Meet Olivia…Senior Designer at EMID. She has been pouring her heart and soul into every project for the past two years, and kicking ass at the same time. Today I got to sit down with Olivia and get a little personal.
“Currently, I would say my favorite design is minimalist, Scandinavian with a little bit of an industrial edge. “
Erin: When did you realize that interior design was a calling that you had to pursue?
Olivia: Well, I’d have to say that I discovered design by accident. Before going to law school, I helped my mom remodel our lake house and loved the process. At that point, I toyed with the idea of becoming a designer, but I never pulled the trigger. I continued to play with design personally and work with my parents on their projects. When my husband and I moved to Fresno, I took on my first big solo project and remodeled my personal residence, a 2200 SF house in Woodward Lake. This house sort of became my calling card and friends around town started asking for help on their projects. Soon, I was contacted by you and asked to join the EMID team. It was a very organic process. Really, design found me before I found it!
Erin: Tell me a little bit about your design style.
Olivia: My design has evolved over time. I started very industrial, city loft vibe. Currently, I would say my favorite design is minimalist, Scandinavian with a little bit of an industrial edge. I like to incorporate organic elements in my styling to soften the finished look.
Erin: What Instagram feed are you obsessed with at the moment?
Olivia: Hands down I give the most “likes” to @est_living. Everything thing they do is clean, organic, textural, and amazing.
Erin: What are your favorite online retailers?
Olivia: McGee & Co. has a well curated collection of unique furniture pieces. Shoppe Amber Interiors for pillows and textiles. CB2 is a great resource for inexpensive, but good quality furniture and lighting. Food52 has kitchen items that are both beautiful and utilitarian, which are great for kitchen styling. Anthropologie is great for furniture and general styling.
Erin: Give me one design tip that can help improve any space?
Olivia: Less is more. Eliminate the tchotchkes!
Erin: When you first came to EMID you did a ton of styling. Give me your take on this niche design discipline.
Olivia: I LOVE styling! I think you can have a ho-hum design and take it next level with good styling. It’s great for people on a tight budget that can’t afford all new furniture but need a refresh. Styling is really the lipstick that finishes a design project. I also love styling because you can have a neutral palette of furniture and completely change the design by changing the styling. This allows people who like change to continually work on a space with very little investment.
Erin: How do you balance it all: work, kids, life?
Olivia: Well, luckily we’re both moms, so I feel like we’re on the same page when it comes to taking time off for school events or a sick kid. That’s the nice thing about design, it can be done from anywhere, so if I don’t finish something at the office I can always work on it after the kids are asleep. Also…I have the best nanny in the world, so I know that even though I might not be home with my kids they are being well taken care of by someone who loves them. I couldn’t do it otherwise. Working has really made me a better mom because I’m a happier person. I need the creative outlet, otherwise I would be driving my husband and friends crazy, lol.
Erin: Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
Olivia: Well, I think probably doing more of the same. Working, mom-ing, wife-ing. Hopefully I will have more opportunities to work on projects that are congruent with my personal design style. Eventually, I would like to open a brick-and-mortar furniture store in Fresno so that we can provide a curation of our own favorites for our clients.