Doctor turns love for décor into thriving business
Published:Saturday | February 26, 2022 | 12:07 AMSade Gardner/Staff Reporter
Simone Green is a medical doctor who is also able to bring your daydreams of romantic picnics in the hills, Mediterranean-themed brunches, and even high teas into reality.
The general practitioner said she has always had a passion for décor, often immersing herself in the furnishing aesthetics and arrangements on Pinterest. When one of her closest friends shared news of her pregnancy in 2020, it was a no-brainer for Green to orchestrate the baby shower.
“We sat for hours, going through every detail of her vision and battling between different themes for the occasion,” she told The Gleaner. “I loved bringing her vision to life, so much so that when my other friends announced their pregnancies, I wanted to be able to do the same for them. My passion for event décor only grew further from here.”
The venture also proved to be a creative outlet for Green while manoeuvring the stress in the medical field brought on by the pandemic. By 2021, she was convicted to pursue décor professionally and launched simstylesit on her birthday in March.
“I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to start my small business in a pandemic and have it be as successful as it has been,” she said. “Prior to switching to private practice, I was only able to accommodate one to two events per month. However, thankfully one of the benefits of private practice is more free time which I intend to dedicate to my business and be able to take on more events per month. So far, business has been really good; I’ve definitely been kept busy.”
A distinguishing feature of her brand is curating upscale experiences on a budget, something she felt was lacking in the event décor space.
“In the past, when planning birthday celebrations, I have always found that my particular taste tends to be rather expensive,” she said. “Having had this experience, I knew that I wanted to be able to offer quality décor and create this space for people to enjoy without having to break the bank.”
Be it tablescapes, dinners, launches, or some other affair, her creative style is a marriage between her own flair and her client’s vision. Inspirational photos accelerate the process.
“If inspo photos are not included, I tend to start the planning process by determining the [preferred] colour scheme and theme for the event,” she said. “These are definitely two crucial factors that I want to have clear before starting the envisioning process. The next time would be to get pictures of the venue or do a site visit. Once the colour scheme, theme and location are decided, I start the process of collaborating with local vendors to create the vision.”
As for her own vision, she shared: “I would love to expand simstylesit to provide wedding décor, product styling, and partner with luxury hotels across Jamaica to provide tablescapes and themed parties.”
Contact Green via Instagram @simstylesit or email simstylesit@gmail.com.