The Chaise Lounge Podcast

Welcome! In this week's Chaise Lounge, Nick May sits down with Nike Onile, creator of Of Things Ode in Toronto, Ontario.Nike, like many guests we've featured on the show, had an artistic inclination at a young age but became an interior designer at a later part of her life. Coming from a Nigerian family, she was required to choose between a career in medicine, law, or engineering. Her parents were accepting of her interest in art but only saw it as a hobby. Nike studied bio-technology and worked in Pharma for a few years - but not without working design projects on the side for a few clients. This resulted in her getting an administrative position at Studio Munge, one of Canada's leading design firms. Despite this transition being a professional and personal risk, it was the golden opportunity for Nike to start doing something she knew she would enjoy.While at Studio Munge, Nike continued working on her side projects, now under her own brand 800 Sq. Ft. She then created The Apartment, a small space that she re-shuffled and re-decorated to tell a story about an imaginary owner. This became an incredibly popular attraction, much to Nike's surprise. This project made Nike reflect on her goals as an interior designer. She took a 2-year break to focus on developing her brand. Eventually, Of Things Ode was born, and Nike's goal is to design spaces so they reflect the personality and story of the owner.Be sure to check out Of Things Ode at www.ofthingsode.com and follow Nike Onile on Instagram @nikeonile!Headshot photo by Angie Choi.

I realized that the work I was actually doing was not just focused around design. It was a holistic experience. It was about people, it was about telling stories through space... The point of it were the people.

Nike Onile

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High Point Market – October 16 – 20, 2021

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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!

We hope you're prepared, because this week on The Chaise Lounge we had the honor to interview Fiona Barratt-Campbell, one of Britain's most prolific figures in the interior design industry.Fiona's success as an entrepreneur and designer can be traced back as early as her childhood. Her parents worked in retail, and instilled in her a strong work ethic - and she truly enjoyed the fast-paced nature of the retail environment. Her biggest inspiration to become an interior designer was her grandfather, Sir Lawrie Barratt, founder of Barratt Homes, one of the largest residential development companies in the United Kingdom.After completing her Art Foundation in the UK, Fiona traveled to New York where she studied interior design at Parsons School of Design. She got an internship at Victoria Hagan, was interviewed by Richard Branson's board and landed an envied position to work at Virgin hotels. Finally in 2006 she opened her own design studio: Fiona Barratt Interiors. Ever since, Fiona's stunning work can be found in many countries all over the world. She prefers working with a small team, which empowers her to also focus on side projects such as her own furniture line.Be sure to check out Fiona's furniture collection at fbc-london.com, and follow her on Instagram @fionabarrattinteriors

Interior design is a hard business because it's very personal... It's a real gift that you've been given, that somebody's put that trust in you to design their home.

Fiona Barratt-Campbell

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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. 

Our Events Page

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See what our sponsors can do for you.

Upcoming Markets

High Point Market – October 16 - 20, 2021

More About Our Sponsors

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!

Hi there! We hope you are prepared because this week in the Chaise Lounge, we are joined by Jill Howard, founder of Jill Howard Design Studio.Growing up in a small town in the mountains of Virginia, Jill was not aware that one could become an interior designer. All she knew was that good grades meant becoming a doctor or a lawyer. She went to the College of William and Mary to pursue the former, only to find it was not the field for her. Later, Jill entered the world of music, which led to her studying music business (and meeting her future husband.) She purchased a house and found herself decorating it frequently. This gave her plenty of experience in business and a revelation for her new dream career.Jill entered the New York School of Interior Design. Through hard work and a strike of luck, she worked with some of the largest names in the world of interior design, including Tom Scheerer and Jesse Carrier. 10 years later, Jill and her husband moved to Charleston, where she opened her own design studio. Her business experience came in handy, as she established systems and processes early on. There was still some trial and error, but nothing that she couldn't handle. The studio is performing greatly, and Jill is working on a furniture line with a local maker. Keep an eye out for that!Check out Jill Howard's gorgeous portfolio at jillhoward.com/, and follow her on Instagram @jillhowarddesign!

Success is all about hard work, for sure. But there's always some luck at play.

Jill Howard

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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. 

Our Events Page

Resources

See what our sponsors can do for you.

Upcoming Markets

High Point Market – October 16 - 20, 2021

More About Our Sponsors

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!

Hello! Glad to see you around. This week in The Chaise Lounge, Nick chats with Rebecca Hay, owner of Rebecca Hay Designs in Toronto, Canada.Though interested in interior design and entrepreneurship at a young age, Rebecca didn't enter the field until after experimenting with other careers. Initially she wanted to be an actress and a teacher. She went to school for musical theater, though she didn't feel ready for the stage just yet. She then graduated in political science and cultural studies.Later, Rebecca traveled to Spain to teach English, but was turned off by the bureaucracy and strictness of the work. When she returned home, she couldn't decide whether to study design or pursue an acting career. While Rebecca eventually landed a few acting gigs, they didn't allow the freedom and creativity that she yearned for.Finally, she went back to college for her true love, interior design. After a few years of being a designer, Rebecca started her own podcast, Resilient by Design, which aided her in networking, collaborating with other designers, and forming friendships.Be sure to check out Rebecca's podcast Resilient by Design at rebeccahay.com/podcast, and follow her on Instagram @rebeccahaydesigns!

For me it's all about collaboration over competition... we are stronger when we help each other out. We're not each other's competition, we all offer something unique.

Rebecca Hay

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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. 

Our Events Page

Resources

See what our sponsors can do for you.

Upcoming Markets

High Point Market – October 16 - 20, 2021

More About Our Sponsors

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!

Welcome back to The Chaise Lounge! On our season finale, Nick sits down with two guests! First he interviews Mark Lavender from M. Lavender Interiors in Chicago, an interior design firm that focuses exclusively in residential projects.Fascinated with blueprints, Mark studied architecture in the University of Kentucky. He worked for two prestigious architecture firms, working mostly in healthcare projects. M. Lavender Interiors came about when Mark realized he enjoyed working with other designers in residential development.Mark found building hospitals an incredibly noble pursuit; he puts the utmost care and attention in every house his company works in, so that anyone's dream house can become a reality.Next up, we have Gail Doby, co-founder and CEO of Gail Doby Coaching & Consulting. Friend of the show, and always a pleasure to talk to, Gail's excited to announce the release of her new book - and of course she and Nick hang out for a little while.Be sure to visit Mark Lavender's interior design website, www.mlavenderinteriors.com, and follow M. Lavender Interiors on Instagram @mlavenderinteriors!Also, don't forget to visit Gail Doby Coaching & Consulting at www.gaildoby.com, and follow Gail on Instagram @gail.doby

I felt noble about doing healthcare... it's great! It was complicated... making sure materials and people and your experience and everything worked through... and I took that piece and started to apply that to residential.

Mark Lavender

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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. 

Our Events Page

Resources

See what our sponsors can do for you.

Upcoming Markets

High Point Market – June 5 - 9, 2021

More About Our Sponsors

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!

Greetings! In this week’s The Chaise Lounge, Nick May interviews Margarita Bravo, industrial engineer turned interior designer, with experience in finance.Born in Venezuela, Margarita has been fascinated with construction since she was a child. Watching her grandfather build things from nothing inspired her to enter the field. She worked for an oil and gas company until she moved to Denver, CO. Since she could not find a house she liked, she and her husband built their own house and found she enjoyed interior design.Today, Margarita has her own business where she can do makeovers, or make new houses for people moving to Denver. She is also starting a home décor rental business and a furniture business.Visit Margarita Bravo's website, www.margaritabravo.com, and check out her home décor rental business at www.louisandrocco.com. Also make sure to follow her on Instagram @margaritabravo__

I just love what I do. I'm very passionate about it. Every single project, I'll take like it's my own house.

Margarita Bravo

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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. 

Our Events Page

Resources

See what our sponsors can do for you.

Upcoming Markets

High Point Market – June 5 - 9, 2021

More About Our Sponsors

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!

Welcome! In this week’s Chaise Lounge, Nick May chats with Eddie Maestri, owner of Maestri Studio in Dallas, Texas. His business offers architecture services, interior design, finishing and landscape design.

Architecture has been an important part of Eddie's life since childhood. After graduating from Texas A&M with Master's Degree in Architecture, he worked on an architecture firm and would do architecture work on the side for his friends. During the market crash of 2008, Eddie decided to take his side gig full-time, and today he runs his own architecture and interior design firm, as well as his own art gallery.

Visit Eddie Maestri's website, www.maestristudio.com, and check out his business Instagram @Maestristudio, or his gallery Instagram @Maestrigallery.

I think it just takes education, to help them understand how it works and I've been trying to get better and better at explaining that and to adjust their expectations.

Eddie Maestri

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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.

Our Events Page

Resources

See what our sponsors can do for you.

Upcoming Markets

High Point Market – June 5 - 9, 2021

More About Our Sponsors

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!

Welcome!  On this week's Chaise Lounge, Nick May sits down with Christian Daw, from Christian Daw Design.  Christian started as a lawyer before making a career switch.  However, while going through school, Christian would flip houses on the side. 

Nick and Christian discuss his transition to the design world, the origins of Christian's company, and how he built his company in three short years.

Follow Christian Daw on Instagram @Christiandawdesign!

I just kicked myself in the ass and was like don't let this ever happen again. So that just meant it's not about the money, just hire.

Christian Daw

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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.

Our Events Page

Resources

See what our sponsors can do for you.

Upcoming Markets

High Point Market – June 5 - 9, 2021

More About Our Sponsors

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!

High Point Market is only 2 months away!  On this week's episode of The Chaise Lounge, Nick May sits down with Keita Turner from Keita Turner Design, Thom Filicia from Thom Filicia Incorporated, and Ashley Grigg, Director of Marketing Communications at High Point Market Authority.  With High Point Market quickly approaching, they discuss Fall High Point Market 2020, and what precautions they took then to be a safe environment and what they are doing to remain safe in June.  They also talk about some of the silver linings for having to work around COVID, and what benefits were created from that.High Point Market is June 5 - 9, 2021.  To register head over to highpointmarket.org/register.Check out everyone's website or follow them on Instagram:Keita Turner - www.keitaturnerdesign.com, www.livvyandneva.com, @KeitaTurnerDesignThom Filicia - www.thomfilicia.com, www.sedgwickandbrattle.com, @ThomFiliciaAshley Grigg - www.highpointmarket.org, @HighPointMarket

There were some editors that would see me posting and they're like "Oh my God, I'm having F.O.M.O (Fear of missing out)"

Keita Turner

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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. 

Our Events Page

Resources

See what our sponsors can do for you.

Upcoming Markets

High Point Market – June 5 - 9, 2021

More About Our Sponsors

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!

Welcome! In this week's Chaise Lounge, Nick May sits down with John Robert Wiltgen from John Robert Wiltgen Design, Inc. based in Chicago, IL.  John Robert Wiltgen is currently retired after being an interior designer for 40 years.

John shares his experience with Nick, from how he got started in the design world to starting his first company with a former classmate to even working with the Nigerian government.  With 40 years of experience, John also reflects on what made him so successful along with giving his opinion on what up-and-coming designers should do to succeed in the design world.

Check out John Robert Wiltgen's blog, www.thecandyinmypocket.com, also on www.jrwdesign.com and follow John Robert Wiltgen Design, Inc. on Instagram @johnrobertwiltgendesigninc!

The reality of it is, you really just don't know until you try and you shouldn't limit yourself because someone tells you something.

John Robert Wiltgen

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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.

Our Events Page

Resources

See what our sponsors can do for you.

Upcoming Markets

High Point Market – June 5 - 9, 2021

More About Our Sponsors

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!