Conversations with Arielle Goldberg

Today we’d like to introduce you to Arielle Goldberg.

Arielle, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I have always been very visual and artistic. My Grandma was the first person who showed me that could be translated to interior spaces, and that people paid for it. She was an RN, a corporate boss, and a college professor – INCREDIBLY smart and driven – and would hire a decorator to zhuzh up her house. Her proper living room was everything to me. Satin chairs, porcelain figurines, glass coffee table with brass details, huge frames on the walls – the whole thing was a delight, if obviously very 90s the way I am describing it. The fact she hired someone to do that really awed me. Like, that’s a job!?

Even when I was a kid, I was very conscious of my space. I constantly rearranged my room and early on learned the value of graph paper for scaling and testing before committing to (asking Dad to do) the heavy lifting. I was also very into personalization. I remember painting wooden shelf brackets to match the ivy design on my comforter (high class) and carving my name on my dresser (not as, um, elevated). The greatest moment in my childhood was when The Sims came out. I downloaded all the extra furniture I could find on the interwebs and went nuts designing homes (with the help of the cheat window of course). What a dream!

Last year I had reached a point where I’d decorated a lot of rooms in my own spaces, and I was getting restless working from home. I just thought, why not try and decorate people’s homes for real? And not just in the Sims?? And that’s how trendprescient was born.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I’m still in the early stages, but I gotta say – the pandemic has been a huge obstacle! Starting a business that hinges on going into people’s homes? Yowza. I much prefer to do things in person, but I’ve had a ton of fun learning how to use digital tools to decorate, too. Plus, the fact many of us were experimenting with family Zoom gatherings makes asking someone to jump on a video call less of a hurdle – we’re already used to it.

Thinking more broadly, it was more of a struggle than I expected trying to find my niche in interior decorating. I am trained in fine art and have done custom portraits (pets, houses, you name it) and my own work. The whole time I was having these interior decorating moments but I wasn’t really piecing together that it was a thing I could do. Once I rediscovered it as a potential job, I realized how much I had been struggling to identify myself as an artist.

As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
Through my business, trendprescient, I offer virtual and in-person interior decoration services from a quick consult to a full overhaul to custom work. My specialty is in nerdy design – maybe a dining room that doubles as your friends’ DnD headquarters, or a living room that shows off your Legend of Zelda fan art. I don’t believe in having to put away your toys – your sense of play should be celebrated. If we can’t find the perfect piece for your space, I am happy to refinish, customize, or create something – furniture, stained glass, wall art, I’m game for any design task.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
I’ve been really inspired by my family. My sister started a lettering business a little while back (Unfettered Letters). She has grown from printing art to teaching others how to letter to teaching creatives how to run their business. We did a small-run art collaboration, and now trade business strategy tips. My dad has done stained glass (Attic Art Glass Studio) for as long as I’ve been around, and is a talented songwriter and performer. I admire the way he does what his heart pulls him to do, and how he processes so much through creative outputs.

My partner has also been incredible – he is a talented cook who keeps me fueled, a generous friend who helps me manage the stress that comes along with entrepreneurship, and my biggest cheerleader, as corny as that may be. It’s indescribably comforting to feel supported in pursuing my creative interests.

And finally, I took a social media class this year from Jera Foster-Fell. She and the Social Media Saloon coaches (heck, our whole cohort) were transformational in helping me identify my niche, reconnect with my weirdness, and more strongly own my voice. The support and technical training I got in the Saloon have put me light-years ahead of where I’d be figuring things out on my own.

Contact Info:

• Email: trendprescient@gmail.com
• Website: www.trendprescient.com
• Instagram: @trendprescient
• Twitter: @trendprescient
• Other: arielleg.com

Image Credits
David Murray Photography (for chess images, and headshot on dark teal background)