Her Vision Your Design – Sheila Bridges

Sheila Bridges has always been a creative person.She always took an interest in art and antique furniture. She enjoys exploration and adventure.

Before taking on her first interior design job, Sheila had worked in the fashion and retail industry. She actually found her first interior design job in the 1980’s by looking through the classified ads section of a newspaper. The job ended up being at a small architectural firm in Manhattan. 

“Something just clicked and I thought ‘wow, this is so interesting.” 

She recounts being surrounded by so many intelligent and creative people. While the opportunity was able to teach her a lot of things, she knew she didn’t want to stay at the firm for long. 

She has always considered herself a creative person. She was alway interested in art, antiques, travel and culture. Her creative interest plays a role in her ability to storytell. 

“I think more than just being a designer, I consider myself a visual storyteller.”

When it comes to working with her residential and high-end clients, Sheila says it starts with learning  about the client. “It’s not about me telling my own story. It’s about me helping the client tell their story and tell it in a beautiful way,” she says. Being a good listener and asking a lot of questions are essential to being a food designer.

Her designs are very much focused on classic sensibility. “The homes I design are very functional, comfortable, and livable,” she says. Beyond being livable, Sheila enjoys playing with color, patterns, and modern art. You can recognize her designs by her use of rich historical colors.

But if the colors don’t necessarily tell you that it’s a Sheila Bridges design, you might recognize her Harlem Toile de Jouy. It’s a pattern that Sheila created herself when she couldn’t find a toile to decorate her house with. Instead of the pastoral scenes found in the traditional French toile, Sheila incorporated her Black heritage, history, and critiques of African American stereotypes. The Harlem Toile was meant to be just a wallcovering but has expanded into a collection and has been featured in multiple museums.

For those hopeful to make it in the interior design industry, Sheila says “you just have to stay the course and don’t be discouraged.” Sheila calls the industry extremely competitive, especially in her home New York. “I’ve definitely had my share of knocks, but you just have to keep getting back up.”