A Different Lens on Interior Design: Lina's Inspiring Journey

Ever dreamed about moving abroad, fighting through language barriers, and launching a successful business? Our guest, Lina, did just that. She's a remarkable interior designer who relocated from Columbia to the U.S., and has since become a local celebrity. Listen up as we chat about her unique journey, her passion for design, and how she has flourished despite the challenges of running a small business in a new country.

With fierce determination, Lina has carved out a name for herself in the saturated world of interior design. Our conversation dives into her distinct style, her knack for tackling tricky client relationships, and how she stands out in the competitive field. Lina also shares her thoughts on popular design trends, and the unique edge her expertise brings to it. From 'Maximalist hyper-color aesthetic' to the art of 'gallery walls,' Lina shares insightful tips that you can incorporate in your own home.

We also take a trip to Morocco in this episode, drawing inspiration from its culture, architecture, and color palettes. Lina provides practical advice on organizing small closets, choosing the right paints for various rooms, and handling common design dilemmas. This episode is more than just a conversation about design. It's an exploration of Lina's life journey, her business acumen and an intimate view into the world of interior design. Buckle up and get ready for an inspiring ride.

Transcript

Lena's Journey as an Interior Designer

Speaker 1 0:00

Welcome , lena . I'm so happy to have you here . Thank you for having me . I'm so happy to be here . Well , the reason why I think that you're a local celebrity is because so I met you a few years back , felt like you were just starting , and I've seen you grow so much throughout the years . You went from being just a small business owner and now you're hiring employees .

Speaker 2 0:25

Yes .

Speaker 1 0:25

Is that right ? Yeah , have you found some ?

Speaker 2 0:28

Yes , thank you . I mean , that's so kind of you . I love the words yeah . Yeah , I have four employees in my company now . Four now yeah , Actually six , but the photographer is . I call her like a part of my team . She does such a good job . She is amazing . I have a new intern and I love her . She is amazing .

Speaker 1 0:51

Is she a ?

Speaker 2 0:52

student . She's a student , she's in the senior junior , she's in her junior year , so I'm happy to help her because that's how I start my career in being an intern . And I have a new designer . He's an amazing kitchen designer . So , yeah , excited for all the growth that is happening .

Speaker 1 1:14

Yes , a lot of growth . So you started back in Columbia . Lena's from Columbia and my family's Colombian too , so we have that in common . So you studied there and then you came to America and you didn't know any English . Yeah , zero , zero , zero . But now , yes , now you know some , you know plenty of English . But I saw a post where you were saying that it was like a barrier . Not only that , you were a woman , a small business , you had this language barrier , but that didn't stop you .

Speaker 2 1:50

No , absolutely Definitely . My accent has been a barrier , but you have to embrace the difference . Yeah , and I think that's a part of me and I can change that , unfortunately no .

Speaker 1 2:03

I think it sets you apart and it's super cute , Thank you . So yeah , tell me a little bit about your background . How did you get ? Why interior design ?

Speaker 2 2:15

OK . So I always knew that I wanted to be interior designer because since I was little I used to rearrange my mom furniture every time my mom's house all the time . So I used to move new coaches and everything all around the house . So I knew that was my path and I didn't have any doubts . I joined the design school . I started my career in interior design and construction and , yeah , I love it . Since then it's been a passion of me and my work .

Speaker 1 2:50

So then you came to the States . What made you just ? Instead of joining a firm , why did you decide to do it on your own ?

Speaker 2 2:57

OK , so after I graduated , I was hired in the same company that I did my internship . I worked there for two years , which was amazing because I gained a lot of experience . This was a company that they used to do design , but focusing on foraging , and I love everything that I learned there . Definitely , when you graduate , you don't know anything .

Speaker 1 3:23

You need experience , you need it .

Speaker 2 3:26

So I worked there for two years , but then I joined another firm which was a construction firm , and they focus on construction , so it was the perfect compliment for my career . Right because you need that , I need that . So I was learning from both worlds . That was amazing , but after that I realized that I wanted to do it on my own .

Speaker 1 3:49

Yeah , you know you're very hands-on . When I see your stuff on Instagram like you are down on the dirt , you have your sledgehammer sometimes and you're using the power tools .

Speaker 2 4:01

Yeah , I always tell the people that I am the handyman of my house . So the handyman because I do everything . I install wallpaper paint . I don't do it for my job anymore , for my clients , I just do it for myself . Probably , if I have to do it , I will do it .

Speaker 2 4:16

And I know how to use a saw , I know how to use a hammer , I know how to hang curtains . I don't know how to install a floor , but painting and everything , I'm super good and I like it . I like to do that . I don't do it for my clients , because I'm not a perfectionist , which for me is fine , but for clients , if they are paying for good results , I need to hire someone that is a professional in that , sure , sure .

Speaker 1 4:40

So cool . And then you didn't start here in the States , you were in Illinois , indiana .

Speaker 2 4:48

Yes . So first one , I moved back . Ok , going back to my life in Colombia , I moved here to the state . The first city that I lived was in Troy . Troy , new York . I lived there for six months . Then I moved to Indiana with Lafayette and I lived there for seven years while we're doing our master's degree and PhD . My husband at that time was doing his PhD and I was studying English as a second language and taking classes , final classes . So then I moved here to Florida eight years ago and here I am .

Speaker 2 5:28

I love my , I'm a Floridian now .

Speaker 1 5:31

So I've seen you go from . Like I said , I think when I met you it was fresh , your business .

Speaker 2 5:40

Yes .

Speaker 1 5:42

And then you kept growing and growing . It was FIT , that kind of . Did you go to a program there that facilitated that ? Like I always admired how you were just like a go-getter .

Speaker 2 5:54

Yeah . So when I moved here , my plan right away was like , hey , I'm going to start my business here , because while I was doing my master's or study in La Porteau , I was working , but like under the table . You know , I wasn't dedicating 100% of the time , but I was working with friends , professors and everybody there . But here I was like , ok , I want to start my business , I want to start my business . But then I got pregnant . I was like , oh gosh , no , I can't imagine working and being pregnant .

Speaker 2 6:23

So I took the decision to be a stay-at-home mom and that was wonderful . I never regretted about it , I enjoyed the time . But I was like , after my son turned two , I was feeling so sad , depressed , and was like I want to get back to work because I love this , I love what I do . But I was scared . I was like , oh my gosh , I don't , because I market change a lot and this industry is growing , growing , growing . You have to be learning all the time , keeping on top , otherwise you're dead . And I was super scared of doing it . But I found out a program that FIT does that is called we Venture . So they help women entrepreneurs to grow their business , and I was like I'm going to join this . So I was in my mind , I was thinking that I wanted to join it , but I never did . You know , when you're not ready , you're not ready .

Speaker 1 7:18

So there is something in it , but it like ruminates in your head and you're like I got to do it . I don't know when , but I got to do it .

Speaker 2 7:23

Because I didn't know how to start a business from zero .

Speaker 1 7:26

And I wasn't scared .

Speaker 2 7:28

So one morning I woke up , I was like you know , two days a day . I called we Venture and they gave me a business coach . Oh , my business coach . Hi , Kali , have you seen this ? I love him so much . He was amazing and he gave me all that confidence that I needed . He's like Lina , you're so good at what you do , You're going to be so successful . I'm supporting you 100% . So he gave me that push and yeah , after that yeah , and they helped me with everything Marketing extra edges .

Speaker 1 8:03

Yeah , I started seeing your Instagram really flourish and you were really pushing yourself .

Speaker 2 8:08

Yeah , all the , yeah . They gave me all the tools on how to start your business legally . Yeah and yeah . Oh , so they helped and you know I had a strong portfolio and I'm confident of my , Of my .

Speaker 1 8:27

Abilities .

Speaker 2 8:27

Abilities , yeah , yeah , or we can I know . So I'm confident and yeah .

Speaker 1 8:34

Yeah , so there's , you know a couple , maybe a few other interior design companies in town . Yeah , but yours stands apart , oh , thank you ?

Speaker 2 8:45

Yeah , you're always kind .

Speaker 1 8:47

It definitely does .

Speaker 2 8:48

You're a big supporter of my work .

Speaker 1 8:50

Absolutely so ,

Stand Out From Competitors and Clients

Speaker 1 8:51

when I know it . How do you think that you stand apart from the other ones ?

Speaker 2 8:55

From the competitors that I don't see it as a competitor . I think there is a clientele for everybody . Yeah , All no designers are created equal , but they all have different clients . So I think my what was the question again ?

Speaker 1 9:13

How do you stand apart , like like you're saying okay , every every client has a different thing . Have you ever taken a client and been like ? You know what ? I think you're better off with my competitor .

Speaker 2 9:25

No , I just let them go . If I see , if I feel that a client is on my feet , I I don't suggest anybody , I just let them go because they have to find their path , you know .

Speaker 1 9:36

Yeah .

Speaker 2 9:36

But I think my difference is because we do . The first one is , I think , expertise and experience . I mean , I have been doing this for 15 years , so the experience definitely is something that you can erase . Personal approach I take my clients seriously and everybody is different , so I take every client differently because every house is different , so I take the time to understand the clients . That needs , the necessities .

Speaker 1 10:07

Yeah .

Speaker 2 10:09

Yeah , that's the .

Speaker 1 10:11

Have you ever bumped on like a really difficult client and how do you ? Deal with that Because I mean there's so much creativity involved that you know yes , but you know I my intuition never fails .

Speaker 2 10:31

So after the first thing that I do with a client is a phone call or a text , after that text you need how the client is going to be .

Speaker 1 10:41

Oh really .

Speaker 2 10:41

Oh , I do how the clients is going to be , you got to feel for it . Yeah , and after the first discovery meeting I get the feeling of the client and if I see the client is not going to be a good fit for me , I try to . I don't let them know , of course , because I don't want to hear anybody feeling . So I don't want to be rude . People get upset Like what .

Speaker 1 11:06

Do you just , do you just tell them like I got too much on the books right now .

Speaker 2 11:11

Oh , I'm so book until that time . No , I didn't say that . I say that so many times .

Speaker 1 11:17

Well , I mean I'm sure it's true A lot of the time you are very booked .

Speaker 2 11:21

I , and I'm so happy that the clients that I got they are so good , because I think good people attract good people . Yes , so I attract . Only 99% of my clientele are such a nice people and I feel , because I'm a nice person and I'm attracting them . Yes , exactly right . Yeah , I'm attracting so my clients . I don't have complaints for them and yeah , all of them are amazing . Yeah , and most of the clients are referrals , which is so important . All their referrals comes from my friends , my clients that we call my friends .

Speaker 2 11:55

So , yeah , I mean you also . You , you go out and you meet people that are like you . They have the same life , life style .

Speaker 1 12:02

So , and then could size you up right away just by looking at your social media .

Speaker 2 12:07

So , yeah , I'm happy to say that my clients are amazing .

Speaker 1 12:11

Do you have business clients too , Not just like personal home redo , my kitchen redo .

Speaker 2 12:18

No , I focus on residential design . That's my expertise , but I have had some commercial clients , yeah . And especially just for my . I do this just for my residential clients , oh , like if they're like they have a business . So , if you hire me for your house and you say hey , lynn , I want to open this , this office or anything , I will help you with that . Yeah , I don't enjoy it so much because the creativity is not so good , yeah , a little stifled and also the building codes and all the codes are different .

Speaker 2 12:52

So if you are building I don't know a dental office which I was called to do yeah , it's from my client , she . She built a dental office with three no like six office there and I the first person that she contacted was me because she was my residential client and I was so honest and I told her I won't take on this job because the codes are totally different , so .

Speaker 1 13:19

I focus on residential residential . Yeah , so you have like a set style that that it's like very clean , very , you use a lot of like wood and elements from nature , but it's also very like luxurious and sleek .

Speaker 2 13:36

Oh , thank you yeah , I really like it .

Speaker 1 13:40

So do you have anything to say about like what ? What inspires you to pick these elements ? Because it's very cohesive ? When you see your page , you know .

Speaker 2 13:49

Yes , I definitely like to use more deep elements , natural elements , but my biggest inspirations are my clients . They always say what is your inspiration ? The client , the client , even the client , know what they want . They just don't know how to put it together . So I always tell my clients I'm here to guide you , to guide you in the best way possible to create your design . I will never impulse , impulse something that you don't want for your house just because it's my . I'm the designer now because it's your house and you need to love your house . So they are my biggest inspiration and they are the best guides . They tell you hey , lina , why won't we do this , that ? And I put all the ideas together and I create a beautiful concept for them .

Speaker 1 14:38

Yes , you do , always , always , thank you . So I want to play a little game with you . It's a rapid fire game and I just want to know a few solutions . Like you know , there's solutions out there for everybody . There's also . Everybody has certain problems . So are you ready to play , I guess ? Okay , so a quick answer for these problems that our listeners out there might have . Okay , all right . First problem what would you do with a space that is too small ?

Speaker 2 15:10

Multifunctional furniture .

Speaker 1 15:11

Oh , multifunctional furniture , multifunctional furniture yes , that's a good one , like so , like an ottoman that can store .

Speaker 2 15:18

Or a man that can store like a futon , that can be a bed .

Speaker 1 15:23

All of that Cool , cool , and the problem of a space is too large , okay , too large .

Speaker 2 15:28

The opposite Rocks . Rocks will help you to put all the furniture together and also grouping furniture . So if you have a living room that is too big , you can create different seating areas for different ambience .

Speaker 1 15:41

And the rocks will kind of set those areas apart .

Speaker 2 15:43

Yes , the rock will set the area Very interesting , all right .

Speaker 1 15:47

What about a space with not enough natural light ? What would you do for that space ?

Speaker 2 15:51

Lighting , of course . And I mean , yeah , get fixtures and paint . Paint can transform any room , right . Bring it up yeah , bring it up and making it look bigger , and also not always light . People always think that light colors will make the room look larger . It depends , depends on the room and depends on the lighting . But painting a wall , like floor to ceiling , in the same color will make the wall look larger .

Speaker 1 16:26

Okay , you see they have baseboard . Yeah , and a wall . Yeah , it'll short it .

Speaker 2 16:32

Yeah , you have to do everything in the same color .

Speaker 1 16:34

Oh , very nice . I've seen you turn on like just really basic rooms into just magnificent , magnificent , luxurious Okay . So what if your client wants to work with you but they cannot replace the flooring ? What do you do for that ?

Speaker 2 16:50

A rug , rugs yeah , rugs will be a good solution . I never suggest painting because paint chips a lot .

Speaker 1 16:58

So , people .

Speaker 2 16:58

You always do that . Can I paint my floor ? No , that's not a good idea . Yeah , it's going to end up looking cheap .

Speaker 1 17:05

Yeah , and then you have to like repair it all the time yeah . No , no . So rugs , rugs . They don't want new cabinets or appliances . How do you update that ?

Speaker 2 17:17

Paint again . Painting the cabinets great solution . Replacing the hardware so you can change the hardware in the kitchen to light it up . Changing , adding , adding different accents , like lighting accents , maybe a shelf .

Speaker 1 17:34

Yeah , so you can update it like that . Okay , what about someone on a small budget ?

Speaker 2 17:39

Small budget , don't do any renovation , just a sped up , just kidding . Small budget report ports Repurpose . So if you have a small budget and you can , you know a really , really good trick is rotating the furniture in your house , the rugs . So if you have a rug in the living room and the dining room , you can't rotate that . And the house will look totally new . I do that . I like to like , refresh , like seasonally .

Speaker 2 18:08

I do that all the time and my house looks new , but I'm using the same stuff that I have . Yeah , you're just rotating and if you have a small budget focus on , I mean you can start doing room by room , or focus is focusing on accent , which is kind of , yeah , the small part of the of the room , but also the most important .

Speaker 1 18:29

Yeah , because it gives it like a pop of character or something . What would you do when you're working with a client and their spouse has completely different ideas ?

Speaker 2 18:39

Oh my god , that's the hardest when they have totally different opinions . You know , most of the time that's the hardest , but I like to do that because I want to have both of them happy . Yeah , because I just let them know to make the decision , because I got an idea , he has an idea , she has an idea . So I was like , ok , you figure it out together , talk together and getting an agreement , and let me know .

Speaker 1 19:06

OK , so you don't mediate ?

Speaker 2 19:07

No , I don't mediate , because I don't want to take yeah . I don't want to take advantage of either one , but , yeah , they have to figure it out and let me know a solution . And when they have and it's always good to have a discussion that's just between both of them .

Speaker 1 19:24

But yeah , that's good . What about do you have a general rule for hanging artwork ?

Speaker 2 19:29

Yes .

Speaker 1 19:29

What is it ?

Speaker 2 19:30

So general rule yeah , if you are hanging artwork with a furniture underneath , it has to be no more than 10 inches From the top of the chair , From the top of the furniture to the artwork .

Speaker 1 19:44

OK .

Speaker 2 19:45

Because that makes the piece be part of the room . Sometimes you see the problem that this is the piece of furniture and the artwork is so high up . No , you have to make that part of the room .

Speaker 1 19:57

So it's not even keeping it eye level . You're working with the actual piece , whether it's like a credenza or a couch .

Speaker 2 20:02

Yes , you work with the furniture that you have and after that furniture is how you hang art . Cool , yeah , these are great . Yeah , and also something important People think because they have high ceilings they have they need to hang the , the artwork really high . I was like no , keep it consistent with the furniture piece that you have there .

Speaker 1 20:20

Very good .

Speaker 2 20:21

So I always say that between 15 inches maximum between the pieces . That's the sweet spot .

Speaker 1 20:27

10 and 15 . Yeah , speaking of ceilings , what would you do if there's a low ceiling ? Is there a fix for that ?

Speaker 2 20:34

Low ceiling . There is no fix for that , but maybe like a paint , that Painting , as I say , painting everything the same color the baseboard and walls and curtains Curvy . If you hang curtains in your house and you do it above the frame 10 inches or more , even touching the ceiling , that will make immediately the house look larger , Cool .

Speaker 1 20:57

And make your eyes go up to the ceiling . Have you ever painted a ceiling ? I ?

Speaker 2 21:00

did . Yeah , yeah , it's terrible , oh my gosh . Don't do it . No , don't do it . Hire a professional Because your neck hurts and you see all the spots . Oh my gosh . No yeah , I have paint , I have done everything .

Interior Design Tips and Travel Inspiration

Speaker 1 21:14

So you're like no to that ? No , ok , one more . What would you do with a really small closet , small closet , small closet , big wardrobe , yeah , what's the solution ?

Speaker 2 21:24

Small closet , get baskets and put things in basket and label everything . So if you have different baskets for everything , things will be more organized .

Speaker 1 21:34

Ooh , I like that . All right , Jessica's one more .

Speaker 2 21:38

Oh , one more no keep it going .

Speaker 1 21:40

All right , paint glossy versus semi-gloss . I always want to go for the gloss , but my husband's always like let's get the egg shell or the same gloss .

Speaker 2 21:48

Well , this is the paint of the room . They're using the paint . Ok , so for bathrooms you can go glossy , and now we are seeing these tendons , that glossy everything , yeah . So I will never suggest flat . Flat is unknown for me . Only for ceilings OK , because flat shows everything . Even they say the flat is washable no . So I will do gloss for walls , semi-gloss for trims or doors OK . Glossy for patterns or kitchen . It's sort of said that you have to clean a lot that gets greasy so it's easy to clean .

Speaker 1 22:26

Easy to clean . Why wouldn't you do a gloss in a bedroom ? What's the idea I mean ?

Speaker 2 22:31

you can do it too , but also the gloss reflects a lot of light , so if you have a spot in your house that gets a lot of sun , you don't want to do that glossy because it will be so shiny and blinding , yeah blinding .

Speaker 1 22:43

Yeah , you don't want to blind .

Speaker 2 22:45

Yeah , you don't want to blind .

Speaker 1 22:46

And then matte versus eggshell , yeah , yeah .

Speaker 2 22:48

Matte versus shell .

Speaker 1 22:49

No matte .

Speaker 2 22:50

No matte Exhell , only matte for ceilings , because matte looks like powder . I don't like it yeah . It looks cheap , even if it is not cheap .

Speaker 1 23:01

Don't do matte , don't do matte guys . All right , that was some good advice , quick advice , awesome . So I know that you have traveled to . You went to Morocco last year . I did , I know it . I think about that because I wonder if you then did you pick it because it was so visually pleasing and you knew you would get some interior design juice , or did you come back being like , oh my god , everything has to be in Morocco now .

Speaker 2 23:29

Did . I pick the trip to Morocco . Yeah , I didn't choose to go to Morocco . My ex he wanted to go . Yeah , it was my 40th birthday . So he said what do you want to do for your birthday ? I was like traveling . Of course I love to travel . So he asked me where do you want to go ? I don't know , you choose . You know what I like .

Speaker 1 23:51

Yeah , so he chose this . Did he make a good choice ?

Speaker 2 23:55

Oh , he was the best choice , that was the best trip . He chose it because of the architecture and all the beauty .

Speaker 1 24:05

It's colorful there .

Speaker 2 24:06

Colorful and also , surprisingly , the tickets were really really good price . So if you want to travel , I brought Morocco . I do want to travel , so I love that trip . Everything the color , the food , the culture , the design , everything was so inspiring .

Speaker 1 24:24

Were you able to bring any trinkets home or anything , any of what Like trinkets or artifacts or anything ?

Speaker 2 24:32

I wanted to bring a rug because the rocks there are amazing . But shipping that here was like double expensive .

Speaker 1 24:40

And you can't stuff it in your suitcase . Yeah , I know .

Speaker 2 24:43

I was like can I fall in ? No , I couldn't , no , I couldn't bring anything that much . But I brought all the inspiration with me .

Speaker 1 24:50

Yeah .

Speaker 2 24:50

Everything is in my mind and my picture , but I love it . Yeah , that was such a beautiful trip , yeah .

Speaker 1 24:58

Have you taken any other trips that have inspired ? Your design elements ?

Speaker 2 25:02

Oh , yes , I mean , I like to travel and I think every trip , as small as it is , can give you any inspiration . So , I've been to Colombia , of course I got a lot . I went to Netherlands , Europe , and I like it . I like that trip too because it's different and I think every culture has something to offer , not only for design but for you personal life . You can learn a lot from learning about from others , how , the way they live , the way they do things .

Speaker 1 25:37

Yeah , it kind of brings you back down to Earth .

Speaker 2 25:39

Yeah , that's , I like

Future Travel Plans and Design Trends

Speaker 2 25:41

that .

Speaker 1 25:41

Do you have any future trips planned or what's your next dream destination ?

Speaker 2 25:46

No , I don't have any plans . I mean , I do want to travel in June , but I always procrastinate . But I want to buy my tickets by January , I don't know where .

Speaker 1 25:58

But I don't know where . No , you don't have anything on your list of places to go .

Speaker 2 26:03

Not yet no . I mean , I want to travel everywhere , everywhere , yeah , right .

Speaker 1 26:08

Around the world trip ? Yes , cool . What about a dream job ? Is there a particular type of house or client that you're like oh I wish I . Or something that you already have in mind ? I know you say you really listen to your clients and you cater to them , but is there something that you're itching to do ?

Speaker 2 26:31

This is going to sound cliche , but I think I am having my dream right now Because , as you mentioned , I start Really small . I start doing bedrooms one bedroom and now I'm doing full house renovations . So that's like my goal and , yeah , I'm enjoying it now .

Speaker 1 26:51

So do you usually do renovations versus like someone's building a house and they want your input right away ?

Speaker 2 26:58

No , I'm also doing new construction .

Speaker 1 27:00

Yeah .

Speaker 2 27:01

So always I mean the dream clients are new constructions , because I think those are easier than renovation . Renovation you can find so many hiccups because renovating an old house , oh , there is so many unknowns .

Speaker 1 27:17

It's already been done so many unknowns .

Speaker 2 27:19

And yeah , the plumbing is rusted , the ceiling is leaking . And then you have to tell the client hey , you're gonna have to pay more than yeah you're gonna have to pay more for that and the walls are not straight , so those are hard there . New build , construction , those are the best , and , yeah , always getting new clients , but I think every client is good .

Speaker 1 27:41

So during COVID , I was like looking at videos where , like you know , the supply was down and they were like piecing together wood and you're like , oh my God , thank God I'm not building a house right now because the quality was just it tanked . Have we got back to a ?

Speaker 2 27:59

baseline . No , yeah , I think the quality is getting better now . Also , the chipman is faster . The prices are kind of the same . They're so high , Unfortunately . Yes , but yes .

Speaker 1 28:12

Share with me some of the more common problems you see with your clientele .

Speaker 2 28:18

Common problems .

Speaker 1 28:19

Yeah , like what are they coming to you for ?

Speaker 2 28:21

Most of the time clients come to me because they have so many furniture big furniture , I mean not knowing the scale of the furniture is huge . You have to know the scale before buying anything . I never buy a share without measuring .

Speaker 1 28:38

Yeah , that's good .

Speaker 2 28:40

People might think , oh , because you are the expert , you just can go and see us like no we need a plan , we need a layout . So the common mistake is buying things without having a plan .

Speaker 1 28:51

Oh , okay .

Speaker 2 28:52

So you need to have a plan first .

Speaker 1 28:53

Yeah , are you still seeing a lot of that like big , bulky brown leather furniture ?

Speaker 2 28:58

Oh , a lot Really Like the recliners to watch TV . I know Georgie no Georgie please , but I'm Georgie . If you have one big recliner , leather couch bulky .

Speaker 1 29:13

Where does that belong ? No , nowhere . Right , it belongs nowhere .

Speaker 2 29:20

Maybe like in a lawyer's office , I don't know it belongs to a big space , yeah , so the problem is that people with small spaces are getting this bulky furniture you don't have . No , you don't need to do that , because that's gonna make your house looks smaller .

Speaker 1 29:35

Yeah .

Speaker 2 29:36

You're cluttered and you don't have room to walk , and so , like I hate my house , no , it's the furniture that you have . Your house is good , but make it functional .

Speaker 1 29:43

Yeah , yeah . But people really enjoy reclining their chair and drinking beers and watching TV , just like put that in the basement , although there's no basements down here , or rare , right , yeah , rare . Do you have a favorite wall color ?

Speaker 2 29:59

Favorite wall color yeah or like a palette that you go by . Right now I have one favorite one that is a la Baster by Sharon Williams . It's a warm white , yeah , and it goes well with every single floor and I love it . It makes the house look so clean , elegant , luxurious . I do like that right now .

Speaker 1 30:20

I like we've been using calm . I think it's a Benjamin Moore Is it a white . It's a off white , a little bit of gray , and then I like Chantilly lace . Oh , chantilly lace is beautiful , right , I like that one . Yeah , I think I just like the song .

Speaker 2 30:34

I'm using that for a house and exterior . And I love that , I love the combo between Chantilly lace and a la Baster . So either one for the ceiling , for the wall that has a good combo .

Speaker 1 30:43

Ooh , good to know . Yeah , they complement each other . Good to know . What about like design trends , Design trends what ?

Speaker 2 30:49

Trends that I hate or love , oh let's hear both .

Speaker 1 30:52

Oh , what what ? Okay , let's start with hate Design trends . You hate Black and white .

Speaker 2 30:56

Oh , really , I mean I love it , but I hate it because I use it too much . Okay , I love it .

Speaker 1 31:01

I hate it . It is a love and hate relationship you know what , about a trend that you're looking forward to .

Speaker 2 31:10

More colors , more color Incorporating more colors . I'm looking for that trend .

Speaker 1 31:14

Well , with that , I think it's time to play our next game . Okay , do it . It's called bury your island or bury it on an island . Oh my God , this is fun , Yay . So I'm gonna ask you a few questions and you're gonna tell me whether you would use it on bury your island or if you would wanna bury it in an island never to be seen again .

Speaker 2 31:40

Okay .

Speaker 1 31:41

Ha , ha ha . So first question how do you feel about fake plants ? 50-50 . 50-50 ? What makes a good fake plant ?

Speaker 2 31:51

It makes a good fake plant , expensive ones , the ones that are made with natural materials like fabric . Those are good Silk , those are good .

Speaker 1 32:00

But no plastic .

Speaker 2 32:01

No plastic . Don't go to Dollar Tree to buy those . No , if you wanna use a fake plant , it has to be good , and those are expensive . Okay so it depends on . Okay , that's like happy , happy , happy , happy . No , that was a good answer .

Speaker 1 32:17

Okay , how do you feel about peel and stick wallpaper ? Bury it , bury it . Yeah , uh , oh , I just did that for my bar Wing , wing , wing , whoops . Can you use it on ?

Speaker 2 32:29

furniture no .

Speaker 1 32:32

No .

Speaker 2 32:32

Maybe furniture ? Yeah , in the back of the furniture .

Speaker 1 32:35

Yeah , you can use it yeah like I said a little accent yes , okay , okay , sorry , peel and stick .

Maximalist Aesthetics and Interior Design Tips

Speaker 1 32:40

What about the new Maximalist hyper-color aesthetic where everything is just green and pink and yellow ?

Speaker 2 32:47

Barrier .

Speaker 1 32:47

Barrier .

Speaker 2 32:49

Why ? Why ? Okay , because we children focus too much on trends .

Speaker 1 32:56

Yeah .

Speaker 2 32:57

Mixing things is good , but doing something in just one style , it's gonna die in a year or so . Yeah , just use a little bit of that . Sorry , I like it .

Speaker 1 33:07

What about gallery walls where it's like floor to ceiling , just artwork , boop , boop , boop , boop , boop , all over a wall .

Speaker 2 33:16

I mean Barrier Island . I could say yeah . No , all over your house but if you have one space to designate it for that , yeah , you can do it .

Speaker 1 33:24

Okay . What about black wall paint ? I know you just mentioned you hate black and white because you've overused it , but Okay .

Speaker 2 33:34

Barrier Island Barrier . I mean if you're using intentional , if it is intentional , do it , but if you're gonna put a black wall and there is nothing black around barrier . Okay , so you have to make it intentional .

Speaker 1 33:47

Intentional .

Speaker 2 33:47

Just pairing it with something else with different elements .

Speaker 1 33:52

I saw you did like an office space with a black wall and it looked so chic .

Speaker 2 33:57

Yeah , it looks perfect because it looks like it was intentional .

Speaker 1 34:01

Yeah , it was intentional . Okay , what about those sliding barn doors ?

Speaker 2 34:06

Barrier for a city house , barrier Island for a barn house .

Speaker 1 34:10

Barn house , yes otherwise , no , okay , what about chalk board walls , which are also black , but chalkboard ?

Speaker 2 34:19

I know barrier . Barrier it those are so messy , and I mean for what ?

Speaker 1 34:24

And then they just turned into white chalk dust you are in the school , so barrier . You're not at school , don't use that . What about a floating nightstand ?

Speaker 2 34:35

Barrier .

Speaker 1 34:36

Barrier Island .

Speaker 2 34:37

Those are for small spaces .

Speaker 1 34:39

Yeah .

Speaker 2 34:40

They can make your space look elegant and clean .

Speaker 1 34:44

Okay , cool , cool Monochromatic rooms . The whole room is full of blue hues .

Speaker 2 34:51

Barrier , barrier , don't do it . Yeah , you have to mix color , and if you're gonna use the same color , you cannot repeat it more than so many times .

Speaker 1 35:00

Isn't there like a 80-20 rule ? Do you go by that 60-30-10. ?

Speaker 2 35:04

60-30-10 . 60-30-10 . Because 60-30-10 . I don't go by that room , you know . I am so good at color , honestly . No , I believe you so that's one of my strengths color . I understand color so well and I mix . I'm really good at mixing colors in the same room and I can use the same color in the same room but different hues . So it's not like overpowering , I'd say yeah , yeah , okay , one more .

Speaker 1 35:32

And this is when I just saw somebody use a curtain for a headboard .

Speaker 2 35:38

Curtain for a heartboard ?

Speaker 1 35:39

Yeah , they just put it behind their bed .

Speaker 2 35:41

Behind their bed with nothing on it .

Speaker 1 35:45

There was no window . It was just for the purpose I need to see .

Speaker 2 35:49

I need to see it to make a decision .

Speaker 1 35:51

Okay , I need to see it .

Speaker 2 35:52

Something to look forward to oh , but yeah , you don't know what is behind the wall . It might be functional .

Speaker 1 35:58

Yeah , no , they were just using it . As a decor as a decor . They didn't even put it all the way up to the ceiling either .

Speaker 2 36:05

It was like no if it is just if it is a small room , don't do it . Bear it if it is a big room . You can do it . Because , there is so many elegance room that they do that , especially in hotels . Yeah , but yeah , I don't think a regular house , florian house , can use that . Yeah .

Speaker 1 36:21

I know it seemed weird , but I thought I'd get your expert opinion on that . Oh , those were good . Thank you for playing Yay , Yay , um , speaking of doors , so I have bought a house with all pocket doors and I heard you just had a story recently about pocket doors .

Speaker 2 36:45

Love them , you love them , love pocket doors . They are so functional because doors are always in your way .

Speaker 1 36:52

Yeah , they're swinging .

Speaker 2 36:53

Swinging all the time .

Speaker 1 36:54

So you're a fan , those are perfect .

Speaker 2 36:56

I'm a fan of pocket doors . My house has pocket door . My house was built in the 70s . 70s was the era of pocket doors .

Speaker 1 37:03

Of pocket doors .

Speaker 2 37:04

And all the old houses have pocket doors . People is like what is this ? But if you have a smaller space , what is better than a pocket door ? I mean if you have a small bathroom , better than a pocket door . And nowadays they do it different . They do it in glass , all the materials that you can imagine .

Speaker 1 37:20

Are they easy to okay . So I have pocket doors , but I have one thing that really bothers me about them , and it's just because I have kids . They're always leaving them open . Is there a way to have them shut on their own ?

Speaker 2 37:33

Oh , maybe , yeah , Maybe you can change the rail and I'm not an expert of that . But maybe you can change the rail and do it like soft closing , soft close or something like that . But don't get rid of the pocket door .

Speaker 1 37:47

Yeah , I don't want to .

Speaker 2 37:48

I mean , yeah , that's the pros and cons , because if you want to hide the mess , the way that they are perfect for the smallest space .

Speaker 1 37:56

Well , I just want to keep the dog out of certain rooms .

Speaker 2 37:59

Oh , you can use . There is a rail pocket door , is that right ? A rail pocket door for dogs , so you can get that too .

Speaker 1 38:07

Oh , what is it Like the door cutting half yeah .

Speaker 2 38:12

Not cutting a half , but it's a pocket door that you install in the same way that you do the regular pocket door , but it's just for dogs .

Speaker 1 38:20

Dogs for dogs , well , I want them out . So that's why I'm like , okay , the girls will never close the door themselves , I just need the door to close itself . Same thing happened with one of our swinging doors and we got one of those hydraulic systems that when you're opening it it just shuts .

Speaker 2 38:36

But no matter what , I Google no , you have to put a sign Close the door , close the door .

Speaker 1 38:41

Close the door . That's a better solution . All right , Lena , it's time for me to surprise you with something .

Speaker 2 38:50

Well , okay , what .

Speaker 1 38:51

Okay , I need you to close your eyes .

Speaker 2 38:54

No , jessie's gonna help me . This is scary , Jessie .

Speaker 1 38:59

Well , no , so okay . So October's over . That nasty little eclipse moon is done , oh , yes . And here we are in November , my birthday month . That's exactly right , it's your birthday month , and as for me , I'm Leo . I like to celebrate all month long . So since this is the beginning of that time , I thought that we can use Close my eyes now , yeah , let's no , no , oh , you can use that . Ha ha ha . It's coming , it's coming .

Speaker 2 39:32

I'm gonna close my eyes , but what is ?

Speaker 1 39:36

it . I think it's coming .

Speaker 2 39:38

No .

Speaker 1 39:42

What is it ? It's something it's coming . Is that birthday cake ? Birthday time ?

Speaker 2 39:51

Is that a personal dance ? Ooh .

Speaker 1 39:55

Happy birthday , Lena . You can open your eyes .

Speaker 2 40:01

No , that's true . Ha , ha ha .

Speaker 1 40:06

Why it's a new year for you . Oh it's so cute . You are a celebrity . Oh my gosh . Ha , ha ha .

Speaker 2 40:14

Let's celebrate .

Speaker 1 40:15

Celebrate not only you being here with us on our second show , but also being such a success in town . Oh my God , you're such an inspiration .

Speaker 2 40:25

Thank , you so much you are so kind . You are really supporting my business . You too , of course , oh , you know I was I'm afraid of the pop . I was expecting everything by this . Thank you , ooh Ha ha ha .

Speaker 1 40:38

Cheers to you , madam Champagne . Oh Okay , and now you have to make a wish first .

Speaker 2 40:46

I will make a wish , of course .

Speaker 1 40:48

Are you superstitious if you share your wish , Will it come true ?

Speaker 2 40:53

No , I'm not superstitious . Yeah , do you want me to ?

Speaker 1 40:56

share the wish ? No , if you want to , it's up to you . No , it's fine , just make it .

Speaker 2 41:00

Make it a wish , okay .

Speaker 1 41:06

Ooh , it's gonna be a great year for you , babe . I thank you so much , Cheers mama .

Speaker 2 41:13

I like these glasses , oh yes .

Speaker 1 41:15

Only the best for you . Here at local celebrity , I treat my celebrities like real celebrities .

Speaker 2 41:22

Yes , you look like a real celebrity .

Speaker 1 41:24

You are , you totally are , ha ha ha Mm-hmm Well . Lena .

Speaker 2 41:31

Really good , thank you .

Speaker 1 41:33

Share with us all your handles . Where can we get in touch with you if we need a renovation job ?

Speaker 2 41:43

So you can get in touch with me through my social media Barrier Island ID . Id for our interior design For interior design and I'm in Facebook , instagram , my website yes , awesome , so you can find all my email .

Speaker 1 42:02

Okay .

Speaker 2 42:02

My phone number .

Speaker 1 42:03

And are you .

Speaker 2 42:03

Everything is public . Great , great , great .

Speaker 1 42:07

Do you wanna share a little something , something that you have what your giveaway ?

Speaker 2 42:14

Oh , yes , so I have a thank you for having me here , absolutely . Thank you for the opportunity . This was great , out of my comfort zone totally , but it's fun . It is so fun , I love it so much and I have a gift for your listeners . Ooh , I like the sound of that Because it's my birthday month , so you're gonna get the gift .

Speaker 1 42:37

Awesome .

Speaker 2 42:38

I'm giving away $100 . Oh my gosh For to shopping in a local store that I love so much and we have vintage .

Podcast Announcement and Sponsor Recognition

Speaker 2 42:50

Okay , I don't know what is the dynamic is going to be . You share it later with the listeners . But yes , Awesome .

Speaker 1 42:59

Okay , so listeners , stay tuned for your chance at a $100 gift card , which is perfect for the season of giving . Yes , awesome . Thank you , lena , so much . Thank you , nicole , I look forward . You guys can come back whenever you want , I will Thank you for having me .

Speaker 1 43:15

I love the opportunity . Awesome , thank you , and thank you for listening . We'll see you again next time with a couple of gentlemen , and that's all I'm gonna reveal for now . See you later , bye , bye , bye . This podcast is brought to you by Place Pros commercial and investment real estate and NikoTour Boutique , your one-stop shop . Your one-stop shop for everything cool . To be a sponsor or nominate a guest , hit us up on the socials Next time . Stay tuned for the hottest musician in town . Bye .