We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Kilian Camp a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Kilian , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

Élan Design House was founded by myself, and my amazing partners, Alison Green and Kadie Chiera. The three of us met while working at the same interior design firm. About a year after hiring Kadie and Alison, the owner decided to close the business and focus on her family. I was informed early of the closure, which gave me time to explore other opportunities. I went to quite a few interviews at firms of various sizes and realized that I didn’t want to work for someone else again. I had a very dear client call me when he heard the firm was closing. He told me I needed to start my own business and he had my first project ready to go!

The idea of having a business on my own was daunting. I had worked remotely for a firm in Miami for 3 years after I moved to San Diego and I knew that working on my own didn’t work for me. I need to have other designers around me to collaborate with (and decide which of the 6 shades of white paint goes best with the tile). I genuinely loved working with Kadie and Alison. You know when you meet someone and it feels like you’ve known them forever? That’s what I felt with them. We clicked on every level. I spent a few weeks considering the idea of building something together.
Once the closure was announced to the rest of the team, I approached them about starting our own business. The idea came as a surprise, it wasn’t something that either of them had considered. But we went out for drinks and by the end of the day, they were both in.

None of us had originally planned to run a business, but it felt like a natural next step. I transitioned out of the old firm first and began taking on projects right away, while Kadie and Alison split their time between both roles. Having already worked together was invaluable—we entered this new chapter with trust in each other’s strengths and a seamless way of collaborating. We worked from our homes, taking turns with who’s house we would go to. Getting everything set up was relatively easy – we had to get a business license, set up all of our client facing documents, get an account with Studio Designer, and bank accounts. We spent a good deal of time creating our business ethos and marketing material which was very beneficial in creating a cohesive grounded place to build from. We also did a “founders essence” program with our gorgeous photographer, Sarah Shreves. This bonded us further and allowed us to clarify our focus and vision for the business.

Alison and I had both made a name for ourselves in San Diego and we slowly built up our projects until we were in full swing. We are also incredibly lucky to have Kadie, who handles all of the business/accounting/marketing/purchasing, so Alison and I are free to focus on designing!

We moved into our office after the first year and it really helped to have a physical space for us to keep all of our samples, plans, etc and spread out. We kept growing steadily over the next few years and just hired design assistants for Alison and I! We have worked really really hard to get where we are and I’m so happy we took the leap! It is awesome getting to make our own decisions, decide where our integrity lies, and be fully in control of every aspect of our business.

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.

At the core of Élan Design House are the women who make it up – with experiences, perspectives and strengths in balance and a shared passion for making life more beautiful. Our team is committed to creating an environment of empowerment amongst each other and our clients as the visionary for their space and life.

To do something with élan \ā-’län\ is to do it with spirited confidence and style. It is with this intention that Élan Design House guides the discovery, coordination and actualization of each client’s uniquely personal vision for a space in which to most authentically live, to share experiences, to simply be.

Founded by Kilian Camp, Alison Green and Kadie Chiera, the dynamic team behind Élan Design House are experts in their field, known for methodically pushing boundaries and creating intuitively composed spaces that exude a sense of freedom.

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

We keep in touch with clients with quarterly email newsletters, sending gifts to mark the one year anniversary of the completion of their project, and sending cookies when they refer us to their friends. Keeping in touch with past clients is always top of mind and we’re always working on ways to keep in touch that feel genuine.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

I absolutely love getting to create, searching for and thinking of ideas, looking at all of the beautiful tile, slabs, wallpaper, and fabrics and dreaming of what they could become. I love getting into the weeds of a design and obsessing about all of the details. I love collaborating with tradespeople, vendors, contractors, and my fellow designers to then make all of those dreams come to life! It’s really fun to figure how to make an idea work. I’m so lucky to have an amazing team who support each other at the deepest level. And I love when the clients feel the love we put into every detail and appreciate how everything functions just perfectly and is better than they could have dreamed!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://elandesignhouse.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elandesignhouse/

Image Credits

Charlotte Lea Photography