Venus Williams Has a Whole Other Career as an Interior Designer
Tennis champion Venus Williams has a lengthy list of athletic achievements and history-making feats. She and her younger sister Serena Williams are two of the world’s most gifted players, and they both are enterprising business owners. Like other celebrities, they are spinning more than one plate.
Not all of Venus Williams’ endeavors are connected to sports, as she is the head of her own interior design firm.
Venus Williams launched interior design company in 2002
Williams opened the doors to V Starr Interiors in 2002 in West Palm Beach, Florida. Since then, she and her team have provided design services for residential and commercial properties.
While she can claim her sister as part of her clientele, her first project was for NBA player Carlos Boozer. V Starr has also tackled homes and condos in New York, Chicago, and other major cities.
Williams told Elle Decor she developed an interest in design as a teen and shared that growing up, her parents always encouraged entrepreneurship.
According to Architectural Digest, the firm secured a contract with Airbnb partner Niido in 2018 to handle the design layouts for new home-sharing apartment complexes. The first building houses more than 300 units.
One of V Starr’s most recent projects was the Oriana luxury apartments in New York, completed in 2019. Williams and her crew at V Starr are experienced in designing for stadiums, universities, hotels, and youth centers as well.
Venus Williams is educated in her field
Williams pursued a master’s degree in interior architecture. “I’m a nerd, and I love interior design. I love school,” she told Forbes during a 2019 interview. “So, you know, it helps me to guide my team, and hopefully, give them input, and be able to add to the conversation.”
Prior to that, Williams earned an associate’s degree from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale in fashion design and then completed a bachelor’s degree. In 2014, she graduated from Indiana University East with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.
During an interview with the school, she said:
I’ve learned so much. It was always my dream to have a business degree and I ended up going to art school so many times, but in the back of my head I felt like I needed the tools to be a better leader, to be a better planner, to be better at all of the things I wanted to do in my businesses because I’m so hands-on.
Her education in art and business matches up with her love for design, and Williams has been able to apply her expertise in multiple ventures.
Williams has carried her entrepreneurial spirit to other businesses
In addition to the interior design firm, Williams and her sister Serena are part owners of the Miami Dolphins. She also runs an athleisure wear brand called EleVen, which specializes in apparel for women. The line offers everyday activewear as well as tennis gear, and Williams still serves as the face for the brand.
At one point, the tennis pro also launched Jamba Juice (now Jamba) franchises throughout the country. But design continues to be one of her biggest passions.
