Karen Carter-Parks
Interior Designer/Consultant — Baltimore, MD
About
The arts, creativity and my passion for architectural elements influenced my decision to study interior design at The Art Institute of Atlanta. My studies in interior design solidified my passion to work in the industry. I have worked for full-service design firms, architects and in commercial contract furniture. Most recently, I founded Interiors-Xtc. and I partner with clients to create environmentally friendly, functional, and aesthetically pleasing residential and/or commercial spaces.
- Experience:
- 6 years
- Education:
- The Art Institute of Atlanta
- Affiliations:
- ASID
- Awards:
- Graduated with honors
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Resumé
Karen Carter-Parks
Owner/Interior Design Consultant
Interiors-Xtc.
202-246-6227
SUMMARY OF QUALIFICATIONS
• project planning and coordination, multi-tasked oriented, time management, and excellent follow-up skills
• formal verbal and visual presentation techniques with ArchiCAD, AutoCAD 2007, MS PowerPoint, 20/20 Technologies GIZA
• space planning for residential and commercial design applications
• MS PowerPoint, Word, Excel, AutoCAD2007, and freehand architectural drafting skills in plan, elevation and construction; finishing and materials boards creation; 3-D model development
EXPERIENCE
Interiors-Xtc., Baltimore, MD
Interior Design Consultant, February 2010 – Present. Full service interior design to include space planning, furniture, fabrics, color coordination, kitchen and bath design, flooring, measurements, materials and finishes, and floor plan drafting for residential spaces.
MDM Office Systems/Standard Business Furniture, Washington, D.C. and Hyattsville, MD
Designer/Sales Associate, September 2008 – February 2010. Office furniture salesperson to commercial, Prince George’s County government agencies, designated “House Accounts”, other opportunities referred by the furniture operations manager or as identified by me. The designer role encompassed utilizing 20/20 Technologies Giza software in space planning and creating office floor plans sales opportunities with the optimum design and manufacturing product to mees the client’s needs, requirements and budget. Management of an account included: site visits, measurements, research of furniture, specs, fabrics, finishes and functionality to ensure client needs were met, along with quoting and negotiating price to ensure profitable margins. Close interaction, coordination and management of design with manufacturer designer and/or sales representative were required for larger sales opportunities during the sales initiative.
Bethel Design Construct, Beltsville, MD
Interior Design Consultant, January 2008 – August 2008. Functioned as the liaison between the client and kitchen and lighting designer in executive design concepts by coordinating selections of cabinetry, appliances, lighting for custom built homes and/or commercial spaces. Responsibilities included selections and presentations of bath plumbing fixtures and accessories, while maintaining costs within an allowance budget and/or communicating upgrade costs to the client. Requirements also entailed countertop and floor finish materials selections as granite, hardwood, tile and presentations to the clients, along with paint color coordination for custom built homes. Prepared specifications, requested quotes and ordered all interior items for the home. Coordinated with the sub-contractors installation of plumbing rough-in, bath fixtures, accessories, light fixtures, flooring and the HVAC contractor as it related to venting kitchen exhaust and any other interior related installations. Responsible for ADA accessibility i.e. ensuring appropriate blocking in the walls during the construction framing stage to accommodate bathroom grab bars. Utilized AutoDesk Architectural Desktop 2006 to reference architectural drawings and/or create elevations for design concepts, finish schedules, and other areas as required in completing the interiors. Temporary assignment during interior design selection and installation phase of the client’s contract.
Partners In Planning, Alexandria, VA
Interior Designer, May 2007 – May 2008. Consultant and freelance interior design drafting, and other aspects of interior design as FF&E, color, fabrics for commercial assisted living spaces and nursing homes. ADA, and code considerations also required for all space planning, and drafting.
About Interiors, Beltsville, MD
Interior Designer, November 2005 – July 2007. Lead interior designer and/or managed within a team environment residential and commercial projects. Projects consisted of all aspects of interior design from consultations, millwork, construction supervision, space planning, fabrics, furnishings, color, lighting, flooring, measurements, finishes and floor plan drafting for residential and commercial spaces utilizing ArchiCAD and AutoCAD2007.
