Amanda DiCarlo

I attribute much of my success to my mentor, Diane Ruf, from my days at Wakefield Beasley & Associates. Diane is a truly strong, stylish, and beautiful woman whose unforgettable laughter can light up any room. Back then, we would walk into meetings with contractors and building owners that were typically all men, and Diane would seamlessly take over. I was always in awe of how she handled presentations and won business for the firm—she completely inspired the professional I wanted to become. That inspiration, combined with my own unconventional path, shaped my career. Even though I only completed two years of college before being hired into a full-time internship, my passion and designs allowed me to bypass the standard four-year degree requirement. I have learned and grown immensely through hands-on experience, always carrying the lessons Diane taught me.

"Never compromise on who you are; your unique creativity is your greatest asset. When it comes to making an impression, match your presentation to your purpose—always dress for the project!

Just be strong, be who you are, and take all your inspirations out of life and put them into your designs. Think outside the box and put together presentations that will wow people in order for the client to be a returning customer. Don't be afraid of things, because you are strong and will be amazing at everything you do!

When it comes to office interiors, now that covid is behind us, companies are requiring their employees to come back full time to the office for the most part. The opportunity here is that we are designing a different workplace than before. We are designing to create a better workplace for others, a more modern, functional more human workspace where well-being occupies a center place by collaboration, maximizing natural light, biophilic design, flexible layouts and bespoke design.

For school design, The Challenges of designing K–12 schools would be creating beautiful design while maintaining often times limited budgets. At the same time, schools must be safe, durable, flexible, and capable of serving students and staff for decades. They also create opportunities for thoughtful and innovative design. By prioritizing efficient building layouts, balanced security, durable materials, abundant natural daylight, clear wayfinding, flexible learning environments, open collaborative areas, media centers with flexible fun furniture and graphic wall art to represent school spirit. Architects and designers can create facilities that are both economical and impactful.

Mentoring and volunteering is incredibly important to me, both professionally and personally. By passion and dedication I pour into shaping the next generation. Balancing professional design mentorship and extensive school outreach. I am the girl scout leader of two different troops and have been for the past 17 years, leading them to the Gold Award—a feat accomplished by less than 4% of scouts nationwide— a massive achievement and makes me so proud. My hands-on approach to career days at various schools in the Atlanta area is exactly how young minds find their true calling. I try to inspire the students to want to become interior designers and interior architects and to open their minds to the possibilities that are out there and to become the best of themselves. I also volunteer throughout the year at The Nicholas House in Atlanta - a homeless family with children shelter which is dear to my heart. There are no words to express the happiness when seeing the children's eyes light up when I bring toys and cupcakes for them.