Claire E. Donnelly
Interior Decorator, Residential Design Studio
Nashville, TN · (615) 555 0136 · name@example.com · linkedin.com/in/claireedonnelly
Key Qualifications
EXPERIENCE
Five years of residential decorating in a design studio, two years in retail before that
SETTINGS
Six person residential design studio serving about 70 households a year
SPECIALTIES
Whole room furnishing, color and finish selection, window treatments, trade sourcing, installation
SYSTEMS
Houzz Pro project management, SketchUp, Morpholio Board, QuickBooks Online, Canva
CREDENTIALS
Certified Interior Decorators International, certified interior decorator
EDUCATION
Associate of Applied Science in Interior Decorating, Cumberland Hills Community College
Executive Summary
Residential interior decorator with five years at a six person design studio, completing about 40 room projects a year for homeowners with furnishing budgets from $15,000 to $120,000. Runs projects from the first walk through to installation day: space plans, color, window treatments, furniture and accessory sourcing from about 60 trade vendors, and the purchase orders that hold it all together. Certified through Certified Interior Decorators International.
Signature Achievements
- Completed 42 room projects in 2025 with a combined furnishing spend of about $1.9 million and 39 installed on the promised date.
- Holds a client referral rate of 46 percent, the highest in the studio for three years.
- Raised the studio's average project margin from 31 percent to 38 percent by moving 80 percent of purchases to trade accounts.
- Cut damaged and wrong item deliveries from 11 percent to 4 percent of orders by adding a receiving inspection checklist with the warehouse.
- Won the local homebuilder association's decorated showcase room award in 2024.
- Earned the certified interior decorator credential in 2022.
Professional Experience
Interior Decorator
Harpeth Lane Interiors, Nashville, TN February 2021 to present
Six person residential design studio with a receiving warehouse; carries 12 to 15 active projects at a time
- Meet homeowners for the first walk through, define the scope and budget and present a written proposal within one week.
- Draw space plans and elevations in SketchUp and build finish and furniture boards in Morpholio Board.
- Select paint, wallcovering, rugs, upholstery, case goods, lighting and window treatments from about 60 trade vendors.
- Write purchase orders, track deliveries and manage the budget in Houzz Pro, reporting spend to the client every two weeks.
- Direct installation day with the studio's receiving warehouse, movers and window treatment installer.
Design Consultant
Cumberland Home Furnishings, Franklin, TN March 2019 to February 2021
Furniture showroom of 40,000 square feet offering in home design consultations
- Sold furniture and accessories from the showroom floor and through in home consultations, about $720,000 a year.
- Built room layouts and fabric selections for customers using the showroom's planning software.
- Followed each order from purchase through delivery and resolved damage claims.
Certifications and Training
Certified Interior Decorators International, certified interior decorator, certified 2022, member number 18342
Interior Design Society, professional member since 2023
Benjamin Moore color consultant training, completed 2021
Education
Associate of Applied Science in Interior Decorating, Cumberland Hills Community College, Nashville, 2019
Core Skills
Space planning · Color and finish selection · Window treatment specification · Furniture sourcing · Trade vendor accounts · Purchase order management · Client presentations · Installation coordination · Budget tracking · SketchUp drawings