Influential Woman · Interior Architecture and Experiential Design
Carly Faye Smith
Founder and Creative Director, Studio Copia
Seattle, WA 98122
Her Story
About Carly
Carly Faye Smith is a multidisciplinary creative director, experiential designer, and founder of Studio Copia, a Seattle-based creative consultancy focused on designing environments, experiences, and systems that support human connection, reflection, and transformation. With nearly two decades of experience spanning interior architecture, custom lighting, product design, project management, and immersive built environments, she brings a distinctive blend of creative vision, technical rigor, and human-centered strategy to her work. Throughout her career, Carly has led projects from concept through fabrication, installation, and delivery, collaborating with architects, artists, engineers, fabricators, and cross-functional stakeholders across the U.S. and internationally.
Most recently, she served as Hotel Interior Superintendent for Seabourn Cruise Line, where she managed multimillion-dollar refurbishment and new-build projects across a global fleet of luxury vessels, balancing design excellence, operational performance, and brand execution in highly complex environments. Earlier in her career, she directed custom lighting and fabrication projects at LightArt, partnering with designers, architects, and clients to bring highly tailored concepts to life.
At the heart of Carly’s practice is a deep interest in how environments influence behavior, emotion, and well-being. Her work bridges the physical and emotional, integrating spatial design, light, sensory experience, and storytelling to create spaces that feel meaningful, inclusive, and transformative. She draws inspiration from art, architecture, neuroscience, sustainability, and community-building, and is especially passionate about designing experiences that honor sensitivity, neurodiversity, and individual expression.
A graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a member of the World Experience Organization, Carly is committed to shaping environments that foster connection, reflection, and possibility.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Carly
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my past successes to integrity, diligence, being detail-oriented, and deeply caring about the people I'm collaborating with or serving. I also think delivering unique creative solutions has been key to my achievements.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The most impactful lesson I’ve learned came from what I now see as the worst advice I received—being told to focus on just one thing. While specialization works for some, it didn’t align with how I naturally think. I thrive on making connections across different interests, and limiting that felt restrictive.
I’ve since realized that being a generalist is a strength. It allows me to approach problems creatively and develop unique, well-rounded solutions. Instead of forcing myself into a narrow path, I’ve learned to embrace how my mind works and use it to my advantage.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Through mentoring and experience, I’ve seen how often women feel expected to be the “glue”—handling coordination and support roles that are valuable but often overlooked. It’s important to recognize the impact of that work and confidently advocate for your worth, especially given ongoing wage gaps.
Build strong networks, find allies, and be clear about your value. Most importantly, don’t play small—pursue what you want with confidence and don’t shrink yourself to fit expectations.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in the field today is the growing fragmentation into niche areas like sustainability, health, and technology, which can limit collaboration and holistic thinking, especially after the communication gaps that emerged post-COVID. At the same time, much of what is being built is driven by speed and cost rather than quality or long-term impact, reflecting a short-term, profit-focused mindset. The opportunity lies in shifting back to human-centered, long-term approaches—prioritizing collaboration, thoughtful design, and outcomes that genuinely serve people rather than immediate gains.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me in both my work and personal life are accountability, transparency, and alignment. My previous experience reinforced how essential it is to take ownership, communicate openly, and ensure everyone is aligned from the start to achieve meaningful results. Honesty is a key part of transparency, and above all, I believe in treating others with kindness and respect in every interaction.
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