We recently connected with Maghara DePaoli and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Maghara, thanks for joining us today. Learning the craft is often a unique journey from every creative – we’d love to hear about your journey and if knowing what you know now, you would have done anything differently to speed up the learning process.

Like many interior designers, I learned most of what I know on the job! I always had an interest in Interior Design and would create mood boards and rearrange my bedroom furniture for fun as a kid. This allowed me to get my foot in the door with a small design firm and learn the basics about running an interior design business that way.

There are so many different ways to operate a creative design studio, working for two different designers (~5 years) was essential for me and acted as a foundation when I was ready to break off and start my own business.

There were times when I wondered if going to school would have sped up my learning process, and I am still unsure. Maybe if my undergrad education was in design that could have sped things up? Spending several years working at other design firms allowed me to mature as a designer before I opened my own studio, which I think has been really positive for me. Of course, starting something from scratch is always a big learning curve but I knew how I wanted to operate from a design and basic operations standpoint when I launched my own business which made it less intimidating.

In interior design, practical experience is so important. There are so many things that have to be leaned on a job site or in client meetings. Client management is not something you can learn in a classroom! One thing I would do differently was learning technical programs sooner. You can always hire out for drawings/drafting but when you just start out on your own, it is so helpful to have the ability to do your own layouts and drawings.

Maghara, 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?

Hello!

My name is Maghara and I am the Founder and Creative Director at Seven Studio, a full service interior design studio based in Seattle and Los Angeles. Seven Studio was born out of my life-long love for design and many years in the industry working for other designers, all with very different signature styles.

My design work at Seven Studio places emphasis on juxtaposition, seamlessly blending contemporary and vintage elements and shapes, to create designs that feel collected and balanced. I am constantly gathering inspiration and new ideas through travel, art and of course, my clients. It is always my goal at the end of a project for clients to be able to see themselves in the space we create together while at the same time crafting something that feels elevated and well-designed.

I have loved interesting, creative, thought provoking and personal spaces from a very young age and creating them is something I always saw myself doing. In college, I thought I should pursued a career in medicine and graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Public Health. Shortly after, I began working in an entry level sales role while at the same time, working for a small interior design shop and studio on weekends. This was my in and I knew pretty quickly that I wanted to make a career in Interior Design happen. It is hard to explain but it clicked for me. I love the creative element, I could always visualize spaces easily and I love working with clients.

Interior design can be quite emotional. Working with people to create a home that feels good and safe and grounding to them is so special and something I never take for granted. I get to know clients on a really deep level and I spend a lot of time with them in their homes with their families. I think my superpower is the ability to take input from clients on their stylistic and functional needs and find a way to elevate them and assemble a room (or home) that feels super personal and collected. After all, I spend all my time immersed in the design world, I love that I can bring knowledge and expertise to my clients, give them new ideas and bring their own style to life in way that feels fresh and curated and beautiful.

Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

Yes! If you are looking to start your own interior design business (or even grow your current design business), I highly recommend a podcast called The Interior Collective by IDCO Studio. The host, Anastasia Casey, interviews accomplished designers from all over the country and they go deep on operations, processes, billing, sourcing, client management – everything! It is something I have been listening to religiously for the last couple of years and wish I new about it sooner. I highly recommend this to anyone looking to learn more about running your own design studio.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

My business is pretty young, but so far, referrals and instagram have been huge for me in getting new clients. Interior design is so personal, people really want to feel like they can trust the person they bring into their home. Because of this, I think referrals are a very common way that many designers get new clients. Instagram is, of course, such a visual platform that it something definitely worth putting time into in order to bring in new business.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.sevenstudiointeriors.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seven.studio.interiors/

Image Credits

Madeleine White
Taylor Roberts