Stephanie Vaughan
Stephanie Vaughan is a seasoned Senior Interior Designer with over nine years of experience leading high-end residential remodel and new-build projects from concept to completion. A graduate of the Art Institute of Houston with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design, she honed her expertise in Revit-based construction documentation, FF&E specification, and client-facing design leadership. Stephanie has successfully owned and operated her own residential design studio, where she managed projects end-to-end while collaborating closely with contractors, vendors, and design partners. Her work emphasizes meticulous execution, creative problem-solving, and a strong commitment to visual storytelling and spatial intuition.
Beyond her professional design career, Stephanie maintains an active art practice and works as a certified transformational life coach. Her art, which often explores masculine and feminine archetypes, has recently been showcased at Los Angeles art fairs, earning recognition in online publications. Her coaching practice focuses on women’s empowerment, helping clients navigate personal transformation and embrace their full potential. These creative and mentoring pursuits inform her design work, bringing a holistic and intuitive approach to the spaces she creates.
Stephanie describes herself as an “intuitive creator” and “interior alchemist,” integrating creativity, personal insight, and transformation into all aspects of her professional life. After relocating from Houston to California to be closer to family, she has shifted some focus to her art practice while remaining open to senior interior design opportunities. Her philosophy centers on gratitude, collaboration, and holding space for others, particularly women, ensuring that her work—whether in design, art, or coaching—empowers and inspires those she serves.
• Life Coach Certification
• The Art Institutes- B.F.A.
• Transformation Academy
• Featured in online magazine article reviewing LA startup art fair
• Emerging Professionsl Best of Residential Design
• Leader in Design
• Praxis Arts
• Interested in volunteering with Butte County animal shelter
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to following my heart and my passion. I love doing interior design - it is a vocation for me. I follow the signs, I follow my heart, I follow the universe when it's showing me what to do and where to go as best as I can. My biggest success was creating my interior design business in Houston from nothing. I didn't borrow any money, I did everything on my own. I attracted these awesome people who loved the work that we did together, and it allowed me the financial freedom to move to California, where I had always wanted to be. That came out of me doing all of that personal transformation, going through my own journey of understanding who I am and why I made certain choices. I went back to school at 45 to show my two daughters it's never too late, working three jobs while doing full-time school. I'm the only one in my family that has a college degree. I made my design business out of nothing, and I created that through being in an amazing place mentally, spiritually, and financially. I manifested everything in the most amazing, beautiful, easy, substantial way.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I’ve ever received is that it’s never too late to create the life and career you truly want.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would advise young women entering this industry to recognize that challenges can become wisdom, to find and use their voice, and to support other women along the way. Embrace inner growth alongside your professional journey, and know that perseverance, adaptability, and the ability to pivot are key to navigating both career and personal obstacles.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenge I'm facing right now is that I left Houston and moved to California, and when I got here, it was just impossible to find work, to find clients, to find even high-end realtors who even knew what an interior designer was. I've been on sabbatical for the last two years, in inquiry mode to the universe, trying to understand what happened and where I went wrong. Being new to the area, I need to get my name and work out there. I'm not on the steady income train at the moment. I've been in this turmoil of trying to understand why I can't find employment. I've done a lot of soul-searching over these past two years. I would love to get involved with some consultants or high-end clientele with residential who are looking for a designer. I'm hoping that maybe this will all converge. I think expanding my network is especially important to me right now.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
What's most important to me is following my heart and my passion. I love encouraging women to realize that all the challenges you've gone through in your life, when you look back on it afterwards, you can see it from a different perspective and realize that now it's influencing your response to everything. That's what we call wisdom. My work is really about women's empowerment, helping women realize the power that we truly have. We are the life givers, the ones who create life. I love how it feels when you can talk and share the wisdom that you have with other women in your same position and see the recognition on their face - that is enormous, your soul is just jumping up and doing the happy dance. I've had to turn my hurt and pain into wisdom through alchemy, and now I can share how I got out of that place with whoever needs to hear it. I spend a lot of time with my life partner and muse - we met three years ago in California and we're both completely convinced that we moved here really to meet each other. When I'm not working, I'm outdoors hiking with my Australian Shepherd, Opal, or I'm in my studio doing art, which is my full release. Gratitude is the key - every situation is just one gratitude item away from being handled.