Linsi L. Cenac Interiors LLC in Houma, Louisiana

During the fall semester of 2021, I worked as an intern at Linsi L. Cenac Interiors LLC in Houma, Louisiana. It was an amazing internship and I am so grateful for all of the experience and knowledge that I gained along the way.

Above is my final internship poster which contains all information in regards to this internship.

ABOUT

Linsi Cenac Matherene is a native of Houma, Louisiana. She is the daughter of a 3rd generation marine vessel builder and an art teacher. Because of this, she has a great understanding of the relationship between function and aesthetic. Linsi graduated from Louisiana State University in 2006, obtaining her Bachelor’s of Interior Design. She has also studied in Greece and China, focusing on architecture, design, and art. She also traveled throughout Egypt, finding inspiration in architecture and color. These studies are evident in her work.

Linsi L. Cenac Interiors offers a full range of design services including design consultations, individual room renovations, and new builds. She excels in giving her clients the end result that they envision with the guidance and expertise to achieve that vision.

Linsi opened her personal owned and operated showroom, LLCI curated home, in Downtown Houma about two years ago.

LEARNING GOALS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Linsi set an extensive list of goals for me at the beginning of this internship. A few of these objectives include assisting in day-to-day management of projects, researching products for furnishings, lighting, accessories, fixtures, finishes, and material options, producing digital (and, when requested, physical) design boards, and producing AutoCAD drawings, just to name a few. Thanks to the help of Linsi, Regan, and Madalyn, I was able to achieve the goals that Linsi set for me. I am far more proficient in AutoCAD than I was prior to this internship, and that is due to the consistent use throughout the semester. I was able to produce design boards for clients when needed. At the beginning of the semester, it took me a bit longer to produce these boards. Now, however, it has become much easier and I am able to do so much quicker. I have become more aware of so many material vendors, furnishing companies, lighting fixture producers, and many more. This is due to the product research that I did throughout the semester, which I know will help me so much in the future. I now have an ongoing list of vendors to reach out to for any future projects which require it. Linsi has provided me with more experience than I could ever hope for, and she has taught me far beyond just the objectives which she set for this internship. At the beginning of the semester, I was nervous about working in the “real world” and I set a goal for myself. I told myself that I will give this internship my all and not get discouraged if I were to hit a roadblock. I never felt discouraged, because I was surrounded by people willing to help and teach me when I lacked the knowledge that I needed at the moment. I have taken away so much from this internship, more than I ever thought I would. I have built relationships with clients, vastly expanded my knowledge on residential design, established relationships with brand representatives, and become more confident in myself as a future interior designer.

COLLABORATION

We all work together as a team daily. We all share one office with desks right next to each other, so we are always next to one another to bounce ideas around. We have team meetings frequently to set our goals for the week and discuss what needs to be done. We are each able to share our opinions about each individual project, and every choice is valued between each person. Each project is ultimately a combination of things that we all chose together. For example, the client which I discussed above wasn’t sure which type of wallpaper she wanted. We each pulled our ideas, and the client ultimately chose this one. The original design board did include three other wallpaper options. I love how much teamwork is present, because it makes us all feel valued in our respective jobs.

TECHNOLOGY

We used technology daily throughout my internship. We use AutoCAD for almost every project that we take on. Whether we are moving walls, laying out furniture, or remodeling an exterior, we use AutoCAD to draw out the floor plan and the elevations. We also use technology for all of our digital design boards. We download high-resolution photos of projects and materials, put them together on a design board, and we then present it to our client. Whether its through email or in person, we present our design boards and receive feedback through email. We also use Quickbooks for all of our purchase orders, invoices and estimates. We share these with our clients and vendors via email. It was hard to use technology after the storm, but we figured it out together. We rely heavily on technology in order to work in the most efficient manner possible.

ALLIED DISCIPLINE

We have worked with various disciplines throughout the semester. Linsi’s firm is very small- it’s just Linsi and Regan full time, and Madalyn part time. With that being said, working with various disciplines is necessary. Especially after the hurricane, we have been coordinating our work with contractors on nearly every project. For any order of flooring material, paint color amounts, plumbing fixtures, kitchen stone and tile, and so much more, we always work with the contractor and have them sign off on the final amount. The project above for my parent’s house is a great example. We are ordering stone for the kitchen island, and we had to collaborate with the contractor and the fabricator in order to do so. We also had the contractor give us his plans so we could get the exact flooring amount for our new upstairs.

HURRICANE IDA

In late August and early September, Hurricane Ida struck south Louisiana. Houma was one of the first cities to suffer a direct impact from the storm. The storm seemed to stall over Houma, which then caused the destruction of not just homes and businesses, but the city itself. We didn’t have water for week, power for over a month, and we are still struggling with internet. My internship was put on hold until we could assess the damages to the office. Our office got lucky; however, many others did not. We have taken on so many clients after the storm, from people with small damages to complete rebuilds. Everyone just needed help. This storm, the destruction it caused, and the clients that we helped and are still helping afterwards, played the largest roll in my internship. It was crazy to see my hometown the way that it was, and even crazier to see our client’s homes destroyed. My parents hired Linsi and me to assist in rebuilding their home. They lost their roof, which caused flooding. It has been an interesting experience, working on my childhood home, but it has been rewarding. This storm showed me how important people’s homes are to them, and it was such a shame to see them ripped away. Working on these homes has made me realize that interior designers really do make a difference in people’s lives, and I could feel it! Our clients were so grateful for the work that we could offer them, and I was so glad that we could take part in rebuilding people’s homes, including my own.