Get To Know Vanessa
Flourish Interiors is owned and operated by Vanessa Cooreman Smith. Vanessa is the Principal Designer and visionary behind our South Bend, Indiana based interior design company. Get to know the designer a little more personally, via our fun interview below!
Q. Why did you become an interior designer?
A. “When I was a little girl I was enthralled by Barbies. I would play Barbies by the hour, but never even bothered with a plot: I simply would style the houses and style the Barbies’ outfits, then tear it all apart and start over. For me, the joy was in creating the fashion and the interiors. I also nurtured a love for art throughout my life, culminating in pursuing a degree in studio art at Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, IN. Once I graduated, I decided to create a career in line with my love for fashion, by starting a women’s clothing store Flourish Boutique in Granger, Indiana. I operated the boutique from 2008-2016. During that time it grew, and at our height we shipped fashion all over the US, leveraging social media to market to fashionable women outside of our local region. However, in 2016, as social media algorithms had changed and Amazon prime had come on board I felt the tides shifting in the retail world, and decided to close the store and pursue something new. That autumn I started the very initial version of Flourish Interiors, by staging for our family’s real estate company Irish Realty. That quickly escalated into doing selections, color consultations, shopping for new home buyers, staging models, and much more. My love for interior design was fueling a new and exciting opportunity. Over time this grew into a larger more traditional interior design business., with an office and warehouse, employees, complex logistics, etc. Now in 2023, we have a team of 13 employees, many of whom are fully trained and certified in Interior Design. I love how this business brings together my love for design and my family’s background in real estate.
Q. What inspires your designs?
A. “The Flourish Interiors design aesthetic is inspired by and deeply rooted in my love for French culture, design, and style. For years I collected magazine clippings, coffee table books, and more, constantly being drawn back to French homes and furniture. Even movies I loved, cuisine I favored, fashion I admired etc all had a common thread: a foundation in French style. I laugh because before I really understood my favorite inspiration, I both decided a French Martini was my favorite drink AND attended Saint Mary’s College which has a french heritage. Essentially a persistent French theme has been the undercurrent of my taste and preferences, at one time more subconsciously and now with passion and intention. In 2019, my husband Stephen and I made our first trip to Paris, France and all the pieces fell into place for me. In 2021, we purchased our own new home and began a major renovation, designed by Flourish, which you can now see on the Flourish portfolio. The French Chateau, which is what we named the Flourish project which is for my own home, is dedicated entirely to my research in and passion for French architecture and design. The color of the doors ,throughout the home, is Sherwin Williams Sleepy Blue which I personally matched to the color of the doors in the Petite Trianon at Versailles, which is one small example of how I have threaded my trips to France and my love for everything French into my design.
Q. What is your motivation?
A. I admit that I am very driven and ambitious innately. I have this unrelenting desire to create beauty in the world around me. I feel called by the Lord to pursue excellence in my design work and in the culture I create at Flourish Interiors, with a goal of helping my employees Flourish in every way possible. That said, though this is like a well inside me, I am also motivated by my children. I desire to create a legacy and example for my children that hard work is a form of worship, that the world needs visionaries and creatives, and that helping people is the ultimate calling. Specifically for my daughter, I also desire to show her that she is capable of anything and that she is free and encouraged to pursue her dreams. Finally, as I have fallen in love with Paris, France, my husband and I have made it a bucket list item to retire at least partially to France. I dream of having a pied-à-terre, from which I can spend more time in the city of lights, exploring the markets and cafes in more leisure.
Q. Why did you chose the name Flourish Interiors?
A. As I mentioned earlier, I used to own a women’s clothing store named Flourish Boutique. I feel that the word Flourish is very missional in my life. The definition of Flourish is multi faceted and can mean an extraordinary flair or an ornamental mark, or it can mean to thrive and prosper. Both when pursuing fashion, and now in pursuing interior design, this name has seemed befitting. I both aspire to create artistic designs with an extra flourish (the noun) and I hope to help my clients and my staff flourish (the verb) while doing so.
Do you prefer new construction or older homes?
A. That is a great question and the truth is I really enjoy designing in both settings. My father owns a home building company called Irish Custom Homes: and as such I frequently have the opportunity to design for model homes and his custom clients. Flourish Interiors also has a relationship with Mark Scott Homes: with MSH we help design very custom, bespoke homes along the shores of Lake Michigan. These opportunities are truly some of our favorite projects and it is fun to help dream up the ideal floor plan, spacious modern kitchens, etc. That said I absolutely do love the charm and character of older homes. I love a challenge to overcome like what we find in remodeling as well.
Q. Tell us several of your favorite things…favorite drinks, favorite movies, favorite clothing lines, favorite local restaurants, etc. Anything that comes to mind you want to share!
A.”Ohhh love this..it’s like Oprah’s picks.
Favorite beverage: Diet Coke
Favorite cocktail: French Martini
Favorite Vacation Spot: Paris
Favorite City in the US: South Bend, New Buffalo, Chicago….it’s hard to pick!
Favorite Local Dinner Spots: I love Brewster’s in New Buffalo, Farina’s Supper Club in Michigan City, Cafe Navarre in South Bend, Bin 23 in Granger, Mon Ami Gabi in Chicago, Bavette’s in Chicago, Girafe in Paris, and LouLou in Paris
Favorite Hotel in Chicago: The Waldorf Astoria (french themed of course!)
Favorite local boutiques in South Bend: Ali on the Boulevard, Pink Pineapple, Judee’s, and Vintage Charm which is now located where my old boutique was
Favorite larger brands to shop from: Tuckernuck, J.Crew, Nordstrom, Loveshack Fancy, and dream items from Chanel
Favorite Colors: Pink, Black, Gold, Light Blue, Ivory
Favorite foods: Casual food I would have to say Pizza, chips and salsa, and movie popcorn. But for a refined palette I love L’Entrecôte de Paris, Frisée Salad, and crème brulee.
Favorite pair of jeans: Good American
Favorite sports team: Notre Dame football of course!
Favorite place in the world: Le jardin des Tuileries, also known as The Tuileries Gardens by the Louvre in Paris are my favorite place to date. My husband Stephen and I have claimed a favorite bench overlooking the lower gardens. We sit in the shade, as Parisians walk by and enjoy the grounds, and talk about our children and our dreams. I envision growing old together and making our way back to that bench as time and health allow to continue dreaming and eventually that might shift to more reflecting than dreaming…but it’s poetic to us.
If you’ve enjoyed today’s interview, make sure to stay tuned as we will also be featuring some video interviews with Vanessa on Instagram over the coming weeks.