Designer Friday: An ASPIRE Exclusive Interview With Shoshana Gosselin

A firecracker spirit and a huge passion for design, Shoshana Gosselin is able to manifest her client’s dreams into reality. Her goal is to create spaces that contribute to making happier and healthier lives. For the past eight years in a row Shoshana’s design agency, Love Your Room, has been awarded Best Design and Best Service from Houzz.com, while also being featured in publications such as Ladies Home Journal, Big Book of Small Spaces, and HGTV.com. Please help me introduce this week’s Designer Friday, Shoshana Gosselin of Love Your Room.

Andrew Joseph: You’re the newest Crayola color. What color are you and why?
Shoshana Gosselin: Cherry Bang Bang. I would want to be the proudest boldest pink in the box. Also, who wouldn’t love to say ‘pass the cherry bang bang’ at the coloring table? YES!

Andrew: If you could guest star on any TV show -on or off air- what show would you guest star in?
Shoshana: Mad Men. I would want to be one of the ad guys though; Just get me in a room with Heinz, alongside Peggy and Don. I love the whole vibe of the show. Forgetting the social mores of the time, I totally dig the fashion, the mid century design, and the approval to drink during work hours; very exciting era.

Andrew: What’s your favorite cocktail?
Shoshana: A Paloma Tequila cocktail is my newest ‘go-to’ drink. It’s easy and tart. Three ingredients – tequila, grapefruit juice, and club soda. Add a lime to make it look pretty. Cheers!

Andrew: What would you like remembered about you?
Shoshana: It’s sappy but true- I’d love to be remembered as someone who inspired one person; or a room full of people. I am still learning what my voice is, and want my journey in life to mean something to someone in a positive way.

Andrew: What’s something you always travel with?
Shoshana: The first thing I always pack is my satin pillowcase and lavender pillow spray. The pillowcase reduces ‘bed head’ so its easier to do my hair the next day. The lavender spray is calming aromatherapy for me. I have trouble falling asleep because my brain is on a hamster wheel at night. This is one trick I have used.

Andrew: Are you a good cook? If so, what’s your specialty?
Shoshana: Does making sushi count as cooking? In my mid-twenties I went to a friends ‘sushi making’ party in Brooklyn. I thought it was the best thing ever! You can get so creative with the ingredients, and get to use your hands. I bought my own bamboo rolling mat right away. I love trying different combinations and there is such satisfaction with rolling it.

Andrew: Favorite app?
Shoshana: I am addicted to Videoshop. I take videos of everything, turn them into little cheesy works of art, and send them to everyone. I crack myself up over them, like a kid who just discovered Mad Libs. On project job sites I will stop everyone to participate in a quick skit I come up with, then will sit in a corner laughing while editing it. I once found a can of baked beans at a job site and had my contractors be my actors. I still love watching that one!

Andrew: What’s inspiring you in life (in the industry) right now?
Shoshana: I love this question! Pre COVID, I had a good amount of projects consistently, but still had feelings of envy of those who seemed to have it ‘all together’ around me; Like there was this unattainable reality others were putting out into the world; and it made me feel alone, and sometimes, not worthy. Social media can play tricks with your mindset. One can create a well manicured, often fake, reality. When I was forced to stop working due to COVID, I noticed industry peers were showing layers of themselves that were less ‘well manicured’. It was a wonderful wake up call for me! People were sharing stories, posts, and doing Facebook Live; I began hosting weekly Zoom chats with fellow local designers and we began having real conversations. I felt a kinship like never before. I especially enjoyed Thom Filicia, who had live Instagram interviews every week with inspirational creatives and artisans. They would all talk about their personal lives, and tell little stories of failures, and getting up again. I realized how overworked I was and overly sensitized to all the design ideas out there. I took a much needed breathe, and now am once again electrified by our industry.

Andrew: Do you get your eight hours a night? – what is your schedule like?
Shoshana: My goal is to have seven hours of sleep a night; doesn’t always happen since I have a bit of sleep insomnia. My morning routine is my lifesaver. I get up at 6:45 am, go straight to the basement, and workout to a YouTube trainer. I don’t talk to anyone in my house, and I don’t look at my emails, until after I work out. This hour centers me for the day ahead. I then make a cup of coffee, feed the dogs, all while repeating the words ‘I live in abundance’. My top three YouTube channels are: Pop Sugar Fitness, Coach Kel, and Sydney Cummings.

Andrew: What are some of the podcasts you listen to and why?
Shoshana: I am a podcast junkie. Everyday I find chunks of good stuff from a number of podcasts I listen to. Here are my top favorites by category:
For Self Care: The Life Coach School Podcast and Dolly Parton’s America (I consider her self care worthy! She is so amazing!)
For Work: Business of Design, A Well Designed Business, Wingnut Social, The Design You Podcast, The Chaise Lounge, The Business of Home, Design Between the Lines, Lead Your Team, Speaking Your Brand, Masters of Scale (Love!!!)
For Fun: Life is Short, Whitney Cummings Good For You, Armchair Expert

Andrew: Best advice you’d give your teenage self?
Shoshana: I would say ‘Gurl, let go of looking to others to bring you joy.’ If you give your power up to fit in with a certain person, or group of kids, you will never find happiness. This advice I would give myself has taken me decades to truly understand, so I am not sure my young self would have a light bulb moment hearing it from me. I have a teenage daughter, and I am a broken record with my advice to her. She tells me ‘”you just don’t understand”, and I then repeat to her, the holy words from DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince “So to you, all the kids all across the land/There’s no need to argue/Parents just don’t understand.”

Andrew: How do you define beauty?
Shoshana: For me, beauty is courage. It has little to do with what you look like physically. There is such beauty in finding the courage to tell your truth, to rise up when you did not know if you had the strength to do it; courage is facing your fear, finding your joy, trying again and again when it feels hopeless. I am very attracted to courageous people. That is sexy and even rebellious.


About The Designer | Shoshana Gosselin is the Principal Designer and owner of Love Your Room, a prestigious interior design agency committed to creating individualized curated spaces for our clientele. Shosh started LYR with the idea that spaces can create happier healthier lives. She has a Bachelors of Arts degree, along with a background in the finance industry. This mix allows her to see more than just the design itself; She understands the value and is able to plan out and execute each project thoughtfully.

She has spent the last fifteen years transforming residential and commercial spaces in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and New York. Shosh is a regular guest on WFMZ-TV 69 News at Sunrise demonstrating interior design and decorating ideas. Shoshana also had the honor of speaking at Kutztown University about interior decorating and entrepreneurship as part of the university’s speaker series Women’s History Month. Her work has been featured in numerous national and local publications, and posted on blogs around the world.

She is passionate about interior design, her community, volunteering to create positive impact, and as a dedicated Mom, cherishes her family time.


Andrew Joseph is a regular contributing editor for ASPIRE DESIGN AND HOME magazine. See more of his work here

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