This as-told-to story is based on a conversation with Abigail Morris, founder of Chicago-based full-service interior design studio Abigail Morris Interiors. In 2022, Morris started her interior design business on the side, building it as she continued her full-time career in corporate tech. After being laid off at the end of 2024, Morris went all-in on her business. The piece has been edited for length and clarity.
I’ve been doing interior design in some form or other my entire life without really realizing it. Mostly in giving unsolicited advice growing up — I always had strong opinions on colors and fabrics and things like that. But it wasn’t until much later that I realized I could pursue it as a career, which sounds silly. My family, with the best of intentions, encouraged me to go to business school and start a career that felt safe. So I worked in corporate tech for about 10 years.
Then, like many people during the pandemic, I had time to reevaluate. Am I really happy with what I’m doing? What’s next for me? I decided to follow that original passion for design. It felt like a now or never moment. So I took interior design classes at The Art Institute of Chicago. I got a certificate there, then started an interior design Instagram. I wanted people to know I was open for business. But I continued working full-time in corporate tech because I was still a little afraid to go all-in. I had a very comfortable job; I had the golden handcuffs .
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