When Tiara R. Holloway-Wilkerson was younger, she would get herself into a bit of trouble by reorganizing and rearranging her parents' home while her father was out of town. From wallpapering and painting her bedroom fire-engine red and her closet door purple, Tiara was motivated to create comfortable and captivating spaces in her parents' home. "As time went on and I moved into my first home, I realized I had a gift to design and decorate my home and others," Tiara says. "Kelli Ellis noticed me from HGTV to attend Design Camp in Highpoint, NC, and 11 years later, I am blessed to be an interior designer here in Richmond, VA running two successful businesses."
Tiara created RVA Design Group to support and provide resources to fellow designers because she found it difficult to make connections when she first started in the industry. “I knew how I felt when I started my business,” Tiara explains. “I didn’t know any designers here in Richmond that I could come to and ask to be my mentor; I had no clue where to start!” After sharing her vision and being encouraged by her friend Travis Williams of Travis Pernell Interiors, Tiara connected with Jessica Myrick of J. Lynn Interiors, and RVA Design Group was born!
RVA Design Group includes interior designers, organizers, stagers, contractors, and realtors. As the group’s leader, Tiara ensures all members support one another and that everybody inside the group is growing individually. “I hear members often say they share information to help each other to grow, and that means the world to me,” Tiara says. With a team of Vice President Jessica Myrick, chairman Danielle Shackleford of Dani Designed It, and treasurer Cherelle Armistead, Tiara is proud to say the women complement one another and hold each other accountable for their roles.
Planning and attending networking events are the keys to thriving, and RVA Design Group hopes to add more members to its collaborative team. Tiara aims to expand the group outside Richmond and have the designers start their own chapters. She also plans to purchase a location for RVA Design Group and utilize it as a place for design students to have an exclusive look at the interior design industry. “We have colleges here that teach design, but they don’t show behind the scenes of interior design,” Tiara says. “This will be a safe place for inspiring designers, contractors, painters, and carpenters to learn and ask questions.”
Tiara is passionate about helping those who want to learn about interior design. “I’ve been blessed with a gift and talent, so it’s my purpose to give back by helping, guiding, teaching, and giving,” Tiara says. Currently, RVA Design Group is searching for high school and college students to shadow some of their designers. If you are a student or recent graduate, please email Tiara and her team at RVADesignerGroup@gmail.co with “Youth Give-Back Interior Design” in the subject line.
To learn more about RVA Design Group, visit: rvadesigngroup.com
Tiara R Holloway-Wilkerson
Tiara is a licensed interior designer devoted to interior styling. For the past decade, she has immersed herself in the industry while creating her own company, Vivacious Interior by Tiara. Tiara and her company specialize in design services for residential and commercial spaces.
