Rose Darline Darbouze
Rose Darline Darbouze grew up in Les Cayes, Haiti and then moved with her family to Fort Lauderdale, Florida when she was 16 years old. She received her associate’s degree from Broward College and then transferred to NYSID. She graduated from the BFA program in 2016 and is now working full time as an interior designer at Stonehill & Taylor, an architecture and design firm in Manhattan.
What was it like to move to the U.S. when you were 16?
I was so happy because for the first in my life my mother, my siblings, and I were living under the same roof. I recall my first day in an American high school, I was petrified because of the language barrier but each day got a little bit easier until one day I barely noticed the cultural difference. After my high school graduation, I attended Broward College, where I found a home on the theater stage until interior design chose me and I started my adventure at NYSID.
You received the Alumni Scholarship while you were at NYSID. How did this make a difference for you?
My great adventure at NYSID started like any other; me trying to fly without wings, oh boy did I fall! I would not have been able to get back up if NYSID didn't take my hand by awarding me the Alumni Scholarship. I am eternally grateful to both NYSID and my fellow alumni for making it possible for a small town girl to find her wings in this big city.
What interests you most about interior design?
Interior design is a multifaceted profession, it marries creativity, imagination, and artistic abilities. Just like any form of art it must be nourished. My interior design education has opened me up to a whole world of possibilities that I never dreamed of. I find it most fascinating how it intertwines many different worlds such as art, history, architecture, even neuroscience—it stimulates the senses and engages emotions.
Where are you working now and how long have you been there? Can you tell me about some of the projects you are currently working on?
I’ve been working at Stonehill & Taylor for about 8 months now. Since my arrival, I have been feeding my curious mind and learning the ropes from a group of talented designers. Currently, I am working with a senior designer on the renovation of a boutique hotel in New Orleans. The goal of the project is to return the hotel’s connecting buildings back to their former glory while also creating design experiences that elicit passion, beauty, and cultural identity in this city vested in time.
What was your favorite thing about NYSID?
I can honestly say that the small yet diverse community was by far my favorite thing at NYSID. I found myself in love with countries I have never been to and cultures I have never fully experienced because I was surrounded by creatives from all over the world. Sometimes there was language barriers yet somehow we understood each other through design as it is a universal language.