Jennifer Scales-Stewart is out to destroy myths about interior designers. “A lot of people think that we are just picking out furniture,” she says. “There’s a lot more involved.” Owner of Y Factor Studio, she describes interior design as being like architecture, with every piece carefully plotted out and placed.
Scales-Stewart opened Y Factor Studio in 2008 in Newburgh, Ind. After a fire damaged the studio, she decided to look for a new location, which she found in Downtown Evansville at 207 Main St. “My eyes lit up when I saw it,” she says of the building. With its main floor vacant since 1997, the space was in need of serious renovation in order to work for her purposes, but Scales-Stewart saw potential and purchased the building in April 2011. More than a year later, the new Y Factor Studio is open for business.
With first impressions, Scales-Stewart believes interior design is of great importance. “The image of the building states a lot about the person occupying the space,” she says. Y Factor Studio’s design statement could be described as tastefully eclectic. With pieces ranging from bright-colored column lights to bold orange acrylic chairs, the studio reflects the company’s diverse aesthetic vision.
Scales-Stewart knows her clients are busy, so she works hard to lighten their load. Working with various furniture dealers, she creates competitive bid packages to get the best available prices. If clients have trouble determining their design vision, Scales-Stewart and her designers may have them look over a series of pictures, pointing out what they like and dislike.
When asked about the “Y” in Y Factor Studio, Scales-Stewart says it’s all about asking clients the right questions. “We have some of the best designers in town,” she says. “We travel to see what some of the newest trends are. We’re personally keeping our designers educated on what is available.”
Y Factor Studio will be having an official grand opening celebration on Nov. 2 from 3-8 p.m. In addition to their standard interior design services, from now until the first week of December the studio will be offering a Christmas Design Service Package, where designers will decorate offices, or even homes, for the upcoming holidays. Visit www.yfactorstudio.com for more information.
