We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Caroline Ofe. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Caroline below.
Hi Caroline, thanks for joining us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?
My parents encouraged me from a very young age to consider entrepreneurship and the pros of being your own boss. They wanted to make sure I never felt any pressure to perform a certain way or do what anyone else wanted me to do. They really instilled in me the value of hard work, relationships, and pursuing my dreams! They also have helped me every step of the way- from watching my kids when we had unexpected things come up, to even my sweet dad showing up at one of my first installs and assembling furniture for over 12 hours! I felt like I couldn’t fail with such an awesome support system.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I live in Dallas, Texas with my husband Nate, our two daughters, Mercy and Grace, and our always-shedding dog, Duke. I am the owner and Head Designer at The Look by Lina Interior Design Firm.
I started the Look is 2020, first helping just family and friends and it has slowly grown since then. Since launching The Look, our focus on excellence, forward-thinking design, and thoughtful collaboration with architects and artists, has served clients all over Texas.
We believe enthusiasm is contagious and are always asking how we can give our clients a luxury experience that is actually enjoyable and fun?
We serve both residential and commercial clients to create spaces with magazine worthy-aesthetics and functional livability.
We have three primary goals at The Look.
#1. To help our clients take all the things they love and discover exactly what Look they want for their home.
#2. Make that Look a beautiful and livable reality. We want your space to not only have magazine-worthy aesthetics but also to be functional for you and your family’s lifestyle.
#3. Achieve goals #1 & #2 all while honoring your budget.
Our design services include residential new construction, renovation, and full furnishing projects, as well as commercial projects. This includes interior space planning, furniture selection and layout, architectural detailing, materials, finishes and fixtures selection, lighting design, artwork selection and accessories. We believe a home should be a peaceful and meaningful ground zero for our clients’ beautiful lives.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
I believe what helped build our reputation in the market is a combination of hard work, transparency, timeliness, and extreme kindness. From the start, we’ve committed to consistently putting in the hard work required to exceed expectations and deliver high-quality results. Being transparent with our clients and partners has fostered trust and open communication, which is crucial in any business relationship. We also understand the importance of timeliness – meeting deadlines and staying responsive is key to building credibility. In an industry known for unexpected delays and costs, we try our very best to actually be early, fun, and honor our client’s budgets. Finally, we prioritise kindness in all our interactions. Treating people with respect and empathy goes a long way in establishing long-lasting relationships and creating a positive reputation. These values have been at the core of everything we do, and they’ve helped us build the reputation we have today.
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
When I first started out, I felt the need to take on every opportunity and project that came my way. I ended up working more but earning less. Over time, I’ve learned the hard way how important it is to assess whether a project is the right fit for The Look. It’s crucial to be willing to turn down projects if they’re not aligned with our strengths. Our goal is to provide every client with the best possible service, and sometimes that means referring them to another firm that may be a better fit for their needs.
Contact Info:
- Website: thelookbylina.com
- Instagram: @thelook.bylina
- Facebook: @thelook.bylina
- Linkedin: The Look by Lina
Image Credits
Photography: Luke Marshall