about me
inspiration
My fascination with architecture and design began when I was six. My mom, Linda Rich Stisser, was a freelance interior designer and, rather than reading “Goodnight Moon” to me, we looked at wallpaper books together.
She eventually went to work full-time for a design firm in St. Louis where I learned about more than just wallpaper. I accompanied her on many of her projects and watched firsthand as she brought her vibrant design ideas to life. Sadly, my mom lost her battle with cancer my sophomore year of college, but her passion to better people’s lives through design continues to be my inspiration.
EDUCATION
I attended William and Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. I grew in my knowledge and appreciation for architecture and design as I walked the colonial streets of our original capital. I also studied in Italy and England and immersed myself in the architectural diversity of Europe.
Learning new things is one of my favorite hobbies, which is why I chose a liberal arts school for my education. I delved into philosophy, art history, foreign languages, the study of classical music, religious studies, and psychology. What fascinated me most was the study of human behavior.
Why do we as people do what we do? What motivates us to make the choices we make? These questions provoked me to develop my “psychology of design.”
Launching into adulthood gave me the opportunity to begin a family and test my design theories inside my own home.
family
After graduating college, I signed up for a year of service to live in a residential home for wayward teens. It was there I met Craig- no, he was not one of the wayward teens. He was different than the person I envisioned myself marrying- he was goofier, sillier, more humble, and more consistently joyful than I thought was humanly possible. He was exactly what I needed and more. 31+ years and five children later we are still laughing and playing together. We have been at Pine Cove Camps in Tyler, Texas, for 27 of those years and feel grateful to be a part of changing lives through that ministry.
Five little people proved to be quite time-consuming, so my career consisted primarily of learning how to manage my team of 7. I learned quickly that a family is really just a small business.
What makes a family great is creating a healthy culture where everyone thrives and feels free to contribute. It involves practicing communication skills where everyone feels valued and heard. It requires conflict resolution and sometimes eating crow-which tastes best fresh, so I hear (ask Craig about that one). There was never a season where I was not helping others design their homes, but it was during this season of raising a family that I practiced and tweaked my philosophy of design. Learning firsthand how much the flow of a home and the arrangement of space either helps you be the mom you desire to be or hinders you in that journey became crystal clear to me.
My Design journey
I am a creative brain. I cannot stop myself from rearranging the furniture in a hotel room because I think it will make my stay more enjoyable (embarrassing, I know). To my husband’s dismay, my think-outside-the-box brain does not have an off switch. I have twenty new ideas a day I think will improve people’s lives. However, when one of those brilliant ideas involves rearranging our kitchen utensils, my family goes a little crazy. After launching three of my five people out into the world, I realized my team was dwindling. I took the plunge and launched Carrie Lang Designs in 2015.
When it comes to design in the 21st century, lots of people think it’s as simple as copying a look they find on Pinterest. While that may assist you in your aesthetic pursuits, it will not produce meaningful spaces which help your family thrive.
I begin my design process by asking questions about things that may seem completely unrelated to the design of your space. I want to know you. I want to learn how your brain works and how you do life and family. This is my favorite part of my work, figuring out why you do what you do, what your goals are, and how the flow of your home can help you achieve those goals. I am your advocate and your advisor, not just for designing your home, but for you as an individual. I want to help you know yourself better and where your pain points are in life. Oftentimes, those can be minimized through intentional design.
Interior design is not limited to making our homes beautiful. Regardless of size or location, the spaces we live in impact how we live. My motivation is to come alongside families helping them create spaces that empower them to be better and live better. Better moms. Better dads. Better neighbors. Better friends.