Is hiring an interior designer worth it?

Yes, hiring an interior designer is worth it because their expertise can significantly boost a property’s resale value. By improving curb appeal, creating a cohesive style, and maximizing space, designers help homes and businesses attract more buyers and command higher offers.

What are the benefits of interior design?

Interior design enhances resale value by highlighting architectural features, optimizing layouts for better functionality, and incorporating timeless finishes. These updates make properties more appealing to prospective buyers and increase marketability.

What is value in interior design?

The value of interior design comes from its ability to elevate first impressions and create spaces that photograph beautifully for listings. Well-designed interiors make homes and businesses stand out in competitive markets, often leading to faster sales at higher prices.

How to design energy efficient homes?

Designing energy efficient homes involves using high-quality insulation, sealing air leaks, choosing energy efficient windows and doors, integrating passive solar design strategies, using efficient appliances and lighting, and considering renewable energy systems like solar. Ultra-efficient homes combine efficient construction, smart systems, and renewable energy to reduce energy demand.

What is aging in place?

Aging in place refers to the ability of someone to remain in their own home and community safely, independently, and comfortably as they grow older.

What is the interior design process?

The interior design process is a structured approach that transforms ideas into beautiful, functional spaces. It includes evaluating a client’s goals, developing a design concept, selecting materials and furnishings, and managing all aspects of implementation to achieve a cohesive final result.

What are the steps of the interior design process?

The interior design process typically follows several key stages: initial consultation, concept development, design presentation, material and finish selection, procurement, and final installation. Each step ensures clear communication, attention to detail, and alignment with the client’s vision.

How long does the interior design process take?

The timeline for an interior design project can vary depending on its size and complexity. Smaller projects may take a few weeks, while full-home designs or remodels can take several months from initial consultation to final installation.

What is the interior design process?

The interior design process is a structured approach that transforms ideas into beautiful, functional spaces. It includes evaluating a client’s goals, developing a design concept, selecting materials and furnishings, and managing all aspects of implementation to achieve a cohesive final result.

What are the steps of the interior design process?

The interior design process typically follows several key stages: initial consultation, concept development, design presentation, material and finish selection, procurement, and final installation. Each step ensures clear communication, attention to detail, and alignment with the client’s vision.

How long does the interior design process take?

The timeline for an interior design project can vary depending on its size and complexity. Smaller projects may take a few weeks, while full-home designs or remodels can take several months from initial consultation to final installation.

Discover Our Top Interior Design Team

North Carolina’s Award-Winning Interior Designers

TEW Design Studio is an award-winning, full-service interior design firm founded on the belief that the best spaces are built around the people living in them. Led by principal designer Rima Nasser, our diverse team brings formal training, cultural depth, and genuine curiosity to every project, from whole-home renovations to specialized work for neurodivergent clients and those designing for aging in place. We create spaces that are visually compelling, deeply functional, and genuinely personal.

RIMA NASSER

Owner & Principal Designer

Rima founded TEW Design Studio on the principle that diversity drives creativity and innovation. She leads the team with a cultural perspective shaped by experiences both domestically and abroad. As a Palestinian, her family immigrated to Richmond, VA when she was 15. She grew up surrounded by architecture from around the world, drawn from an early age to earthy, grounded design and the bold colors, patterns, and Arabesque influences of her heritage. Rima’s approach to design has always been artful, purposeful, and deeply rooted in how people actually live.

Being diagnosed with ADHD later in life, and recognizing likely dyslexia alongside it, gave Rima a language for something she had always known intuitively. It clarified why she asks the questions she asks, why certain design choices have never felt right, and why others have always felt essential. It shaped what she moves away from and what she leans into. Looking at the interior design industry, she noticed that conversations around neurodivergence and ADHD were largely absent from mainstream practice, happening at the margins rather than at the center of how designers are trained to think. That observation, combined with her own experience, pushed her to bring it forward intentionally and make it a named, practiced part of how TEW works.

Rima earned her undergraduate degree in Arts and Culture from George Mason University and her master’s in Interior Design from the Florence Design Academy in Italy. She is currently pursuing a science in design certification, deepening the research foundation behind the studio’s practice. She lives in Raleigh with her husband, their two boys, and their dog Carl. Outside of design, you will find her in the garden, painting, hiking, or playground hopping with her family.

TRICIA LACARRUBBA

Office Manager

We rely on Tricia’s attention to detail and her fabulous organizational skills, which are unmatched in our eyes. She handles everything from invoicing and retail operations to supporting the designers and keeping things running smoothly behind the scenes. With a degree in Fashion Buying and Merchandising from her hometown of New York, she brings a wealth of expertise to the table. Her diverse background also includes marketing coordination and production operations, having worked within both the fashion industry and Design/Build firms.

Outside of work, Tricia loves spending time with her daughter, Piper. Whether they’re baking, crafting, swimming, or discovering new playgrounds, they’re always on the move. In her downtime, Tricia also enjoys thrifting and refinishing furniture whenever she gets the chance to indulge her creative side.

MANAL SHUKHA

Studio Assistant

Manal is our studio assistant and works closely with Tricia to ensure our studio is organized and that our retail space is thriving. With an impeccable eye for design, she often helps us rearrange our space and even finalize ideas for clients’ spaces.

In her free time, Manal enjoys spending time with her grandchildren and cooking. According to her, food is its own love language, and we couldn’t agree more!

Our Mission

TEW Design Studio is a full-service interior design firm rooted in the belief that great design starts with understanding how people truly live. We are a diverse team of designers, thinkers, and makers who bring cultural depth, formal training, and genuine curiosity to every project we touch. Our work spans residential and commercial spaces, and includes specialized expertise in designing for neurodivergent clients and those planning for aging in place. We do not design for a version of life that looks good on paper. We design for the people actually living it.