Photograph, Naples Illustrated, Dean Farris Interior DesignMy life has been devoted to interior design. I first started out, age 17, helping a friend of the family with their home in South Carolina, and before that, I was very much inspired by a house in Charlotte, North Carolina. My parents indulged me, and sent me to design school in Atlanta, and then on the grand tour, to Europe. After working in Washington D.C. for a couple of years, I went back to school, to the Fashion Institute in New York, for three years...and then worked for top NYC designers for over ten years. I also opened my own design studio, in Winston-Salem, NC in 1986, and have had those clients ever since. So, I am happy to say that I'm now celebrating 25 years in business. My career has definitely had its ups and downs, and I have worked hard. For the last 16 years, I've been living year round in Naples, and enjoyed it very much, although I'd be lying if I said I don't sometimes miss the big city. Naples has a way of seducing one with its quiet elegance, and I have succumbed to it. It's become like the Monaco of America, and if you lived here as I do, you'd see what I mean by that. I'm looking forward to my next 25 years, with much positive anticipation! Enjoy! DF *****
