We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful James Fung. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with James below.

Alright, James thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

The biggest professional risk I took was when my business partner Whitney Maehara and I decided to make the creative, financial, and professional investment and take over as Principals and owners of our residential interior design studio NB Design Group (NBDG).

NBDG, based in Seattle, Washington was founded in 1988. I started as a designer with the firm in 2013 and after working closely with the founding principal had the opportunity to purchase the company as co-principal in 2017 when the founder decided that she wanted to retire. While this was obviously an exciting opportunity it was also a huge risk that came with a lot of hefty decisions that had to be made.

While many may think that taking over an established firm is “easier” because there is already a firm foundation in place, I believe it is much riskier because the financial liability is much higher since you don’t have the opportunity to scale up as the business grows organically. Additionally, as a studio, the pressure to operate at the same level as before the transition without skipping a beat can be overwhelming.

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.

My name is James Fung. I am one of the owners and Principal Interior Designers of NB Design Group (NBDG), a boutique studio based in Seattle, Washington specializing in high end residential interiors. We specialize in full service bespoke interiors ranging from custom ground up single family construction to remodels of all sizes.

NBDG is known for our collaborative spirit and for creating spaces that are responsive to our client’s visions. We are proud that we do not stick to one aesthetic for our projects, but really create spaces tailored to each of our projects and clients.

Growing up in the Bay Area, California, I have a multidisciplinary background with a degree in Architecture and work experience in product merchandising and graphic design. It was through Interior Design that I found a field that allowed me to tie all these experiences together and express my business sense and creativity in a productive way.

We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.

My business partner Whitney and I were both hired as designers at the firm about 4 months apart from each other. While we have similar backgrounds (studied architecture, worked on the east coast) we are very different in terms of temperament, works tyle, and even aesthetic. We by no means were instantly friends, in some ways it was almost like oil and water. It took time, many late nights at the office, and what we learned in that time working together is that those differences are what would make us great partners. Our differences allows us to bounce ideas off each other, and more importantly to constantly challenge each other, which makes us better designers.

Today, while we may still differ on many things, the areas where we agree are the most important – that what is good for the business is more important than what is good for us individually, and as AAPI entrepreneurs and creatives, that we want to use our brand and NBDG as a source of community and make sure that we are proud of the identity that we create in our firm.

Can you talk to us about how you funded your business?

As young designers and business owners, taking on the liability and financial responsibility of an established firm was a daunting task! One resource that definitely helped and I hope more businesses take advantage of is the Small Business Administration. They have several resources, including Small Business Loans that can be a huge lifeline to all small businesses. Especially during covid, this was super helpful.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.nbdesigngroup.net/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nbdesigngroup
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-fung-bb882021/
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/jameskfung

Image Credits

Photo 1 (entry with mirror): Kevin Scott
Photo 2 (living room with tv): Kevin Scott
Photo 3 (bedroom with wood walls): Harris Kenjar
Photo 4 (library with blue carpet): Harris Kenjar
Photo 5 (dining room): Kevin Scott
Photo 6 (sitting room with white chairs): Andrew Giammarco