People often ask me, "how long have you been practicing Interior Design?" And my response is "If you ask my parents...since I was about five"

It all started with Tree House...My dad said he would build me a tree house in the backyard and the wheels started turning...I remember thinking, planning and drawing up what I wanted this to be. At 40 I still feel like that kid who knew that if you could imagine it you can make it happen. This tree house was also my first experience of understanding budget and practicality...Although I didn't end up with an elevator and running water I could still pretend making it a reality. The elevator and running water came a few decades later. But they were still a part of the big plan.

When initially developing a new project I try to get my clients to think like that five year old with all of the possibilities at their fingertips. Lay the whole thing out on the table then prioritize, decide and edit...This process helps de
fine what is important to us and what we really need.

Each new project represents new possibilities driven by past experiences.

I love how I feel when I really click with a client...each time I walk away with a sense fulfillment and accomplishment

With every project there are obstacles to overcome...My primary job is to come up with the Solutions.

What about education?

Although I graduated with a bachelors of Fine Arts from Iowa State, my primary education began the first day I stepped into real world of Interior design. I was 19 years old when I got a summer job working as an intern in a small design studio in Colorado Springs. There were three designers sharing this design studio and I had the opportunity to work with all of them observing their design process and business practices.

My big break was when I landed a Job working for Richard Himmel in Chicago. Mr. Himmel was a world renound designer and best selling author. This Job opportunity gave me a glimpse into a world that I knew existed but didn't know how to get there and then all of a sudden I was there and felt like I was right where I was supposed to be.

Three years out of college in 1994 with one faithful client I began Tony Torres Interiors. Since then, that one client has turned into 0Ahundreds of clients and out of those hundreds of clients I have built an extended family of wonderful friends.

I have realized that there are enough good clients in the world who value and trust what I do for them who sustain me...And for those who don't I simply show them the door and wish them well.

What is my biggest fear?

Letting someone down because I missed something important in the listening exercise or I had too many demands placed upon me where I couldn't make something happen fast enough.

What is my greatest strength:

Having the common sense to hire good people who help me make things happen.