Sitting down and having a conversation with Marcelle Guilbeau is like entering a Zen garden. Layer by layer, the stresses and strains that may have led you to seek her expertise, begin to fall away and revel the best part of the space you want to transform, your lifestyle. Through the use of natural elements like deep rich woods and cool calming stones, Marcelle skillfully creates artful designs that are functional yet beautiful. When asked to describe her style, she says, “relaxed elegance with natural elements.”
A native of Louisiana and graduate of Watkins College of Art, Design & Film, Marcelle began her career as an interior designer with a firm in Nashville, designing decors for large office buildings, court houses, dormitories, and hospitals. Feeling as if she’d outgrown her space, she was left with two choices, to either move to New York and join a larger firm or go out on her own. She chose the latter. Though never doubting her ability to design, she did have reservations about becoming a business owner. However, with the support and encouragement of her husband, David Baird, the lead designer for the Country Music Hall of Fame and the winner of several international and national awards for architecture and product design, she took a leap of faith. Now, as a husband and wife team, they are creating functional, sustainable spaces all over Nashville and the surrounding areas.
Marcelle’s success lies in to her ability to unearth her client’s needs and deliver solutions that help them ‘find their cool.’ She also works with a great team. To her credit, Marcelle’s designs have been featured in Nashville Lifestyles Magazine, Apartment Therapy, and Shades of Green Tennessee. Most recently, she was featured in Best of Houzz 2013. She’s been asked to curate a sale for Joss & Main and her designs have even been seen in a popular country music star’s music video.
While enjoying where she is now, in five years, Marcelle has her sights set on designing LEED Platinum custom houses, from the foundation up. She has accreditation through NCIDQ (National Council for Interior Designers Qualification) and LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) and has plans on using her skills to showcase her commitment to sustainable design.
When asked what she would share with other women in business just starting out, her message was one of endurance. “Don’t quit,” she says, “…even after you’ve been through a few rounds…there is plenty of room at the top.”
What’s she reading? ‘The Sensual Home’ by Ilse Crawford. One of her favorite pastimes…blogging! She even went to California to learn how!
Marcelle Guilbeau
Interior Designer, NCIDQ, LEED-AP
Connect with Marcelle | LinkedIn | Facebook | Twitter
By: Jacqueline Hayes, Owner of Crayons & Marketers, LLC