OLISE Podcast
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OLISE Podcast
No Reference Point, No Limits: Enass Mahmoud on Heritage, Representation, and Building Studio Enass
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In this episode of the OLISE Podcast, Bilen sits down with interior designer Enass Mahmoud, founder of Studio Enass, for a powerful and honest conversation about heritage, representation, and what it means to build a design career with no roadmap to follow.
Enass shares her journey from Sudan and London, growing up surrounded by the colour, craft and eccentric self-expression of Sudanese culture, and how that visual language has shaped her design philosophy. She speaks candidly about the reality of starting out with no industry connections and no Sudanese reference point in design to look to, and how a single social media post for the O2 Arena VIP rooms became the accidental beginning of Studio Enass.
The conversation explores her belief that representation in design is bigger than any one career, the importance of building genuine community rather than going it alone, and her evolution from a designer who wanted to hide behind her work to one who understands she has to show up, front and centre, for the people coming up behind her.
Enass also reflects on her standout Garden Folly Room at WOW!house 2026, a deeply personal love letter to her Sudanese heritage and British upbringing, and the remarkable story of how she manifested the project a full year before it happened.
This episode is a celebration of heritage, community, and the courage to build something the industry has never quite seen before.
In this episode:
- Growing up between Sudan and London, and the influence of Sudanese colour and craft
- Starting Studio Enass by accident, with no reference point in the industry
- The first project, the O2 Arena, and the house that took a client from beige to bold
- Why building a personal brand can take years, and why that's okay
- The importance of community over going it alone
- Representation, visibility, and designing for the next generation
- Inside the Garden Folly Room at WOW!house 2026, and the heritage behind it
- Manifesting Wow House a year before the email arrived
- What's next: lighting design, product lines, and dream commercial spaces
Headline Sponsor:
This episode is sponsored by Moroso, the iconic Italian furniture house founded in 1952. Renowned for sculptural form, bold colour and artisanal craftsmanship, Moroso has spent over seventy years collaborating with the world's most influential designers, including Patricia Urquiola and Ron Arad, to create furniture that lives at the intersection of design, contemporary art and fashion. https://moroso.it
Perfect for:
Interior designers, architects, creatives, entrepreneurs, students, and anyone interested in heritage, representation, and building a design career rooted in identity and authenticity.
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Guest Links:
Studio Enass: https://www.studioenass.com/
Enass Mahmoud: https://www.instagram.com/studioenass/
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Representation is incredibly important because most of the unique spaces are built by people from different backgrounds, different cultures, different upbringings. But it's so important to have representation because then it influences more people to get in this industry and more designers from different backgrounds in the creative industry, which is what we need. It's fresh ideas, it's a different perspective. It's actually not just about me, it's bigger than me, it's the next generation, it's the people, it's the other Sodomese girls, people from working class backgrounds. I wish I had more of that when I was graduating, but it's so important to see people that look like you in this industry.
SPEAKER_00At One's, we're proud to partner with brands that don't just talk about change, but they're actually shaping it. Today's episode is sponsored by Moroso, the luxury Italian design house that turns pieces of furniture into art. For the last 70 years, they've been working with the most influential designers around the globe, creating bold expressive pieces that not only fill a room but define it. Thank you, Moroso, for supporting O Lise.
SPEAKER_02Welcome to the next episode of the Oise podcast. Today I have an absolute superstar, Enas Mahmoud. Welcome. Thank you. It's good to have you here. Thank you. Thank you for joining me today. So, Enas, I want to talk to you about so many things. Um, and I'm sure there's going to be a lot of listeners out there that want to hear about your story, your intro into design, where you were brought up, who you are, um, you know, and how you have come to be to get to this stage. So let's talk about where where were you brought up, Enas?
SPEAKER_03So I was brought up in London, but born in Sudan and um family from Sudan, and I used to go back, you know, every summer, spend the summers there, and and you know, spent about two years there also during my teenage years. Um, but yeah, mainly, mainly brought up in London. Yeah, fantastic.
SPEAKER_02And what did that connection to going back, you know, being brought up in London, but going back to Sudan and experiencing what that looked like? How did that feel?
SPEAKER_03Oh, amazing. It I don't know how to explain it, but it just it feels like home. And um, we're very rich in culture, we're, you know, in art, in architecture, in interior design, um, in fashion. It it I was really raised around so many creative people in their own sense. And I don't think people realise how um eccentric and colourful um Sudanese women are from you know the the clothes that we wear and the henna and you know how we style our places, we're very eccentric people, and I think um subconsciously that kind of fed through my design philosophy and and and how I approach interior design from you know being surrounded by that.
SPEAKER_02I think I can agree as your fellow neighboring country um that you know Sudanese, when I think about Sudanese women and I think about the tobs, the traditional tops that they wear, and the colour and the pattern, it is incredible. It is so it's a feast for your eyes, right? You know, you go to a Sudanese wedding, you go to uh, you know, or you see women that are dressed. I mean, it's like a form of language, actually, right? And it's wonderful to see.
SPEAKER_03It really is. It's that you know, um, you don't really get to appreciate it until you actually take a step back and look at how you have gotten to this space and your design philosophy and and how you approach design. And it it really is um through being surrounded by so many gorgeous Sudanese women and and traditional clothing and the intricacy and the the craftsmanship of the patterns and the colours that we wear.
SPEAKER_02So loving interesting. It absolutely has influenced you a lot, you know. You are a colour queen, right? It's like it's like your thing. It is, yeah. Um so let's talk about, you know, you grew up in a Sudanese family. Yes. And you know, we both we both know, we're both East African, and we both realize and understand that design is something, and art art and design, you know, although art has been historically in our culture for a very long time, you know, design is something where you go out and and do a design, have a design career. Yeah, is relatively new. I'd say we are kind of the first gener, well, we're second generation, but we are the first generation that have really gone out and done it as a career. Yeah, let's talk about that because that is a big, big topic, and that's something that you can personally talk to a lot. So when you went back home and you said to the parents, the family, I want to do interior design, I want to be an interior designer, what did that conversation look like?
SPEAKER_03Um I mean, my my dad, he's very creative actually, and um he really has championed me into going in the design field, and my mom's very supportive as well. Um so I didn't necessarily study interior design, I studied surface design um at university. So it's more of like appreciation of products and surfaces and things like that that go into the home. But when I, you know, a couple of years after I graduated and I said, hey, I want to start my own business, it was it was um a journey for all of us. But yeah, that they are they are really supportive, but it's very new, you know. There's nobody in my family who um has an interior design business. In fact, when I was when I graduated uni and I tried to find somebody in our field, um there was no one. There was there was no Sudanese um business owners.
SPEAKER_02And it was really hard getting into the industry with you know without a little I think that reference point is important, especially for for parents, for you to say at least blah blah has done it, you know, uncle or auntie over there has done it, you know, she's you know, and so there was no reference point for them.
SPEAKER_03Um, so it it was a little bit tricky for them to kind of grasp what you can actually do with design. Um so yeah, it was it wasn't easy, but you know, they're they're such big cheerleaders and champions of what I'm doing now.
SPEAKER_02So love that. So it was a journey, but you know, eventually they saw the talent and they and they really believe in it, which is fantastic. Yeah, exactly. Amazing. So when you started your business, yeah, that moment of getting your first project, how did that feel in us?
SPEAKER_03Oh, do you know what it was so crazy? Um, and funny enough, I actually never wanted to start a business. Like it, I never really thought about okay, I'm gonna go out on my own. I always thought, okay, I'm gonna work in a studio, I'm gonna maybe be the director or you know, run it, or I I never actually really thought, okay, maybe I could do this on my own. It sort of all happened by accident, but I also believe nothing in this life is by accident. Um so it was on social media. Um, I was at the time working for a uh a studio, a homeware studio actually. And I left and I did want to get into interior design, but I was so scared because I didn't necessarily have the interior design degree, um, but I've always had the eye. Um, I've always been really, really good at putting things together. But of course, interior design and running a business is so much bigger than that. My client came about because they posted on social media that they were looking for somebody to design um one of the rooms, the VIP rooms at the O2 Arena. And I just thought, shh, let me just ask. What do I have to lose? Um, end up doing that, and then I believe a year later they bought a huge house and they asked if I would do it. Um, and I said no the first time because I was terrified. And then I ended up doing that house, and it it was just from there, it was like a word of mouth, and it it sort of developed, and you know, it was great for my portfolio, and then I started getting pressed, and it just slowly rolled like that. But for me to actually start the business, it meant that I had to be registered as a as a business to design at the O2 Arena. So I sort of I wasn't even called studio at Studio NS when I first started, I think it was decor by NS or something like that. Just anything to get on company's house so I can have the paperwork to be inside the O2 Arena. Yeah. Um and it and it really just snowballed from there, really.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02And so how would you say, you know, when you uh handed over that project and you kind of you're you're doing your handover with the client, and you know, what did that moment look like when you had done it? Because it's one thing getting your first project, then it's another thing completing your first project, and you know, you've got the client there, yeah, and you're really, you know, you're doing the the final tour and the handover. Let's talk about that.
SPEAKER_03It was so fun because um with that house, we did it in stages over a number of years, and um it was it was so interesting because my clients initially didn't like colour at all, they were very, very scared of it. But if you go and see that house now, every room has a bright yellow wallpaper or you know, green walls and ceilings, and um, there's so much colour now because we've taken them on that journey bit by bit. Um so it's interesting to take a client who has never really experienced colour in that sense to now going through the whole house and everything is bold and colourful and bright. And you did that. Yeah, and and they and they'll never go back to beige again or white. So yeah, um, it's yeah, it was just it really is an experience.
SPEAKER_02It's hard to really put into words. What a beautiful moment, though, between designer and client where you can educate them on, you know, or you can guide them softly into something that they didn't know they needed in their life, you know. And that's really where design, that's where design comes alive, isn't it? You know. Um, so okay, so you had got your first project, you did your first residential project, you then moved on to more projects, and business started to grow more and more. You know, at this point, in your mind, what were you thinking? Were you thinking, wow, this is really happening? Like, am I how long did it take for you to really say to yourself, I am an interior design studio, I am running a business. Yeah, you know, because it because it takes time for different people, right?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, and um it took me a minute. I would say honestly, maybe four years into the business, four or five years.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_03Um because I was still learning, I didn't really have much guidance. Um, so I didn't know if what I was doing is right or wrong, or what I was pricing, or how I was marketing myself. And you know, when when you um come from a working class background like myself, you don't have the investment to really understand how to run a business and so on. So you're really learning as you go along. Um, so it it took it took some time for me to actually, you know, yeah, say it out loud.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I think that's really humble and thank you for being vulnerable and and being honest about that because it's something that sometimes we're not always honest about, you know. We come from working class families, and when you're self-made and you're you're building, you know, brick by brick by yourself, yeah, it's not easy. And you know, we tend to gloss over a lot in our industry, you know, it it but actually it's hard building a business on your own, it's hard when you don't have outside investment. And you know, let's talk about that because a lot of we we have lots of emerging designers that that follow us on, you know, follow the Ole's journey. And when we get to talk to designers like yourself, you know, who have really you've grown up in London, you've built this business by yourself, you know, no outside investment. What advice would you give in that moment, you know, to somebody that is wanting to do the same, has maybe, you know, surface design is a real transferable skill that you've you you were able to transfer over. But in that moment, you know, what advice would you give Nas to somebody that is trying is self-made and is trying to get their first win their first project?
SPEAKER_03Honestly, um work in somebody else's studio first, learn at somebody else's expense and really understand it all. It's not just you're you're not just designing, you're dealing with people, you're dealing with suppliers, you're, you know, it's time, it's it's somebody else's money. Um you have to learn how to be good with people because you're in their home and and in their space. Um, so I would say, yeah, work at somebody else, learn at somebody else's expense and um build your community. You cannot do this business on your own. You cannot, it's it's it's a lie to say, oh, you know, I've I've done it all on my own. I've had so much support from the people next to me. If you can't necessarily find somebody to um guide you or or whatever, you know, build your community with the people around you coming up because there you these are the people you can ask questions, you know, how much are you charging? Am I doing this right? Um, I'm having an issue with this supply, what can I do? Or, you know, it's everybody is here to help. Um, so it's yeah, find your community, build that, and go out there and learn as much as you can before you dive into your own business.
SPEAKER_02That is great advice. So, key key points there are go into get industry-led experience, go into studio because you know, we are living in a world where um everybody wants to be CEO straight out of uni. And look, you know, that's okay. Yeah, but but I think also I love that you've spoken about industry experience. You know, this is often forgotten and something that is not valued enough like before. Yeah, um, so and then also your community, yeah, our favorite words.
SPEAKER_03Honestly, like my community have been incredible because a lot of us don't actually have designers in our family that we can sort of go and ask advice for. So you need people who are your friends and are your community to be vulnerable with and to be open with. I think there's no point trying to pretend that yes, business is great and fantastic. It's hard. It's really, really hard. And I've wanted to quit so many times. Um, but it's your community that help you and guide you through those, those tough periods.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah. You mentioned just now about sometimes, you know, hand on head, like, oh my god, what am I doing? What is this? You know, what what stops you from quitting? Would you say, Anna? What kind of like are the motivators, the key motivators that you have to like slap yourself, no, no, no, I am born to do this?
SPEAKER_03I think I'm a bit delusional, number one. Um, I'm trying to, I feel like sometimes I'm also trying to prove myself a point and to everybody else a point, actually, um, who you know didn't expect me to do this. Also, you know, the the longer I've been here and the older I'm getting, I realize it's actually not just about me. It's it's it's bigger than me, it's um the next generation, it's the people, it's the other Sudanese girls, it's um the other people that look like myself or people from working class backgrounds. I think it's it's so important, and I'm not trying to, you know, toot my horn or anything like that, but it's so important to um see people that look like you in this industry. And I wish I had more of that when I was graduating and you know, trying to find work. Um so I think that's that plays a big part, is is realizing that it's um it's not just for myself, it's it's for the people next to me and um the people that believe in me. So unfortunately, I can't quit.
SPEAKER_02No, you've come too far now. You've come too far. So you you touched on a really important topic that is important to you and to me. Um, and it's about representation and it's about um, you know, identifying people that look like yourself in an industry where there's, you know, not many of us. And and I think let's talk about that. I, you know, representation. Why was why do you think it's important for this next generation of emerging design students that are in uni that are looking to somebody like you and are saying, wow, you know, she's run her studios for almost a decade now. She's she's doing amazing things, she's worked on incredible projects, you know, she's where I want to be. You know, why is it important in us, do you think?
SPEAKER_03I mean, representation is incredibly important because um most of the most of the unique spaces are built by people from different backgrounds, um, different cultures, different upbringings, um, from different worlds. And you need that in this life. You need spaces and environments that are created from people who are unique and and who aren't all the same because you will get the same product time and time again. Um but it's so important to have representation because then it influences more people to get in this industry and more, you know, um designers from different backgrounds uh in the creative industry, which is what we need. It's it's it's fresh ideas, it's a different perspective. Um and it's it's just it's so important um to have that representation in an industry that hasn't always represented us.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah, definitely.
SPEAKER_02So, in terms of your kind of, you know, I I often ask this question to to designers that come on the podcast, like who you were when you started Studio NAS and who you are now. And you know, I know, and I know obviously you're smiling because it's an evolution, right? It really is. You evolved as a woman, as a designer, as a person. Yeah. So who would you say she was?
SPEAKER_03Oh god, she was scared, she was absolutely terrified and had no idea what she was doing. Umbitious, hungry, terrified. I probably said that twice because I really was um delusional. Um and the I think now I'm more confident in who I am as a woman and as a designer. Um I listen to my gut a lot more. Um I don't lead with desperation. When you lead with desperation, you attract uh not the right clients, maybe um, not the right projects. I think now I'm in this space where I'm quite confident in what I can bring to somebody's home and environment and how I can change that. And don't get me wrong, I'm I still have moments of of fear um because it is terrifying, uh, you know, being a business owner and being a designer. But I'm so much more comfortable in my skin and um I can walk in spaces and feel like I belong. Whereas before, you know, I wanted to sort of be in the background and hide myself and and let the the the the pictures and the projects talk for itself, but actually people like us don't have that privilege. Um we do have to be front and center and show up. Um and I feel like I'm a lot more confident um doing that.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02Thank you, Anastasia's such a such a really heartfelt answer, actually. Um and uh let's talk about visibility in this industry. We talk about we talk about representation, we talk about visibility in 2026, and again, another hot topic for our industry and the way in which you show up and the way in which, you know, what has worked for you, would you say, in terms of visibility, you know, online or in person? What's your kind of how have you gone about it?
SPEAKER_03I mean, there's a few ways. I mean, I've had the privilege of of being on panels, which has been great, um, being impressed, which has also really helped. Um and yeah, just just kind of showing my face and myself a bit more on social media, even though I absolutely hate it. Um I have to do it. Um and just Showing up as myself, I guess. Um, and I've noticed that the more I show up as myself and what I represent, people are actually drawn to that. People are drawn to your story and to your background, and it's it's been really interesting to see um how that resonates with people from all over the world, actually. So yeah, I think showing up as my authentic self and um putting myself you know at the back front and face um of the business has helped.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, fantastic. And let's talk about kind of like you know, the challenges that have come from because as as beautiful as interior design is, it comes with its challenges, whether that's you know, clients or project deadlines or you know, working with different people, different suppliers, you know, it will be really good to understand, you know, what what challenges have you faced over the years, um, you know, and sharing how you overcome that as well.
SPEAKER_03God, where do I start? Um so many. It could be it could be working with the wrong contractors, um, things going wrong on site, things showing up incorrectly. Um, it could be clients, it can be unpleasant sometimes. Um, you could be in the middle of, you know, a couple going at it and you're sort of, you know, um trying to play the therapist at the same time. Um, it could be staff. Um, you know, you're you're not just dealing with people, you're dealing with their personalities and their own things um and trying to navigate that. It could be budget, it could be, you know, trying to navigate how to um stretch a budget while still making the space look beautiful. There's so many things, and and I think over the years now I've just understood that with every project, something is gonna go wrong. It it's inevitable, it is what it is, and I prepare my clients now. I'm very transparent with them, you know, this is the project, this is what's gonna, this is what could happen and might happen, hopefully it won't. But it's also um letting them know that it will get handled and it will be sorted and we'll get through it and it's gonna be fine and it's gonna be beautiful, but it can be quite rocky because there's so many moving factors, it's not linear. Um, yeah. So it's just yeah, it's trying to balance everything at once, all the time.
SPEAKER_02I think that's a really fantastic out um insight, actually, because educating your client from the very beginning that it's gonna be it's inevitable that there are going to be potential challenges, time constraints, this budget, you know, from the very beginning is really helpful advice, actually, for for because it never it never goes perfectly. You're absolutely right.
SPEAKER_03Absolutely not. Um, and I think at the beginning I never wanted to say that out loud because maybe it makes me look like I don't know what I'm doing. But actually, um the more experience you have and the more transparent you are with your clients, the more they respect you and trust you. So yeah, it's just preparing them that something will go wrong, but it will be fine. We're gonna get through it, you know. At the end of the day, yeah, it's not life or death. Yeah, you know, we're not surgeons, we're designers, um, everything is gonna be fine. Um and we'll get through it. Yeah, yeah.
SPEAKER_02And and that's what would your like dream project be? Where would it be and what would it be if you could dream up what that looks like?
SPEAKER_03Do you know what? I'd love to do something commercial, even though it terrifies me. I would love to do like a really high-end restaurant, um something like that, like something really exclusive, uh, maybe a private members' club, or you know, something where you where you can actually be very, very creative and layered and colourful and bold. Um, yeah, I think I'd I'd love to do something like that. We can so see that.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_03We can absolutely see that.
SPEAKER_02And a product line. And a product line. Oh, let's we'll come to that in a minute. Um, but you know, that brings me really nicely on to Enas. You are a designer as part of Wow House this year. Yes. And if you could describe to anyone what Wow House is, what would you say?
SPEAKER_03Oh my God, it's like it's like the Met Gala. It's like the um the Oscars of interior design. It's you know, it's the thing that everybody wants to be a part of. Um, and it's such a unique and incredible show where you actually have no brief. You go crazy, you do what you can do and in the time frame that you have and with the you know the suppliers or the sponsors that you have, but it's really the chance to showcase who you are as a designer with no clients, no nobody telling you you can't use red or you can't do this. Um yeah, it's it's the perfect showcase to sh to represent who you are as a designer.
SPEAKER_02Fantastic. And let's talk about your design.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02So, Enas, you had the brand new concept, which is the uh garden folly room. Um, tell us all about that and what inspired your design?
SPEAKER_03Yeah, so I had the garden folly room, which is a new addition to Wow House this year, and um I worked with Darren Price from Adam Architecture, who did the facade, and Hector Fincher did all the beautiful lanterns outside as well. And um, when I was first approached by the concept, uh immediately I said, okay, I wanted this space to really be bold, and I knew it did the size and the measurements, so it was a little small, but it was it was a jewel box, and that's what I wanted it to really feel like. You know, I want you to go inside and um slowly take in all the layers and all the details of the room, and I wanted it to be a representation of both my worlds, my Sudanese heritage and my British upbringing, and a love letter to where I'm from and what I represent and what I've grown up watching and seeing and experiencing, and also the the suppliers that I've worked with. You know, I've worked with some amazing suppliers in my room, and it really's all about um belonging and heritage in that room, and that's yeah, that's what I wanted to bring to Wildhouse this year.
SPEAKER_02Fantastic, and you absolutely executed that brief beyond words. It is absolutely stunning, it is so it's really got a signature of Studio and Ass on there, you know, and the colour, the textures, the smell. I mean, you know, we went there and we've seen the room. There was small details like the dates on the table with some bahur, yeah, you know, which is traditional. And you know, these concepts are so new to a place like Wildhouse, you know. And they're new because of your heritage, yeah, you know, and the fact that you are the first, the first East African designer to, well, in fact, no, you're you're not the first African, but uh, we have Tolly. Shout out to Tollin. Tollin, I love him. Yeah, we've had the amazing uh our small island sisters, Tony and and Alex, and I know Claire Gaskin as well. Um they've all been amazing, you know, Hall of Fame for previous years.
SPEAKER_03Honestly, they really set the bar.
SPEAKER_02They really did, they really did, and it's fantastic to see. But you know, in terms of the kind of cultural heritage part, it just was like a nod to your heritage. Yeah, and I think things like that are wonderful, and you should be very proud of yourself for the design that you've created. Um, and I want to talk about you know what's next for you, and us. You know, you mentioned product line potentially in the future, and you know, commercial and hospitality spaces. We can so see that for you from an industry point of view. What you created with the jewel box with the garden folly room, we've all said in the magazine, you know, we can see that being in a hotel. Okay, we can see that being in a luxury lobby, bar, you know, and I and we'd love to see that from you. But I want to hear from you about where you see yourself.
SPEAKER_03Do you know what? I used to have so many plans, and uh life has been interesting, yeah, and I've learned to actually embrace it and just sit in the moment. Uh, and really sit, like for example, now with Wildhouse, I'm just embracing sitting in this moment and taking it all in and really appreciating. Whereas in the past, I've always been like, okay, what's next? What's next? Yeah, you know, just seeing everybody's feedback and reaction. I would love to do a light ink product, maybe. Um, I've worked with gladi lighting in the room, yeah, and we've had so much incredible feedback for the wall lights that I designed with them. So it's a little, you know. You heard that first. Yeah. Maroch, gladi.
SPEAKER_02Let's make it happen. Let's do it. There's no pressure, no pressure, no pressure. Yeah. We could so see the NS collection happening, and it's so reachable. Yeah. You know, it's so reachable. Yeah.
SPEAKER_03I mean, we've always I've always designed bespoke products from for my clients, but I think um I would love to try that route. It's always something I've always wanted to do. I've always been obsessed with designing and pattern and colour and shapes. And um yeah, I think maybe that could be the next step.
SPEAKER_02And and again, that circles back to your surface design degree. You know, I think that foundation for you really is still there. You know, it comes, it comes from that a lot, and it's um it's wonderful to see your talent in so many facets, actually. So, Enas. Yes, I remember having a conversation with you, is it 12 months ago? Yeah, probably just over 12 months ago, actually, or around 12 months ago, and we sat in the design center and we had a conversation. Yeah. What did we have a conversation about?
SPEAKER_03I remember we were sat in the restaurant, and this was after I did the Wild House tour with Homes and Garden next in design, and um, I was so inspired. I was so, so inspired. And I it was actually my first time seeing Wild House. I mean, I've always seen it online, and you know, um, but it was my first time experiencing it and going through all the rooms, and I was just in love. I was in love with everything and all the designers' rooms, and it was so, so creative, and I was so inspired. I left feeling um so enriched, and and I I remember sitting down with you and I was like, Blyn, I'm gonna do Wow House. I don't know when, I don't know how, but I'm gonna do it. And I already know what my room or what it's gonna feel like. I already know the colours I'm gonna use. Like it just came into my head that okay, I'm going to do this. I don't know how, but it's gonna happen. And I already know the feeling I want people to feel when they walk into my room. And it was just insane when I got the email the year after. And um, yeah, I just I couldn't believe it.
SPEAKER_02I really, really couldn't believe it. I remember that conversation very, very clearly, and I remember the determination in your face, in your voice. Yeah, and I remember I'm smiling because it brings me so much joy that it came to fruition. Yeah, you know, it's it's it was written and it absolutely was your time and to see it unfold. I mean, that was 12 months ago. You keep talking about what you want, and as because it obviously comes true, you know.
SPEAKER_03And it's crazy because I thought I was still too early in the game to do wowhouse. Um, I mean, last year I did Homes and I won Homes and Garden next in design, and that was amazing, and that sort of helped me set the pace for Wowhouse.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, but it just goes to show, you know, you may feel that okay, that's not yet. Yeah, not actually. In in other people's mind, the way in which they see you is very different, you know. And I I I there's lots of people that speak so highly of you in this industry, and I think it's a combination of the light that you bring into room, the conversation, you know, you you know your stuff, and it's like people seeing it in you before you see it in yourself sometimes, you know. It happens. We're so hard on ourselves. We don't see, we don't see it, do we? Yeah, no, but it but you to circle back to the community thing you said, this is why the advice you gave about building your community when you're entering this industry is everything you have to put yourself out there, right?
SPEAKER_03Absolutely, it's I it really is the foundation to to keeping you sane in this community and in this sorry, in this industry. Um I have had so many people pour so much love and light and energy and time into um pushing me to to do this. And you know, you're one of my biggest champions. So it's it's you know, it really is such an incredible experience. And like I keep saying before, you are nothing without your with your without your tribe, without your community, and and the people who will champion you and you know get you through the hard times and the difficult moments. So yeah, it's it's been it's been lovely, it's been a journey.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, I'd say to end true success is really when people can advocate for you when you're not in the room. Yes. And I think in your case, Enas, yeah, that's a hundred percent what we all want to do and continue to do. And we're really excited for your next chapter, post Wow House, you know, to continue to see you work on amazing different projects, you know, hospitality, residential, commercial, whatever you want, the sky is the limit. Yes, it is. And we're all here to support you.
SPEAKER_03Thank you. Thank you so much for joining us. Thank you for having me. Thank you so much.
SPEAKER_02Thank you.
SPEAKER_03Thank you.