Monarch Lane Interiors
Nashville, TN

“The first time I designed a kitchen, I was hooked,” says Alyssa Weardon, who in just two short years since earning her bachelor’s degree in Interior Design from Tennessee’s O’More College of Architecture and Design at Belmont University has been promoted from Assistant Designer to Associate Designer to Lead Designer at Nashville-based Monarch Lane Interiors. Having honed her ability to problem solve as president of her campus’s International Interior Design Association (IIDA), Alyssa brought stellar organizational skills to Monarch Lane, where she supports the team with project management, design concept and development, material sourcing, communicating with vendors and clients, and creating CAD drawings. She also recently took on responsibility for the firm’s social media content.

“I love many aspects of my job, but my favorite has to be curating a concept design for our clients. I love hearing bits and pieces of what a client wants and putting it all together in a cohesive design.”

Alyssa describes herself as “thoughtful” and her design style as “eclectic,” but admits she loves mid-century modern for its ability to “improve daily life through making simple things beautiful.” Given her creative persona—“art is her outlet” and she has drawn and painted since childhood—it’s hardly surprising that her own personal design style favors drama. “It’s full of contrast, texture and light, very minimal but highlighting the fine details,” she says. Her favorite project to date, however, was designing an office for a client who turned his drug addiction into helping others with their own addictions. “Hearing him say ‘You nailed it’—that was the most memorable for me,” she recalls. 

When she isn’t working, you’ll find Alyssa and her chocolate Lab, Findley, sitting on her back porch painting or outside exploring everything from waterfall trails to wineries. She traveled the U.S. extensively with her family while growing up and admits she has a soft spot for San Antonio. “The architecture of this city wrapping around the river was so inspiring,” she says. Back in Tennessee, Alyssa hopes to create her own inspired surroundings. “It’s always been a dream of mine,” she says, “to design my own home from the ground up.”