We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jessica Langdon and Amanda Totoro a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jessica and Amanda, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?

As we started Elio Design Studio, we put a lot of thought into what we wanted our firm name to convey. Knowing that our intent behind design is to create warm and welcoming interiors, we knew we wanted to incorporate that imagery into our name and logo. Through our brainstorming, we came across the word Elio, which is Italian for sun. Not only does the name speak to the type of spaces we strive to create but is also a nod to a study abroad trip in Italy we took together during design school.

Jessica and Amanda, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

We met at O’More College of Design in Franklin, TN where we both earned our BFAs in Interior Design. During and after design school, we followed two different paths. Amanda worked for several high-end residential designers, both locally and abroad. She learned about reputable brands, procurement, and providing a luxury experience for clients. Conversely, Jessica started in commercial design. She worked on a variety of projects, ranging from five-star hotels to multifamily residential spaces to higher education facilities. She learned a lot about the sequence of construction, project management, and working with contractors.

We were both fortunate to have the opportunity to briefly step away from design when our kids were born. Neither of us wanted to abandon design completely and started to work for ourselves, independently. We naturally started to consult each other on our projects, and depending on life events, we started to hand projects back and forth to each other. In 2022, we had a consistent number of projects and decided to start Elio Design Studio.

We created Elio Design Studio with the idea of a luxury residential experience accompanied by a detail-oriented commercial approach to documentation. We have a high level of documentation that is beyond what most residential designers provide. We aim to finalize all selections before construction even starts to clarify the design between our clients, the contractors, and subcontractors. This also helps to cut down on the timeline of actual construction and installation because materials and furnishings can be ordered ahead of time, minimizing downtime for our clients in their homes without having to wait for something to be delivered.

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

We have found that establishing strong relationships with contractors has been successful in generating new client leads. These partnerships allow us to assist contractors by providing selections and the necessary documentation to help projects run smoothly. In turn, they execute the plans we create and help ensure that our clients’ projects are completed successfully.

Any advice for managing a team?

There are many people—clients, designers, contractors, and subcontractors—who come together to work as a team on design projects. We believe that communication and kindness go a long way in creating a positive working environment. Treating everyone as a valuable part of the team and ensuring that everyone’s thoughts and opinions are heard is important to us. It leads to a smoother process and a more enjoyable experience for everyone involved.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.eliodesignstudio.com
• Instagram: @eliodesignstudio

Image Credits

Nursery 1, 2, & 3 – Brian Totoro Productions

All Other Photos – Allison Elefante