Meet Chloe Pettigrew | Interior Design Student

We had the good fortune of connecting with Chloe Pettigrew and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Chloe, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Being creative has been a relatively new path in my life. Growing up I was pushed into a more athletic path, where I wasn’t encouraged to push my creativity, finding myself believing that I was just not the creative type. In my late teens, the pressure of choosing a career was starting to worsen, and the fear that I had been holding onto around my future only seemed to be getting more intense. Turning to art was the only way I knew how to cope with this uncertainty. Interior design specifically came really organically in this journey. In connecting to my creative side and letting myself be guided by a more childlike instinct, I rediscovered a passion for interiors and architecture. There is rigidity in creating interiors that I find comfort in. I’ve always had a deep connection to the spaces around me, and I wanted to make other people feel spaces in the same way that I do.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My work is incredibly user and experience-focused. Currently, I am working on a hypothetical restaurant in which guests are foraging the ingredients that will be in the meal they will be served. The idea is that we can connect to our surroundings through interior design. I am definitely really excited about this project coming together, especially as a stepping stone towards future endeavors. Since I am still a student, I have so much room to explore concepts that are not viable in the real world. At such an early point in my career, my main focus is pushing myself to create spaces that change how I define restaurants, homes, or retail. I’m working towards creating a brand that is recognized as encouraging changing our built environment.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
A non-negotiable for me is Sunny Blue on Main Street. I have been going for years and it is such an easy spot, and then walking around Main Street is also really fun. I recently went to MOCA downtown and their collection was incredible, I would love to show the art scene in LA to someone who isn’t familiar. If the dates align, hitting the Rosebowl flea at 7 a.m. is such a right of passage and I think that the drive through Pasadena is so quintessential LA with the old homes that it’s a must-see. Hiking is also one of my favorite LA activities, and the one behind malibu seafood is pretty easy and the view is awesome.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My parents deserve all the credit in the world. They are two of the most supportive and understanding people I have ever met, I would never have had the courage to pursue a creative career without their help.

Website: chloepettigrewdesign.com

Instagram: claholy

Image Credits
all images are my own