Path to Success

Interior Designer Transforms Himself

Today Joshua Smith is one of the country’s most successful interior designers as well as a life coach, helping others to find the right path. It is hard to believe that he was once homeless and a drug addict, desperately trying to find his own way. His story stands as an inspiration.

It all began in Crosby, Texas, Smith’s hometown.

“I grew up in a Southern Baptist home,” said Smith. “From the get-go I was not like the other kids in my town, especially the boys. Inside I felt something was wrong. I was bullied. The first time I was called a faggot, I was in sixth grade and it was painful. This was before the Internet and there was no way to research what I was feeling. I couldn’t talk to my parents about it as they grew up in the church.”

Smith had no one to help him, so he prayed, hoping for guidance.

“In my nightly prayers I prayed to God that I would wake up and be different. I prayed until I was 18 and God never fixed me. Then I realized that perhaps there was nothing to fix.”

But Smith couldn’t escape the uneasy feelings he had. He dismissed any dreams he had of his prayers being successful.

“When I was old enough, I spent a lot of time going to gay bars to get attention and feel that I was a worthy person,” he recalls. “That validation supplied what I was missing on the inside.”

But it didn’t work well in the beginning. Somewhere along the way, Smith crossed the line and became addicted to drugs and alcohol which led to homelessness. Realizing he needed to save himself and begin a new life, he studied, got his license and began selling real estate in Texas.

“My mother loved the home and she instilled that in me,” Smith said. “In the South, home is everything. It’s not just where you live, it’s where memories are made. It’s the backdrop for your entire life.”

He brought that appreciation to his work as a Realtor. “Whenever I closed a deal on a house I would help the new owners decorate. At the age of 27, I finally bought my first house. I had to design it and I had no idea how to do it for myself, so I immersed myself in studying design. My heart started to sing. As I started to see things that resonated with me, I started to sense a connection between the things we love and how they make us feel. I started to understand the power of the home.”

After selling real estate for seven years, Smith sold his house, packed his belongings and moved to New York City to pursue his interest and to study at the New York School of Interior Design. And, as they say, the rest is history.

Smith got his first big break working as an intern for renowned interior designer Stephen Gambrel, who became his mentor. From there he moved on to start his eponymous design firm in 2012. During his first year in business he was recognized as a rising star by House Beautiful.

Having survived his own crises, Smith approaches design in a unique way, seeking, as he says, to inspire wellness, joy, and to create livable beauty spaces.

No matter what style of furniture or wall colors, his design concepts are founded on a belief that homes should be sanctuaries. For him, design has always been about more than decorating—it’s about enabling a blissful life. Smith believes beauty is a spiritual principle because it is love expressed.’

“We all spend so much time focusing on our bodies, minds and souls that we sometimes overlook the part our environment plays in all of that,” says Smith. “We need a place to get still, to get quiet, to go within. There’s a deep link between your spirit and the spaces where you dwell. It’s how we can restore, recharge and refuel so we can be the best we can be. It offers a retreat from the noise around you.”

Smith creates uniquely personal spaces and to achieve that he starts every project with a universal approach. “I present the client with 50 questions, such as favorite books, favorite hotels, fondest childhood memory, when you felt most proud of yourself. After they answer these questions I do a written analysis and present the results. ‘This is what I heard you say and who you are and what you find beautiful’ and from there we can go on to design schemes.”

Because Smith believes strongly in the connection between well being and spirituality, he is also a life coach, offering a variety of one-on-one coaching experiences and online group workshops. Topics include Spiritual Fitness, Creating Sacred Space at Home, Spiritual Reboot, Enhancing Connection to the Divine, and Guided Meditation sessions. He also offers opportunities for country retreats at his home in the Sharon. He describes it as a unique connection between design and personal development, believing that one nurtures the other.

Smith continues to extend his outreach. His client base continues to grow and he is hoping to do more work in this area, to get involved in the community.

“I am in love with Litchfield County,” Smith said, “and I want to explore helping people not only with their homes but with fulfilling their dreams and realizing their potential.”

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