The “color guru” Shayla Copas has been designing interiors for over 20 years. With her glitz and glam style, and eye for color, texture, and balance, she has garnered countless opportunities to create interiors for over 50 major events including The Arkansas Inaugural Ball. Not only is she an award-winning designer, but she has also helped her community by raising more than $4 million towards various charities and causes such as the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Arkansas. Please help me welcome this week’s Designer Friday, Shayla Copas.
Shayla Copas’ philosophy is to manifest her client’s dreams into reality. Whether that’s their dream bedroom, a MasterChef kitchen, or even a dining room fit for a king, she can and will execute it to their standards.
Andrew Joseph: You’re the newest Crayola color. What color are you and why?
Shayla Copas: I am the color pink, because it’s such a cheerful color!
Andrew: Describe your design style as if you were explaining it to someone who cannot see.
Shayla: My design style is classic and glam. I like to call it “Southern Glam.”
Andrew: What makes you angry?
Shayla: When people do not tell the truth, I have great respect for those who are honest.
Andrew: What is something you hope to see trending in design in the future?
Shayla: Actually, bold color is starting to trend more than in previous years and I have been inspired to see it.
Shayla Copas strives for functionality within a room while also keeping the design polished, timeless, and fresh. Her detail-oriented approach is what allows her to create effortlessly perfect interiors.
Andrew: What’s the best thing that happened to you this month?
Shayla: I have been afforded the opportunity to spend time with my husband every single day because I am not traveling at the moment.
Andrew: What would you like remembered about you?
Shayla: That I had a passion for helping those in need. I am a philanthropist at heart and my desire to help our community has been a daily part of my routine for my entire career.
Andrew: What’s the weirdest thing a client has ever asked you?
Shayla: This client is no longer alive so I can share this. I had a client that was getting a divorce and had to be admitted to the hospital while I was designing his house. He asked me to go to his home find a box on a shelf, not look in the box and hide it until he was out of the hospital. I always wondered what was inside the box!
Shayla is known for adding great colors, textures, and balance to a room. She wanted to add “pizazz” to the room by placing drapery with a leading edge.
Andrew: What are you most proud of?
Shayla: A few things. I am proud of the daughter that we raised. I love seeing her as an adult and it makes me happy to see her happy. I am also proud of the book that I wrote, “Four Seasons of Entertaining.”
Andrew: What are your beauty secrets?
Shayla: HA that is a funny question because beauty is subjective but I guess I would say that drinking a large amount of water each day and staying out of the sun has helped my skin.
Andrew: What’s a guilty pleasure you have?
Shayla: Chocolate, chocolate, chocolate and more chocolate.
About The Designer | National award-winning designer, speaker, author, product designer, brand ambassador, & philanthropist, Shayla Copas, one of the South’s most acclaimed luxury designers and tastemakers, has created unique and innovative interiors and products for an arrayof residential, commercial, manufacturing, and event clients throughout her more than 20-year career.Shayla’s design aesthetic has what she calls a “Southern Glam” appeal, with glitz, glamour, pattern, and color as her trademarks. She is often referred to as a “color guru” because of her keen eye for color, texture, and balance. Her eye for color and pattern can be easily spotted throughout her designs as she loves to add unexpected interest to the events, rooms, and products she designs. This has earned her the reputation as a tabletop and entertaining trendsetter, garnering Copas a placement on “Salonneiere’s top 100 party hosts in America” list, joining Oprah and Jennifer Aniston to the prestigious list. Shayla is well known for her event design and entertaining talents. She has designed and implemented more than 50 major events, including the Arkansas Inaugural Ball.
Andrew Joseph is a regular contributing editor for ASPIRE DESIGN AND HOME magazine. See more of his work here.
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