Real Talk with Bridget: What Inspired You to Open Your Own Firm?

The fancy resume talk: Bridget Hrdlicka is the founder of Slate Interiors Studio. Upon graduation from Kent State University with a B.A. in Interior Design, for the first 10 years of her career, Bridget worked in small- and mid-sized architectural firms as a commercial interior designer from schematic design through construction completion. Bridget, a NCIDQ certified interior designer, has led projects ranging from small tenant fit-outs to 100,000 square foot corporate headquarters. Passionate about tailoring design solutions to each client’s needs, Bridget launched Slate Interiors Studio in 2021, enabling her to perfect a design approach that balances creativity with technical prowess, as evidenced by a portfolio of spaces that are beautiful, functional, and timeless.

The real talk from Bridget herself:  I’ve pretty much always been obsessed with design. As a kid, I was that arts-and-crafts-in-the-basement girl, painting any surface my parents would allow. My sisters and I were full-blown “Trading Spaces” junkies — we’d spend weekends redecorating each other’s rooms like we were on the show. I’ve also always loved people – making connections, finding out what makes someone tick, and enjoying good laughs. Honestly, not much has changed… except now the spaces are bigger, there’s a lot more paperwork, and the connections are even more meaningful.

I studied interior design at Kent State, where I totally fell in love with the studio culture — all the buzz of creatives around me, the late nights, the smell of chipboard at dawn. Creating something from nothing and seeing it come to life? I was hooked.

After graduation, I cut my teeth at Process Creative Studios under Cleveland architect John Williams. Being in a small studio meant I learned fast: how to draw things that actually work, speak contractor, and juggle both the creative and the client side of things. Later, at Bialosky Cleveland, I got a taste of the big-firm vibe — collaboration to the maximum degree. I still team up on projects with people from both of those firms.

Then… cue the pandemic plot twist. Suddenly we were all home in our yoga pants, rethinking life. For me, that meant realizing I wanted to own my time. In 2021, when I launched Slate, I had a toddler. In 2022, a newborn joined the party. So now? I still work a ton — but it’s on my terms. I try to take Thursdays off to hang with my kids (read: wrangle them at the playground while worrying what emails I am missing). Honestly, that flexibility alone makes running my own studio totally worth it.

Today, Slate Interiors Studio is a certified WBE and EDGE business, and we’ve been steadily growing since 2021. We specialize in designing thoughtful, soulful spaces for wellness, retail, and service-based businesses — and I still wake up every day totally thrilled that I get to do what I love.