I'm coming back and getting the news. My husband's job had just relocated us to the middle of nowhere, Missouri. And there were absolutely zero interior design jobs where we live, there was only a Kmart, JC Penney and Kroger. In this town, wow, there, there were very few interior design opportunities unless I was going to work. The window treatment department at JC Penney, which I was not for like this. There's not the population of this town isn't big enough to sustain a salary of one person selling everyone in town window treatments. Well, do I okay. But at that point, I already had a blog, and Instagram started the same year, this was 2012. And so at the time, with my time off, I decided to teach myself how to build furniture. And so I knew design. But I hadn't done anything tactical. With my hands, I hadn't made anything. So I taught myself how to make things, I built furniture, and I was sharing them on my blog, and on Instagram. And people would see it and asked me to make them things. And the more things I made for people, my husband started to encourage me like you should start a business like you should do this as a business, and I was a little hesitant at first, but ultimately, after being unemployed for another, I think for I was unemployed for almost a year and a half. And at that point, we had moved, that's when we moved to Memphis in the midst of my unemployment. And so I'm like, okay, bigger market, I can actually start a design business here. There are people here that can actually hire me and afford to pay me also not really understanding what an interior designer makes outside of the corporate world, just like okay, well, this is what I made on my last job. So how do I break that down for one client to pay me to make her coffee table like I don't, I don't know how this works. So there was some trial and error and lots of error, lots of error. But I started my business in 2013. And my business is called Nubi Interiors. And it started with me making people things and the more things I made for people, the more they wanted me to create, and design the space around the things that I made. And so it went from making a coffee table to designing a living room to designing the first floor of a house to designing in addition to designing, you know, a dentist office and it just continued to grow over the years. The more I shared my design work on Instagram and my website. More people kept calling.
Katelyn:
So yeah, how'd you come up with the name?
Carmeon:
My husband named my business so it is my nickname that he had for me Nubi which is short for Nubian queen. So Nubi interiors, it's also a play on Nubian. But the interiors is the name, the entire name. I love my husband's idea.
Katelyn:
I think naming is one of the hardest parts of any group. Anytime I have to name something, I'm like, no, no, absolutely. Oh my god. So not only do you have a thriving business at this time. How did HGTV and some of these larger publications start to kind of come onto your radar?
Carmeon:
Yes. So blogging is the like, number one biggest way that I have gotten to where I am, I think a lot of people will think it's Instagram, but Instagram used to feed my blog, and I'm a storyteller by nature. And as a designer, and I come from a long line of educators, so I overly explain things. And so I needed a place for my DIY projects and my before and afters like I needed somewhere for them to go. So I can explain things to people. This is before Instagram Stories existed, so you can't explain a whole project and the caption of a photo, right. So I was grateful that I had already had a blog for years. But my blog, I was able able to leverage partnerships with brands, I mean, Instagram was growing at the same time, but brands wanted to be featured on blogs first before they wanted to be featured on social media platforms. So I started to work with a few brands. And I got, I was asked by Design Sponge that was the first kind of design publication. Yeah, it is a blog, design blog, but design sponge asked me to be featured. And that was the first time like I hired a photographer to come take pictures of my house. Up until that point, I'd taken all of my own pictures. And from there, like other publications picked up my house and my story and my DIY projects. And so I was I just kind of traveled amongst other design blogs, until my first print publication, or digital publication, I think was Domino Magazine.
Katelyn:
Oh, my favorite. Oh, my God, what was that moment like?
Carmeon:
Oh, my goodness. Um, so that was not until 2019. I had just completed the one room challenge, which is another design blogger challenge thing. It's not a competition, but you're chosen or selected to participate. And you get to work with brands to get all of your material sponsor, but you have to blog about it weekly, and finish your project in six weeks. And I did my bedroom at the time, bedroom and bathroom, and they loved my bedroom and bathroom and asked to feature it. So it went from domino to house beautiful to Southern Living. And like it just kept going. Wow. Because up until that point, like I had done several projects around my house. But that was the first major renovation that we had completed here. And so it was truly transformational. And then it was the first time where people really I had access to new things since things were being sponsored. Instead of just being able to go buy paint and painting some cabinets like that's great and all but when you can get a new rug and a new bed and new bedding and chair and drapes and like all of these other things like it's really transforming a room. And that was the first time people could see like my full on design chops. Because also as an influencer and content creator, I never truly shared my client work on mine. Because people are always like, where's that from? Where'd you get that and tell us where this is from and send me the link to this. And I'm like, these people paid me to find all of these things for them. I'm not going to turn around and then give all of this information for free to people who don't pay me Yeah, so I was very I had a very hard boundary for that. So me designing my home was my only kind of calling card. So I really had to make it one I needed to love it for me to live in it but also make it something that people had never seen before. And so that's that's how I was seen. That's how I got spotted.
Katelyn:
So cool. I mean it just from hearing your story. I love flow parts of people's stories and it just sounds like you were on the raft floating down the river. So cool.
Carmeon:
I say that all the time. I I don't go chasing after things. I literally just move through life and allow things to come to me because I'm open palm I walk with my hands open and that How HGTV happened and design star I got a DM from a casting producer. And he's like, Hey, we have a project that we think you'd be perfect for. I didn't even know what the project was until I think six months later, but went through the whole interview process, Zoom calls and phone calls and submitting videos of me talking and doing things and then the pandemic happened. But it started with a DM on Instagram, like, hey, we like you.
Katelyn:
Wow. That's amazing.
Carmeon:
The rest is history.
Katelyn:
I love that it's so inspiring. I'm a big believer in taking inspired action, and also exactly what we just said, open palm like, like allowing things to happen, and also kind of discerning between effort and ease. So I'm, I'm super inspired by your story. I'm also really curious, just having a career where it is super clear that there are all these levels of exposure happening, little by little by little, and you're being more seen in the public eye. So from a body image perspective, what did you notice about just being seen more by people and having photoshoots more and just, you know, kind of stepping in front of the camera a little bit more?
Carmeon:
Yeah, I have always and it goes back to the way my mom raised us when it comes to presentation. And, you know, getting dressed, it really starts with getting dressed. And I realized the more comfortable I am, and what I'm wearing, the more comfortable I am doing what I have to do, or being around certain people. So my wardrobe is literally my body of armor, per se. So my body fluctuates, I will, you know, gain a little lose a little gain a little depending on the seasons, depending on how active I am. And so, but when it comes to getting dressed, I'm a girl that loves comfort, like, I love fashion, but I'm gonna comfort first, I will sacrifice my feet for heels every now and then. But I want to oversize blazer, I want, you know, boyfriend jeans I want, I want to dress something that's easy to throw on I can move in. So those I've created a wardrobe that allows me to be comfortable no matter what setting I'm in whether I'm lounging around my house or I'm in front of a camera. I'm on TV. Because when I'm comfortable in what I'm wearing, I'm not concerned about oh, is my stomach poking out? Or does my butt look flat or anything like that. So I don't have to worry about my body, if I know how to dress it properly. And if I'm comfortable in it. So I I've been able to be physically seen by hundreds of 1000s of more people over the last couple years and not be worried about my body because I've been able to dress it the way that I have.
Katelyn:
That's awesome. I love that. Getting dressed is one of my favorite body image tools. And I think it's deeply personal. I don't think that every single person will resonate with this, but for me, I am so I think it goes back to my dress up childhood like playing dress up all the time. But just stepping into that confidence of the clothes, allowing you to feel comfortable and really who you want to become rather than focusing on your body specifically. Yes, I love that. I'm also curious as you have gained all of the success and I mean, it's just the beginning I'm sure I think you're just on a roll right now but what has been the most surprising for you? It really with anything professionally speaking creatively speaking interpersonally but what things stand out that you would tell your self five years ago maybe?
Carmeon:
I believe one of the biggest things that I've had to come to the realization have is that even though I've only now been put in the spotlight, like everything I have now I had, then. I've always been equipped. I've always been air quote, great. Like I've always had the tools. I've always been smart, I've always been prepared, I've always been ready. I just didn't know it. I had to be pushed a lot, especially by my husband, who from the beginning, we met in college, I met my husband the day before I changed my major to interior design. And he walked me to my studio when I had to be there late, he didn't want me to walk across campus in the dark by myself. So he stayed at the studio with me and watch me work on a project. And while there, he was just like, wow, like, You're really great. Like, you're gonna be a star. Literally told me that 15 years ago, and he would say it constantly. And I would go and work for these corporate companies. And he would be upset, like, why are you giving your time to these companies where you can be building something of your own, you could be working for yourself, you could be putting your energy towards something you want to build? Why are you working for other people, and we would have these conversations frequently. And I would be aggravated like, I just need to have a job like I love what I do, but I need money I need someone that's going to give me a paycheck would have to tell me like there are people, I'm sure people will give you money to do this for them, but as you not as this company. And so it took until I won design star in November of 2020. Of course, the world didn't know until spring of 2021. But it took all of those years for me to realize like I've been equipped this entire time. I've been a star the way my husband has been telling me for years. This entire time. I just didn't, I couldn't see it for myself. So it what I would tell myself five years ago, if I could go back and talk to her, it would be you got it. Like you have it all. And you're ready. Like so go fly. Yeah. A long time ago.
Katelyn:
Yeah, it's, it's so interesting. I mean, I really do think that having people believe in you and encourage you. And this is something I see a lot with people I talk to and support and whatnot. But it really does make a difference. And in terms of, again, going back to that environment, who you're surrounding yourself with, and, and then also, simultaneously, your belief in yourself. makes a huge, huge difference. So that's amazing to hear. And I know that your husband has been a big part of your life and your story and your career and your family. And I also know that he passed away tragically this past fall. So first of all, I'm deeply sorry. And I'd love to just acknowledge that and hear how you went through that. I know that grief is a big part of what you share with your community now and a part of how you are moving through your life now. So how has that changed things for you?
Carmeon:
Oh, it has changed everything. It has completely changed the way I move throughout life. You know, I would wake up you know, you wake up every day and it's another day like okay, I'm gonna go to the grocery store, take the kids to school, go to work, whatever. Like these things that just happen every day. And one day where things are just normal. And you go about your day. And then you look up at the end of the day and it was not a normal day. I lost my husband the day design star premiered on HGTV and I woke up that morning I left to go do a final install for a client my husband was outside talking to like getting a quote to get trees removed from our yard. And like, we woke up that morning, we had breakfast, I ran out of the house, I left something at home, I came back and ran out of the house again, like just bye. And he went and spent the day with friends at a hotlink festival or something. And on his way home, he's on his motorcycle and is hit by an intoxicated driver. And he never makes it home. And to know that life can happen, good or bad, in an instant, and change, everything has completely shaken me to my core. And so every day, I wake up every day since then I've woken up, as if it's the last day that I get to do anything, the last day I see my son, the last day I get to celebrate my friends, the last day I get to design something. And so the amount of effort that I put forth, has increased drastically. And also the self awareness that I have around how I make people feel when I'm around them and how I want people to feel. If I happen to leave today, like what do I want people to feel about me? If I if something were to happen to me? And so that's how I treat them? And that's how I treat my business? How do I want my clients to feel? How do I serve them so that they feel like they have received the best service possible? How do I be the best mother so my son remembers me as this incredible mom? like, what do I do every day to have to leave the best taste in people's mouths? Because my husband did that he was an incredible person. And everyone that I have talked to, since then have only said incredibly positive things about him. And I've heard stories, things that I didn't know about, he's changed people's lives, or at least touched people. And I've only wanted to go well, I hope people can say something like that about me one day. And so that's literally how I live my life. And also to know, I'm the girl, that one design star, but I'm also the girl that lost her husband a couple months later. So you can be on top of the world one moment and have nothing the next. So I'm constantly just grateful for whatever I have, on a daily basis, the amount of gratitude that I have is what I live by gratitude is what I live by. Always.
Katelyn:
It's so inspiring to hear you share all of that. And it you know, I think about this sometimes to just what, what if something like that were to happen in my own life. And this can happen to any of us, right? But I'm really, really glad that you shared this because while I'm like getting emotional as I say this, but I often think like man, I don't know if I could do anything. Like I don't know if I could just move on with my life at all. And your perspective on this is really it's really beautiful, and it helps me reframe how to possibly look at life moving forward.
Carmeon:
Thank you, that's been my goal. I've suffered a lot of loss in my life, I lost my mom, almost exactly 10 years before I lost my husband. And I lost my grandmother almost exactly four years before her so I've, I've, I've gone through these major losses, and never did I ever think okay, what, how would I behave if I lost my husband at a young age like you don't think about those things. But you do wake up the next day and you have a choice. And grieving is one of the biggest parts of life. I mean, we grieve people that we lose, we grieve, careers and jobs that we lose. We grieve relationships that we've lost, like you have to learn how to deal with loss at some point in your life, because you're gonna go through it whether I mean no matter what it is, and I've always no matter what that loss was being fired or laid off, or breaking up with someone, like you have to choose what you want life to be like moving forward. And I know that grief is something that can be all consuming. And I also know that most of us don't know how to grieve properly. We've only seen it happen on In movies, or we don't talk about loss, if it happens in our families or real life, like people don't know how to grieve properly, I absolutely have a grief counselor that I see. Or wasn't twice a week, I mean, two times a month, and now monthly. But being able to talk with someone to give you tools to let you know that the way that you're grieving is perfectly okay. Because no matter how you grieve, it's okay. But also to give you the tools to help you move through the grief and not sit in it. And part of that, is choosing something like gratitude every day, if you find the flip side of the coin, then typically, you're going to be okay. Most of the time, you're going to be okay anyway. But it's a choice. It's a literal, always.
Katelyn:
Yeah. And that's such a refreshing perspective on that as well, too. Because I think that sometimes at least I can only speak for myself with this. But sometimes I think, well, it would be different if it was a person because I, you know, I can't. I just can't imagine that. And I also think that I'm really, really appreciative that you shared that, because I think that there's a lot of parallels exactly what you're saying, whether it's your body changing, or you losing a job, or someone passing in your life, or a relationship changing, you know, Grief is a part of life. And I think you hit the nail on the head, I think that our culture
Carmeon:
Like a lot of things just doesn’t do it well.
Katelyn:
Doesn't do it well, doesn't know how to really do it and kind of brushes it under the rug. And like we're talking about, it's so important, having conversations, and I'm grateful that we're able to do that today. This is certainly something that we haven't talked about a lot in this community and grief, I mean, and something that I think is really important to do more, more often just to normalize and I'm, I'm just so grateful for your perspective and your truth today and your story and I could have you on for multiple more hours. So I would love to have you back. Is your book coming out? Do you have a book?
Carmeon:
There there is the potential of a book on the horizon.
Katelyn:
Of course there is, there will be a book
Carmeon:
And that is all I can say about it, right now.
Katelyn:
I'm forecasting a book, a movie or a TV show all the things so we'll have you back with all of your greatness expanding. Until then, where is the best place for everybody to connect with you today?
Carmeon:
The absolute best place to find me and you can find me here at any moment of the day is Instagram. I live there. My handle is carmeonhamilton, just my name. And that's actually where you can find me everywhere. My website is Carmeonhamilton.com. I'm on Twitter, Facebook and tik tok at Carmeon Hamilton. But Instagram is where I live and breathe. So if you want to know what I had for breakfast that day, new juice is still there.
Katelyn:
Love and I will just say you are a really fabulous storyteller. I love your blog. I think you're I mean I'm obsessed with your aesthetic. I have a million questions about where you get your design inspiration from and all the things so really, we will have to do a part two, but definitely we'll link everything in the show notes to keep it easy for everybody to connect with you. Thank you so much, Carmeon, and just really appreciate you.
Carmeon:
Thank you. This has been amazing.
