From Personal Loss to Design Leadership: The Creative Journey of Living Inspired Interiors
From Personal Loss to Design Leadership: The Creative Journey of Living Inspired Interiors. Tanya Solomon’s path into interior design is rooted in both passion and resilience. After enrolling at Inscape College to study design, she paused when her brother was severely injured in a motorcycle accident. Balancing caregiving with freelance renovation work, Tanya never lost touch with her creative calling. Post-Covid she returned to design under her own brand, Living Inspired Interiors, emerging from personal hardship with a renewed purpose in architecture and decor.
Designing with Soul and African Sensibility
Tanya approaches interiors as stories, spaces that should evoke emotion and well-being. Her work emphasizes mindful design: serene palettes, functional elegance, and sustainability. A strong advocate for African aesthetics, she often incorporates local craftsmanship, earthy tones, and cultural motifs. Each project is personalized, balancing form with emotional purpose.
Visibility Built Through Community and Credentials
Shaders of recognition have helped elevate the brand. Tanya was featured in the Women in Design showcase at Decorex Africa 2025. She also curated a celebratory evening with artist Nelson Makamo, highlighting the power of collaboration and creative curation. These high-profile moments raised Living Inspired Interiors’ visibility among design-conscious South Africans.
Tailored Services Rooted in Intentionality
Living Inspired Interiors provides more than decoration, it designs spaces to support well-being. The studio offers full residential and commercial revamps, interior architecture, bespoke decor, and an online store for curated design pieces. Whether offering multifunctional layouts, wellness-driven design, or African texture, their signature is spaces that resonate with personal narrative and intention.
Education and Empathy as Creative Fuel
Having paused her formal studies for family, Tanya compensated by creating real-world impact through client services and community events. Her empathy shines through in design, intuitive spaces that support productivity, rest, and emotional growth. Beyond aesthetics, she designs for emotional experience.
Achieving Recognition Through Experience
Curating an intimate Makamo exhibition launch and being featured in design publications like SA Decor & Design correlated with project inquiries. Whether through online features or collaborations, every milestone built credibility and reinforced Living Inspired Interiors’ identity as purposeful, elevated, yet accessible design.
Local Art, Global Vision
Central to Tanya’s brand is the integration of African artistry. The firm’s curated online collection showcases quality-crafted décor from local and global suppliers, blurring boundaries between home design and fine art. This positioning invites clients to bring artful, authentic stories into their everyday environments.
Scaling with Standards, Not Size
Living Inspired Interiors grows primarily through exceptional project outcomes and client word-of-mouth rather than aggressive expansion. Recent signature projects include residences in Morningside, Athol, Dainfern, Waterfall, and the Houghton area. While her footprint extends geographically, she remains design-centered and purpose-driven.
Lessons for Creative Entrepreneurs
- Adversity can birth creativity: Tanya stepped back from her studies to care for family, returning stronger and more aligned with her creative purpose.
- Make design about emotion: Interiors become memorable when they respond to how clients live and feel, not just aesthetics.
- Showcase your values through projects: From artful collaborations to living with wellness, each project reflects the brand’s identity.
- Use visibility strategically: Features in design showcases and media spark credibility and bring in high-intent clients.
- Build, don’t burn: Growth through reputation and craft ensures longevity over flash.
- Elevate local culture: Integrating African artistry in modern interiors makes spaces richer and more personal.
Living Inspired Interiors continues to define success on its own terms, through thoughtful design, personal storytelling, and cultural authenticity. Tanya Solomon’s journey demonstrates that powerful design begins with human experience, grows with integrity, and connects by design. Her story is a blueprint for design-led entrepreneurs wanting to build business with beauty, purpose, and depth.
