The Chaise Lounge – Page 2 – The Chaise Lounge: Interior Design Podcast

Elizabeth Gill Interiors: Love Your Craft, Love Your People | S30E7

00:46:50

Welcome back to the Chaise Lounge! This week, Nick May chats with Elizabeth Gill from Elizabeth Gill Interiors in New York!

Elizabeth attended George Washington University to study International Business, then later acquired a Master’s Degree in Interior Design and Architecture. After graduating, she worked at a traditional design firm in DC, where she learned a few aspects of the trade that seldom are taught in school. A few more years passed before Elizabeth took a risk and started her own company in 2018.

One of Elizabeth’s inspirations to keep going is people. She always yearned to meet new people every day, form meaningful connections with strangers, and seeks out memorable experiences with others. She is a goal-oriented visionary, always thinking big-picture. Elizabeth determines her success by the variety of markets she gets to work in, and all the people that accompany in her journey.

Connect with Elizabeth by following her on Instagram @fromtherugup, and check out her work on her website www.elizabethgillinteriors.com

You have to have a village of support, and not be too proud or afraid to ask for help.

Elizabeth Gill Tweet

Chaise Lounge Updates

Coast to Coast Design is back baby! Give it a listen to learn about just how many ways there are to run a design business.

Resources

See what our sponsors can do for you.

Upcoming Markets

High Point Market – October 22 – 26, 2022

Wrap Up

If you would like to hear more episodes, please visit us on iTunes, Spotify or your favorite podcasting app! We’d love it if you post a review, you may even hear your review read live on our next podcast. Also, find The Chaise Lounge on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. With that said, keep dreaming big, and keep designing a great design business. See ya!

Denver Designer and Renovator Anna Smith of Anna Bode Talks Sustainability | S30E6

49:15

Welcome back to the Chaise Lounge! This week, Nick May sits down with Anna Smith, owner of Anna Bode located right here in Denver Colorado!

Anna grew up in New Hampshire. She found an interest in historic preservation, although science and chemistry were not her strong suits. She then moved to studying history of decorative arts in London, focusing on historic homes and the history of interior design. Eventually she worked for an interior design studio in New York, and later moved Colorado to open her own.

Because of her background in historic preservation, Anna often works on older homes, specifically residential renovations; the idea of restoring a piece of architecture to its former glory is exciting to her. She also highlights how her team puts a strong emphasis on sustainability and reducing material waste, hoping to influence the industry in a significant way.
Running a design business is not just about being a good designer. Of course there’s the business side of thing, and Anna shares how she learned to manage her studio through a variety of methods. Some of them include listening to podcasts and taking notes, networking with creatives, and even starting a mastermind group to explore ideas with other designers.

If you’d like to learn more about Anna, be sure to follow her on Instagram @annabode and check out her website annabode.com!

In terms of what success looks like, my goal with Anna Bode - since we've transitioned into this focus on sustainability - is to feel like we're operating in a different way than design has in the past, and that we're making an influence on the industry.

Anna Smith Tweet

Chaise Lounge Updates

Coast to Coast Design is back baby! Give it a listen to learn about just how many ways there are to run a design business.

Resources

See what our sponsors can do for you.

Upcoming Markets

High Point Market – April 2 – 6, 2022

Wrap Up

Team-building and Flexibility with Nicole Salceda of Eye For Pretty | S30E5

48:28

Welcome! In this week’s Chaise Lounge, Nick May sits down with Nicole Salceda, interior designer and owner of Eye For Pretty in Danville, California!

Nicole attended St. Mary’s to earn a teaching degree. She later got married and the couple purchased a house, which she would decorate and re-decorate. Visitors would ask her if she was an interior designer. She played around with the thought and did design work for friends and family while teaching part-time. After becoming popular on Instagram, Nicole decided to drop her teaching career and officially become an interior designer. She opened her studio Eye For Pretty on the bay area of Danville, and her team is comprised of hard-working moms.

Nick and Nicole discuss the business and operations side of running a design firm – or any kind of business. They go into hiring the right people, being flexible with our employees, and building a strong team. Nicole reminds us to keep ourselves in check; establish what kind of business we want to have and who we want to work with. We need the courage to decline projects we can’t tackle, even if they are our dream projects. Additionally, she lets us know that design does not have to be ultra-formal, and that it’s okay to add some personality for flavor.

You can connect with Nicole through her Instagram @eyeforpretty and her website www.eyeforpretty.com. You can also check out her retail store at eyeforprettyathome.com. If you want to have a chuckle, check out @eye4petty, a parody account ran by Nicole’s husband!

I know at this point in my career that hiring a strong team is really the secret to a lot of my success.

Nicole Salceda Tweet

Chaise Lounge Updates

Coast to Coast Design is back baby! Give it a listen to learn about just how many ways there are to run a design business.

Resources

See what our sponsors can do for you.

Upcoming Markets

High Point Market – April 2 – 6, 2022

Wrap Up

The AD100 List, The WOW List, and Streamlining the Architectural Digest Experience with David Kaufman | S30E4

38:43

Welcome back to the Chaise Lounge podcast! It is now 2022 and to start the new year motivated, Nick May sits down with global Digital Director at Architectural Digest David Kaufman!

David has been featured in the show a few times before. For those who missed out, he worked as editor for the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, New York Post, and other giants in the world of journalism. As his current title suggests, he is in charge of translating AD’s print content to digital platforms.

Aside from reminding us about the new AD100 list, David introduces us to Architectural Digest’s first ever Works Of Wonder (WOW) List, which features a curated selection by their international editors of the best projects in the world. Furthermore, AD’s editors are also working to slowly make the AD experience more visual and less verbal, removing the need for the extra translation work and incorporate the universal language of images and icons.

If you’d like to learn more about David, you can follow him on Instagram @kaufmandavidnyc

This year... there's a company-wide effort for all of the brands with international presences to try to integrate global content and global operations.

David Kaufman Tweet

Chaise Lounge Updates

Coast to Coast Design is back baby! Give it a listen to learn about just how many ways there are to run a design business.

Resources

See what our sponsors can do for you.

Upcoming Markets

High Point Market – April 2 – 6, 2022

Wrap Up

Positive Energy In A Space, With Boulder & Aspen Interior Designers Joe McGuire and Matthew Tenzin | S30E3

55:24

Welcome! In this week’s Chaise Lounge, Nick May chats with fellow Colorado designers, Joe McGuire and Matthew Tenzin, principal designers of Joe McGuire Design in Boulder and Aspen.

Joe and Matt enjoyed rearranging furniture and decorating their rooms at an early age. Joe studied Art History and started his design career in New York right out of college. Matt on the other hand earned a degree in philosophy and became a Buddhist monk. He later met Joe – who was an already-established designer – and pursued design himself to be part of the journey.

Joe McGuire Design puts a strong emphasis on the importance of space. They make it clear that interior design is not just a job. It’s an experience; a deep exploration of a person’s spirituality and their connection to a space and its contents. Joe and Matt take everything into consideration to ensure that their work plays into a client’s well-being and enhances serenity.

Check out Joe and Matt’s portfolio on their website joemcguiredesign.com, and be sure to follow them on Instagram @joemcguiredesign!

We practice what we call "holistic design." It's a wellness-focused approach to design that understands wellness in a deeper and wider way than is typically thought of... There's an energetic component to true health and well-being... the energetics of a space are key.

Matt Tenzin Tweet

Chaise Lounge Updates

Coast to Coast Design is back baby! Give it a listen to learn about just how many ways there are to run a design business.

Resources

See what our sponsors can do for you.

Upcoming Markets

High Point Market – April 2 – 6, 2022

Wrap Up

Heather Weisz and Lisa Hynes of Florida’s HW Interiors: Setting Expectations | S30E2

53:44

Welcome once again to the Chaise Lounge! This week, Nick May invited Heather Weisz and Lisa Hynes, dynamic duo and founders of HW Interiors in Wellington, Florida!

Heather grew up in New York, and moved to Florida when she was 13. While attending the Art Institute of Miami, she married and bought a house in Miami to raise her first child. Lisa, an English major, grew up in Connecticut and eventually moved to Florida as well. Both ladies met while playing tennis and instantly became best friends. Lisa approached Heather for help with furnishing a custom home she was building. They enjoyed working together and decided to make it official by acquiring an office. Heather with her creative talents, and Lisa with her organizational skills, founded their own firm, HW Interiors.

Heather and Lisa share their experiences and challenges building their company as single moms. They managed to establish a balance between work and home life that their children could work with. This no-nonsense attitude carried over to HW Interiors, where they set clear boundaries by educating their clients about realistic expectations. Breaking the news to a client about a low bid to a high price is tough, but it’s a necessary step for any designer to take.

Check out HW Interior’s elegant work on their website www.hwinteriors.net, and be sure to follow them on Instagram @hw.interiors!

Letting go of being home all the time with the kids or being that controlling presence at home... taking a step back from that and giving control to other people was hard for me... and also letting go of my own expectations of myself.

Lisa Hynes Tweet

Chaise Lounge Updates

Coast to Coast Design is back baby! Give it a listen to learn about just how many ways there are to run a design business.