Meet Samantha Kingsley, Showroom Assistant at Maven Tile and Home Design (maventileandhomedesign.com).

Tell us a little about your business. – Maven Tile and Home Design is a full design studio with specialty tile for your special projects, bringing amazing design to Nebraska!

How did you get started in the business? – I’ve always loved arts and crafts, fashion and curating my spaces. I’ve been doing a lot of home projects recently which led me to Maven to find the perfect vintage inspired bathroom tiles. I had such a nice time talking with Lizett and Linette and it ended up with me joining the Maven team! So while I’d never done design as my career before, they recognized the design life inside me.

Tell us a little about your family. – I grew up in Lincoln, the only full Nebraska Cornhusker in my (immediate) family. My parents are a retired surgeon and RN who are still in town, helping out in the community in various ways. I have an older sister who is creating art and community spaces in New Mexico, and an older brother who merges business/technology and art here in Lincoln. I also have an amazing sister-in-law, and incredible nephew and niece that light up my life! No kids for me, but I have a wonderful boyfriend and a giant, floppy Newfoundland and two very snuggly cats.

What do you see as one of the biggest turning points in your life? – Moving to Austin, Texas for six years after undergrad did a lot for me. Moving somewhere new alone really helped me to gain more self confidence and find who I am as just me. I met so many great people, gained a lot of awesome skills and just generally grew so much. I came back to Lincoln with a stronger voice and excitement to continue that journey.

What is your favorite thing to do on a day off? – I love working on various art projects- building elaborate faux cakes for my walls, nail art, painting my house or furniture, sewing clothing, all the projects!

What is the most unique or interesting thing about you that most people probably don’t know? – I kind of follow the Barbie life- learn all the things and try all the jobs. I got my bachelors degree in International Studies, then I went to plant based culinary school (fun fact- I’ve never eaten meat in my entire life), then went to school again and became a 6th grade social studies teacher. I’m back in school now, toying with the idea of human rights law next. For now though, I’m loving Tile and Home Design Barbie™.

Who inspires you? – I’m inspired by so many- my family are all such incredible people that combine unending thirst for knowledge and unceasing kindness; I look up to all of them forever. I’m also so lucky to have an abundance of amazing friends who all do such different things and have different journeys but they all make the world a better place. I’m a lucky lady!

If you could choose only one descriptive word to be remembered as, what would it be? – Sparkle.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be?– I would be 100% fluent in every language and dialect in the world, ancient and current. Life would be so cool if you could communicate clearly with anyone anywhere, and read anything exactly as it was written. The dream!

What local nonprofit organization(s) are you passionate about or involved with, and are there any special reasons why? – CASA, the Cat House, Lincoln Bike Kitchen, Friendship Home, Voices of Hope- they’re all doing really important work!

If our readers would like to contact you, how should they do so? – @maventileandhomedesign on Instagram!