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bjbj Interior Design Tampa Natalie Scott Everyday Success Ron Laker: Hello and welcome to Everyday
Success. I m your host, Ron Laker, and we ve had many great guests in the studio of
NCS-TV, but today we have a very special guest. We have Natalie Scott, from Natalie Scott
s Designs, who searches the world, brings unique one of a kind artisans together with
people who are looking for that unique piece of furniture to express themselves in their
home. We re glad to have Natalie with us today and we re going to learn an awful lot about
what she does and how she delivers success to you. Natalie, welcome to the show. Natalie
Scott: Thank you, it s my pleasure. Ron: Okay. Natalie, tell us a little bit about Natalie
Scott s Designs, and most importantly how you got started. Natalie: I got started a
few years back when I was asked to do a home in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. I traveled the
country, met a lot of artisans, custom designed the furniture for that home, and hence the
collection was born. I thought, why not bring this collection to other interior designers,
other trades people as well as the end user. Ron: So now you ve gone out and you ve sourced
and found other artisans, not only in Mexico, but throughout the world. Tell us a little
bit about that. Natalie: Absolutely. I was fortunate enough to be invited to India with
some friends from Tampa, and they actually invited me to a Bollywood wedding. That was
a lot of fun. So after the wedding I toured the country from Rajastan down to the south
of India and have met other artisans and that s where I was turned on to the art of handicraft.
Ron: Now I ve seen some of the cactus collection that you have, and it s most the unique piece
of furniture that I ve ever seen. And it s just beautiful, and it s functional. Tell
me a little bit about this. Natalie: Okay. The cactus tree trunk collection has been
very successful for us. It looks similar to driftwood, but upon deeper inspection you
can see is so much more unique and beautiful. The cactus comes from fallen ancient trees.
It looks petrified, but it s not. They strip the skin, they take the thorns off, and they
actually bleach it to give it that beautiful light, light, white tan color. It s very durable.
It can be used indoors or out. We make coffee tables, dining tables, console tables, out
of the cactus tree stuff. Ron: That is the most warmest piece of furniture that I ve
seen. It s just absolutely wonderful. Now you also have a unique approach where you
can create with a designer a one of a kind customized piece of furniture, literally from
as you say, if you can dream it, we can create it. Tell us a little bit about that. Natalie:
Yes, thank you. That s actually one of our signature services that Natalie Scott Designs
offers. Many times interior designers are looking for something that they can t find
it, or they can t find the right size, or the right finish, or the right color. They
ll come to our firm and we will find the right artisan for their need. And then if need be,
we can provide sketches and CAD detail drawings, or they can provide their own. And we ll have
their piece made specifically for their client. And the beauty of it is many times we save
them a lot of money, which helps the design community make money. Ron: And they get to
participate in the process too, don t they? Natalie: Absolutely. They get to watch their
piece unfold. Our artisans actually take photographs of their piece in production, and we will
send them updates on their piece. They ll always receive a final photograph before the
piece is wrapped and shipped. That s one of the concerns people have with custom furniture,
they re afraid of what am I really going to get. This way they can see it before it ships.
Ron: Now the design industry like all businesses over the last few years has made a major shift.
Tell us a little bit about how you help those designers be successful. Natalie: Well the
major shift is as we know, the world has gotten smaller. Their client is able to go on the
internet and find just about anything and everything that an interior designer can show
them. In the old days, designers had access to things that nobody else had access to.
Unfortunately that s changed. So with the Natalie Scott Collection they re going to
be providing something to their client that they can t find anywhere else. Ron: And you
have a personal relationship with these artisans. Tell us a little bit about the process, some
unique stories that you have. Natalie: Well when you work especially outside of the country,
now we are working with artisans in the country, but when you work outside of the country,
it s a different world, it s a different way of doing business. Many times they won t do
business with me until we establish a friendship. Most of the artisans if not all I have been
a guest in their home, I ve had dinner at their table, and once they feel comfortable
with me, they in a way, are kind of vetting me to work with them, and vice versa. Then
once this level of respect and this mutual relationship is established, that s how I
can guarantee that you re going to get what you asked for, you re going to get it on time,
and you re going to get it. Ron: A lot of these artisans are multi-generation artist,
and their great-great-great grandfather was a commissioned painter, a commissioned sculptor
at some point, supported by the local business community, the local royalty or the aristocracy.
Tell us a little bit about that change and what drew you into that market, if you will.
Natalie: Yeah. What I think was exciting for me was to see generational artisans. A lot
of the artists I work with, it s a family endeavor. You ve got the maestro, and then
you ve got aunts, uncles, children, their form of working has been passed down. What
excited me was to work with these generational artisans and seeing their way of living and
their way of life continue. It s really like keeping these ways of working alive. And that
s even happening with the master craftsmen in the United States. I m working with a master
craftsman studio right now in this country that is trying to educate these master craftsmen
onto the business. So the Natalie Scott Collection is kind of providing a business marketing
service for designers. Many times the artist either they don t want to, or they don t know
how to market themselves. And the Natalie Scott Collection does that for them. Ron:
And unless somebody wants to go through the jungles of Borneo or the slums of India or
someplace they contact you, huh? Natalie: Exactly. And believe me, I have had some stories
of traveling nine hours outside of the middle of any form of civilization. It s a little
scary now and then, but it s exciting. Ron: That s great, that s great. Well, if people
would like to get more information about the Natalie Scott Designs or what s happening
in the future or where your travels take you next, then what pieces of beautiful art that
you re going to bring home, how do they get in touch with you? Natalie: Well they can
visit HYPERLINK "http://NatalieScottDesigns.com" NatalieScottDesigns.com . They can call me.
I m always open for a conversation, and they can follow us on social media. Ron: Okay,
very great. Natalie, thank you very much. I m so glad that you ve been on the show and
if you want a piece of furniture, unique furniture that completely expresses who you are, what
you are, and why you are, go to Natalie Scott Designs. Let her help you find that piece
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