We recently connected with Nikolina Fridman, the CEO and Co-Founder of Stockhomed, and have shared our conversation below.
Nikolina, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear the backstory behind a risk you’ve taken – whether big or small, walk us through what it was like and how it ultimately turned out.
A few years ago, I was working in a steady job that I enjoyed, but I knew that I had more potential than what I was currently doing. I had always dreamed of doing something else, something for myself, but I was hesitant to take the leap. When Simone Elderot, my now business partner, spoke about starting an Interior Design company (Stockhomed) in the US and asked if I wanted to be apart of it, I knew that it was time to take that leap.
There were definitely challenges along the way. One of the biggest was the uncertainty that came with starting something from scratch. The uncertainty of investing a significant amount of time into something without knowing if it will yield any returns is a risky proposition. But we poured ourselves into the work and tried to learn everything that we could about the ins and outs of the business and our industry. We have been determined to make our dream into a reality, and today we live that dream, and we’re constantly growing.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am Nikolina Fridman, the CEO, and co-founder of Stockhomed, a Scandinavian interior design and decoration company based in the United States. My passion for creating beautiful projects that reflect Nordic design principles stems from my upbringing in Sweden. I have always been fascinated by the clean lines, functionality, and minimalism at the core of Scandinavian design.
My journey in the industry started when I returned to Sweden after a year in California and completed an extensive course in web design. Shortly after, I became a co-founder of Stockhomed and built the company’s website, which allowed us to share our expertise and services with the world.
What sets Stockhomed apart is our commitment to sustainability and animal-friendly products. We believe that good design should not come at the expense of our planet and its inhabitants. That’s why we use only vegan and cruelty-free materials in our designs, ensuring that we leave a positive impact on the world.
We offer a range of services, including space planning, color consulting, material selection, and custom furniture design. We work closely with our clients to create spaces that reflect their personalities and style while keeping functionality and sustainability in mind. Additionally, we offer plant decoration services, which add a touch of green to spaces and help to purify the air.
I am most proud of the team we have assembled at Stockhomed. Our company is women-owned and operated, with both myself and our interior designer, Simone Elderot, being raised in Stockholm. We are passionate about design and work hard to ensure that our clients get the best possible experience. Our goal is to create spaces that our clients will love for years to come and that reflect our passion for design.
Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?
It would be my pleasure to share with you the story of how Simone Elderot, the founder of Stockhomed, became my business partner. Simone and I met in college in Los Angeles, California, where I was studying fashion merchandise and she was studying Real Estate. We immediately hit it off and became best friends, spending our weekends hanging out at the beach or going out to clubs together.
Years later, we both found ourselves living in Sweden, where Simone shared her idea for Stockhomed and her plans to launch it in the USA. I was immediately drawn to the idea and wanted to be a part of it. As we discussed our expertise in different areas of the business and worked on a portfolio for Simone, I ended up building an actual website for Stockhomed.
Today, stockhomed.com is one of the top 10% best-optimized websites, with archives, a newsletter, a portfolio, and a blog called The Scandinavian Style Savant. Our shared passion for design and our desire to create a business that would bring beauty and functionality to people’s homes, inspired by our Scandinavian heritage, led us to join forces.
After my time in Sweden, I moved to Hawaii with my husband, while Simone and I continued to work together remotely to bring our vision for Stockhomed to life. It has been an incredible journey so far, and I feel lucky to have such a talented and dedicated founder like Simone by my side. Our shared love for design and commitment to sustainable and functional interiors have helped us build a business that we are both truly proud of.
Have you ever had to pivot?
Absolutely! I had spent many years working in the retail fashion industry, fueled by my love for design. However, I realized that my passion for design wasn’t limited to just one space and that there were other areas where I could explore my creativity. Given my interest in tech and education in the graphic industry, I began to think about how I could blend these two passions together.
Growing up, I was always fascinated by technology. My dad and brother used to build computers from scratch, and at the dinner table, we would discuss everything about technology. In my spare time, I would design and code my own blogs using HTML and CSS, not knowing at the time that this could actually be a profession. So when I decided to make a change I started to dive deeper into web design, taking courses, reading books, and working on projects in my free time until I felt confident enough to start freelancing and building websites for clients.
When Simone told me about her vision for Stockhomed I saw the potential for creating something truly innovative and valuable for customers, and that’s how I created our website Stockhomed.com. Getting out of your comfort zone isn’t always easy, but each challenge was a learning experience that helped me grow both professionally and personally.
Now, I’m running a successful business together with the founder Simone that I’m truly passionate about. Looking back, I’m grateful for the experience of having to pivot because it brought me to where I am today.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.stockhomed.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nikolinafridman/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikolina-fridman-93545438/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/stockhomed