Name: Amanda Bock

Business: Amanda Bock Design

Instagram: @amandabockdesign

Designer Who Inspires Me: Emily Henderson

It was during the lockdowns caused by the coronavirus pandemic that Amanda Bock decided it was finally time to pursue her passion for interior design.

“I had done some Ad Hoc design for friends before,” she says. “During COVID, I don’t know, something just said to me, it’s time to do it. And I’ve been running full speed and haven’t looked back.”

A 2005 graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology with a degree in interior design, she founded Amanda Bock Design a little more than a year ago.

“I studied interior design and then after that, I went down a different career path,” she says. “With COVID and everything else, that was probably one of the impetuses that made me want to actually start this.”

When she’s not working her other job as a product manager at RealPage Inc., she says she enjoys helping clients create homes that reflect their personality. 

“I’m tailored more toward families 一 I really have a focus for spaces that are comfortable and you actually want to live in, not just spaces that would just look good in a magazine,” Bock says. “I fit best with people who are trying to kind of level up in their life 一 so usually that means they’ve had kids and they’re ready to get some nicer furniture because their kids are getting a little bit older.”

Some of her favorite projects are bathroom renovations.

“There are so many different tiles and they’re just so beautiful,” she says. “Right now, I’m working on this bathroom renovation that is Parisian-inspired with a mix of inspiration from the [Springs Eternal Spa at the Omni Bedford Springs Resort]. There are just some fun colors.”

Bock says when she gets a new client, her priority is to understand the person’s goals with their home renovation, including how the home functions for everyone who lives in the space.

“We do a deep dive into the needs, wants and goals for the space that will benefit everyone in the home,” she says. “So when I call clients, it can almost be like a therapy session. You’ve got to really try and figure out what the right questions are to ask so that you can tease out information that describes their style.”

For her personal home in Pittsburgh, Bock says she gravitates more toward a non-traditional, Mid-Century Modern style.

“I love so many different styles 一 I think the goal would be to have several houses down the line so I can have different styles in all of those houses,” she says. 

While owning your own small business can be overwhelming at times, Bock says she has found value in building connections and networking with other interior designers.

“There’s so much to learn, not just having to do with interior design. Running a business, you have to be your own bookkeeper,” she says. “But I think it’s important to make connections to chat with other people who have been there, because they can teach you a lot of great things.”