Welcome to the Lounge! Today, Nick chats with New York Designer and entrepreneur, Hillary Unger. Hillary is the Principal of two firms, Perianth Interior Design, and Buy My Eye, both based in New York. During the chat they talk about getting started in the industry, gaining press, and the conception of her two successful and unique firms.

A Little Background

Hillary did not start her educational career in Interior Design. She gained her Bachelors in Textiles Merchandising, and Design (fashion) from the University of Rhode Island and a minor in arts with a focus in Interior Design. It wasn’t until after graduating that she realized her passion was not for fashion but Interior Design. This realization lead her to the New York School of Interior Design, where she gained her degree and started her journey to becoming the successful entrepreneur she is today.

Gaining Press

Like many Designers today, Hillary gains many of her clients from a combination of
referrals, word of mouth, and her website (which she compares to having a storefront, emphasizing the importance of maintaining it.) She also spoke about how she gained press over the years. One story focuses on how she came to be the focus of a local news story on “Good Morning New York”. Her work and unique approach to design lead to a previous client pitching her to FOX which got the ball rolling. She has also been featured in Home By Design Magazine and The New York Times.

Buy My Eye

Created 10 years ago, Buy My Eye has a unique approach to luxury Interior Design. The firm was created in order to make Interior Design a more attainable resource for the general public. The design model of the firm allows clients to take advantage of the knowledge of a Professional Interior Designer without the use of a contract or commitment. Clients are given a flat rate for an in-home consultation and given a detailed list of what they need to do. This allows clients to tackle projects at the speed and budget that they are comfortable with.

Perianth Interior Design

Perianth is Hillary’s “full service, luxury, high-end company”. This firm unlike its sister company, works on multi-million dollar projects and highly customized interiors. Hillary always knew that she wanted to have her own firm but rather than leaping straight in from school she chose to gain experience. This choice lead her to working at 3 well known and respected firms before she finally created her own. The firm focus mainly on residential projects but also has commercial work.