Brittany Prescott-Kyles, 24, has always wanted to do interior design. This cheerful newly-wed never doubted her passion in life. The goal-oriented gal from the South mixes traditional country style with modern glam. To achieve this balance between simple and ornate, Brittany likes to create focal points using unique pieces—something with character like antique furniture. When asked how she described her personal style, she laughed and answered, “Can I say Pottery Barn?”
Looking at her you would never know that she works for a successful interior design company that is contracted by the University. In her position, she helped create a space that 2,000 students will call home-away-from-home. Her design fingerprint is forever on the University of Alabama on a building that isn’t even finished yet. On the north side of campus is a rising megalith of steel next to Rose Towers. This addition to campus, called the North Bluff residence halls, is a three phase housing development that will include two dorms and a new recreational center for students.
Brittany interned for two and half years with the firm Interior Design Professionals, Inc. Where she specifically focused on university projects. She was then hired full time after graduating in Spring 2011. UA employs the company to design any structure built or renovated on campus. Most students never put much thought into the people behind the buildings and rooms we spend our college years in, but it takes a small army to plan, build and furnish residence halls.
“We had to think of everything,” Brittany said. The interior designers had to plan every detail, including the moldings, paint, fabrics, flooring, desk counter tops, lighting, wall decorations, and door handles, just to name a few. They pull this feat of by thinking about how people interact in a particular space.
When planning the North Bluffs, Brittany said that they stepped outside the usual southern dĂ©cor. “We pushed the envelope a little bit, so it’s more modern,” Brittany said.
The designers wanted to create a young, mature space for students, but they couldn’t forget the more traditional demands from the University. When presenting their visions to clients, interior designers presented three drawings, which gives the patrons options without overwhelming them. Brittany said, “That’s really important when you’re dealing with clients to keep them in their comfort zone.”
She said the most difficult part is navigating all the channels to get the plans accepted. “You have to get it approved by so many people” she admits. “It’s challenging to appease everyone.”
Jumping through hoops and over barrels is part of the routine for Interior Design Professionals, Inc. Besides working with the University, they also work with the City of Tuscaloosa to design office buildings, schools and hospitals. Currently, they are working on three elementary schools that were destroyed after the April tornado. They were already in the process of building Holt elementary before the storm, and now have to start over since it was destroyed.
“The only problem with working for the city is that the budget isn’t as big as you’d like it to be.”
However, Brittany said that she prefers dreaming up plans for the younger crowd. “I love doing elementary schools because it’s more creative.”
For example, she is working on a project where rooms in the school represent different continents. She explains that you can’t put a pool with toy alligators and hippos in a UA classroom. That might be a tough sell for Dr. Witt and the board of directors!
Despite the little recognition given to designers, there are several ways that they are recognized for their work. State awards and other honors are given for categories of designs, including categories for industrial and healthcare design, to name a few. Two of Brittany’s bosses have won awards for their contributions to the University and DCH.
The next step for Brittany is to take a monumental exam which will allow her to be certified as an interior designer. This means that she will no longer have to get a higher up to stamp her drawings to be official. Once Brittany become a certified interior designer, she hopes to achieve her own awards someday.
When asked what advice she give to girls living in dorms, she jumped at the chance to spread her wisdom. To young girls decorating their first dorms, Brittany said that frugalness is important. “They spend all this money on a room they will only stay in for a year.” She encourages girls to use pictures home to make the space personal and make statements with your choice of bedspreads and pillows.
When thinking about all the changes girls make to a dorm room, Brittany cringes when thinking about those who try to hang curtains and pictures. “I’m a little biased but don’t do anything that will damage the room,” she pleaded. “It’s no surprise she doesn’t recommend doing anything that could damage the walls.” Those dorm rooms have to last for decades and for thousands of students!
Clutter is another issue that students struggle with. The accumulation of stuff can turn a closet into a perilous mess. She suggests using baskets to help with any issues of being disorganized.
Above all, Brittany counseled girls that education always comes first.She encourages Alabama’s women to be independent and to set goals for their lives, just as she has. She has applied these principles to her own life and they have led her to a career and husband she loves.