Trinity Talks: Meet Amber Malloy, Interior Designer

April 13, 2022

Originally from Washington Court House, Ohio, Amber Malloy is an avid backpacker and travel enthusiast, whose travels have taken her and her dad everywhere from the Rocky Mountains to the Appalachian Trail. We are lucky Amber has been with the team as our Interior Designer since 2005 and can’t say enough about her incredible work!

We interviewed Amber to learn a little bit more about her background, what inspires her, and her job here at Trinity Homes.

How did you initially get into design?

I moved to Columbus to kick off my Freshman year at Ohio State University and I’ve been here ever since. My initial interest was Early Childhood Development with the plan to pursue Elementary Education. With a minor in Interior Design, I quickly realized that my love for design outweighed my desire to teach so I changed gears and followed my passion.

Tell us about your role with Trinity Homes.

I meet with our new Buyers to make selections for their future home. We start on the outside, selecting colors for the exterior materials, moving to the inside – the fun part! Starting with reviewing the kitchen and bathroom cabinet layouts. Many customers choose to add bells and whistles to their kitchens so we have fun playing with the modification options. We choose countertops, backsplashes, flooring – we offer a great selection of LVT, laminate, engineered and solid wood. I have some really fantastic tile options for both floors and walls along with five levels of carpet and four padding options. We review paint colors, plumbing fixtures and shower doors, making sure everything we’re putting together coordinates and feels good to the customer.

What do you like best about working for Trinity Homes?

I love designing all of the model homes! It’s been a dream.

I start the process just like I would with a customer, selecting exterior colors, cabinets, backsplash, countertops, floor and wall tile, paint colors, plumbing fixtures, light fixtures and then I wait… Once the house goes into drywall, I meet with my draperies gal and select window treatments. I start planning for furniture, scaling out the rooms and deciding what to buy to furnish and accessorize each room. And then I shop! Which sounds super fun but it’s SO much work! When you love what you do though, it doesn’t feel like work. I consider myself very lucky!

I also really love working with customers. Especially people who have fun with the process and are open to suggestions. It’s great to pull together different samples, playing with colors and suggesting combinations of materials that may not have even been on the radar. It’s so rewarding when I get a note from a customer after a meeting about how great of an experience they had in the Design Center. I keep in touch with so many of our Homeowners and that’s been one of the greatest things about the job. I have one customer who I met my first week with Trinity who still sends me a Christmas card every year. The relationships can sometimes make the experience. Building a new home is a huge investment and it’s important to me for our customers to know that I’m here as a support to them not only during the Design Center meetings but throughout the build process.

What are some of your favorite projects with Trinity Homes and why?

To this day, the 2017 Parade of Homes still holds a special place in my heart. I think it’s because it’s the first big solo project that I was tasked with. I appreciated all of the support I got from within the company and I’ll always be grateful for that experience. It was wonderful, from beginning to end.

Where do you get your design inspiration?

I don’t necessarily have a specific spot where I go for inspiration, although I do love beautiful design books and photos of architecture. I’m attracted to colors, patterns and textures and I just play around with different materials until the project feels good and it feels like a beautiful space that I could see myself wanting to spend time in. I love putting antiques and modern pieces together. I’m a perfectionist so I spend a lot of time choosing just the right combination of pieces to tell the story of my design style.

How do you describe your design style?

Eclectic, colorful, bold, thoughtful, smart. Smart design is important. For myself, it’s important not to fall into a trap of following a trend. One thing about my design style that I’m proud of, is that I’m not afraid to take risks and step away from the norm. There are endless options to choose from when making selections but I have to keep in mind that I’m not designing my own home.

When I design for model homes, I have to remind myself that I need to somewhat ‘appeal to the masses’ while staying true to myself and my design style. Models are fun because it’s an opportunity to showcase finishes that people may be wary of pairing together but once they are able to see the finished product, they see that things you may never think would work together, actually do and they look great! No risk, no reward. It’s such a great compliment when I meet with a customer and they ask to duplicate something they’ve seen in a model.

What interior design advice/tips would you give to others?

Don’t be afraid to try things. Just because something shows up on HGTV doesn’t mean it has to be your style. Do what you like, mix things, move things – it could be that you already have everything you need to completely revamp your interior. Once in a while, when I’m feeling restless and looking for a change in décor, I’ll take all of my stuff, put it in the middle of the room and just move everything around. You can totally change the entire look of your home by just rearranging. With a small budget, you can even add to your collection of décor by simply buying some new window treatments, bedding, pillows, a different paint color or a great new light fixture. You don’t have to break the bank to update your style.

What is your biggest interior design pet peeve?

Pictures hung too high, catty cornered anything and design that doesn’t make sense. I want to look at something and understand its purpose and why it belongs.

What are you currently listening to, reading, and watching?

I’m a reality TV junkie. I also can’t get enough of True Crime. Of course, I like my HGTV shows – Rock the Block and Windy City Rehab. I have a subscription to Old Home Journal. It’s such a great resource for home renovation projects and beautiful, classic design. I’m into tarot cards and read a lot about astrology and the zodiac.

What is your favorite local hangout?

Home. Being surrounded with everything I love is the best place to be. That and any Mexican restaurant.

What is your motto or words to live by?

On my first day of Kindergarten, I remember sitting on the front stoop with my Mom, waiting for the school bus and she grabbed my cheeks, looked me in the eye and said, ‘Remember, you never get a second chance to make a first impression.’ I’ve carried that little piece of advice in my back pocket ever since. There’s nothing better than advice from my Mom, except for maybe her hugs.

Tell us about your family and how you enjoy spending your time outside of work.

I have such an amazing, supportive family! They have really shown me what they’re about this past year and a half. In December of 2020, I closed on an old home built in 1892. For the past sixteen months, I’ve been renovating and bringing the old girl back to life and restoring her back to her original glory by choosing finishes true to the time period of the home. It’s been the project of a lifetime and designing my own home has been almost surreal and a dream come true! I mean, who gets to do this?!

I couldn’t have done any of it without my amazing support system. And my Mom. I can’t say enough wonderful things about her. She’s my very best friend and has always been my biggest fan, behind me every step of the way, encouraging me and never letting me give up on myself.

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