Education & Experience

Upon graduating from The University of Maryland with degrees in Interior Design & Business Management, Susan fulfilled all professional requirements and passed The National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) exam. She then began her career in Alexandria, Virginia, creating architectural plans & elevations of historic buildings in the Washington DC area. She worked under Alfred Kastner's guidance, an internationally acclaimed architect and principal of Alfred Kastner Associates, Architects & Engineers.

For the next several years, she continued her practical education working in all aspects of her industry: Residential Design & Retail - Cantrell's Interiors (decorating & sales); Kimel's Studio of Design (developed interior design department for large retail furniture business with multiple locations); Commercial Design – ASC Office Furniture Company (commercial furniture sales and staff interior designer).

She wrote a monthly interior design column for a local newspaper. Susan won the “Young Careerist” award for Business and Professional Women in Washington DC. She participated in the Alexandria Decorator Show House and later served on the Design Advisory Board for the Show House. She was on the Advisory Board of the premier issue of Benjamin Moore's Ensemble magazine.

Susan was a founder and/or partner in Horizon Design Group (international corporate interior design based in Washington DC); Estomin & Associates (innovative and award-winning commercial and residential design in Alexandria, Virginia); Anderson, O'Brien, Estomin Architects (government & educational facilities in Alexandria, Virginia) and The Fox System, Inc. (furniture and educational materials designed & manufactured to create environments for children in Fairfax, Virginia).

Guest House, Alexandria, Virginia

In 2004 Susan created and co-chaired The Guest House Project in Alexandria, Virginia. In addition to partnering with Habitat for Humanity, she combined the business, service, and interior design communities to completely redesign, renovate and furnish a home for Women in transition. The project was entirely supported by community donations and funds from “The Alternative Showcase House,” which was part of her original concept to create designer participation and public interest. The project was a huge success, and there remains a waiting list of women transitioning back into society following incarceration. The interior was designed to support women as they reestablish relationships with family members and learn basic domestic skills.

The Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, Jacksonville, Florida

In 2007, Susan chaired the interior design committee The Cummer Museum's premier fundraising event & ball, celebrating the museum's Egyptian exhibit, Temples and Tombs: Treasures of Egyptian Art from The British Museum. It was a much-anticipated event, and the décor for the ball created a dramatic background for the celebration.

Summary

Susan's extensive experience as a designer, entrepreneur, and business owner includes Interior Design (furniture & finish specifications, sales, project management, furniture design, historic restoration and space planning); Business (sales, management, development, and marketing); Public Relations/Communications (speaking, writing, editing and the development of marketing materials); Community service (Guest House, Cummer Museum and 20 years of serving the children of Alexandria, Virginia through the Alexandria Kiwanis Club).

Currently

Susan owns the consulting firm of Susan Estomin Interior Design, LLC, located in Jacksonville, Florida. She is working on various projects and writing articles & speaking on multiple aspects of interior design.

Personal

Susan lives on the South Bank in Jacksonville, Florida, with her husband John and their adorable rescue dog, Buddy. In addition to her love of all things interior design, Susan has been studying the craft of writing for ten years and has recently completed her first novel. See the Author's page for an essay called Bridges from my Balcony published by A.C. PAPA literary magazine. It’s about life on the St. Johns River.

There’s also a summary of her 56,000 word, middle-grade novel. If you like the concept and know anyone in the publishing industry, please let her know. She’ll be forever grateful.