Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Hillary Littlejohn. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hillary, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Getting that first client is always an exciting milestone. Can you talk to us about how you got your first customer who wasn’t a friend, family, or acquaintance?
When I graduated from Southern Methodist University I began a career at a fortune five hundred company in telecommunications. I was just starting out and wanted to own my home. However real estate was expensive in Miami. I would find the best value condo or house in the area on the best street I could afford and add value. I would hire a contractor. I created the design and selected the finishes. This became my second job. I would live in the home for two years and repeat. When I sold I would set a new high market per square foot. Before long my friends, family and friends of friends would ask me for design advice. I was flattered but surprised. One day a family member who had hired an interior designer asked if she could bring him to my home so they could find inspiration for her big gorgeous villa on the water. I was stunned but once again thought it was an isolated incident. One day while having lunch with my dear friend, Morgan she turned to me and said, “Hillary you could be a fantastic interior designer. Quit your job. I am going to be your first client.”. I did and she was my first client. I started small with a handful of clients a year and then three years later I decided to attend design school. I moved to New York and enrolled in Parsons. I graduated from Parsons, moved back to Miami, opened a studio and began hiring a staff. As an undergraduate in college I did not know interior design was a possibility; it was before HGTV and before the advent of the dwell magazines and robust design on-line prescence. So much as changed in the business since 2005 when I started my namesake firm. I feel blessed I am able to do what I love and create beauty.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I am the principal of an interior design firm. I began my namesake firm Hillary Littlejohn Studio Design in 2005. My studio works in both residential and commercial. It brings me happiness to create beautiful spaces. Interior design intersects art history, constructability, visual engagement and lifestyle. The engagement with my clients is emotional and intimate. The residential projects allow me to experiment with luxury bespoke spaces. It is fantastic to see families live, use, and create precious memories in the spaces my team and I design. The commercial projects give the studio the structure of defined timelines and budgets and allow our team to design on a larger scale. The commercial clients are knowledgeable about constructability and want a product that has known variables. It is really exciting to see a high rise emerge from a rectangle of dirt and morph into these spaces that I had the privilege of creating.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
Before I was an interior designer I worked in corporate sales. My second job on weekends and evenings was home renovation. I would purchase homes for myself and fix them up as a way to live a better quality life. I would live in the home for a period of time and then I would then sell at a new market high and use the proceeds to purchase another property. This was before Instagram and HGTV. Design was not as mainstream. I looked forward to the new Elle Decor and Architectural Digest, which were a monthly source of ideas and inspiration. One day a family member called me and asked if she could bring over her interior designer. This interior designer was well-known and based in New York city. The family member asked him to duplicate concepts in my two-bedroom bungalow to her waterfront Villa. Family and friends continued to ask me for advice and I obliged them. One day a friend of mine Morgan Smith nudged me to shift careers and she became my first client. I began taking a three to four projects a year for three years. All the projects came through word of mouth. I decided that to do this properly I needed to return to school. I moved to New York city and attended Parsons. After I graduated, I moved back to Miami, opened a studio, and began hiring other designers and architects to support my growing business. It has been almost 20 years of a career in design.
Can you talk to us about manufacturing? How’d you figure it all out? We’d love to hear the story.
The interior design business is reliant on bespoke manufacturing. Every project is different and having resources of artisans and crafts people is imperative to creating beautiful and functional spaces. I would say the eight most important trades people are: carpenters, painters, upholstery makers, wallpaper installers, rug makers, custom lighting, window treatment workshops, & hardware makers. Our business is one of creating and doing.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hlsinteriordesign.com
- Instagram: hlsinteriordesign
- Linkedin: Hillary Littlejohn
Image Credits
Stephen Karlisch