The story behind Urbanology Designs’ elevated office remodel,

This office belongs to HGTV’s Designer of the Year – Urbanology Designs. The interior design team’s workplace used to be an old, dilapidated firehouse until they got their hands on it and rescued it from its sad state of abandonment.

Opened in February 2019, the Engine Room was reimagined and beautifully transformed with Scandinavian materials, white-washed walls, and natural objects layered together to create a timeless yet dreamy aesthetic. All of which are wonderfully elevated by the brilliant, natural light cascading from the immensely tall, north-facing, floor-to-ceiling windows.

Today, all their work happens out of this entirely re-designed Urban Firehouse. It’s a remarkable space, and being in it inspires the team to bring the vision of their design projects to life. The area also doubles as an event space and hosts weddings, launch parties, and more. You’ll also find Ginger styling tablescapes for photoshoots in the gorgeous, sunlight-filled space.

This is a perfect inspiration if you have been looking for new ways to transform your office or work-from-home space. Looking for even more elevated office remodels? Then, check out these Affordable Office Swaps to Refresh Your Office Space!

The post Urbanology Designs’ Elevated Office Remodel first appeared on Inspired By This.

Etch Design Group was bursting at the seams in their previous office space–5 desks crammed into one tiny room without any natural light felt like they were working in a dungeon. Not to mention one sample room that was literally overflowing with tile, fabrics and wood samples. They had grown so rapidly, and it was apparent that the momentum was not slowing down. They needed room to spread out, but also space to expand their sample library, meet with clients and not feel like they were working on top of each other.

This space allows the team the flexibility to design within two sample rooms, one for fabric and one for hard surfaces such as tile. It also provides two additional rooms for layouts and design scheming sessions. At the entrance to the office, the design team collaborates in an open floor plan with LOTS of natural light and direct access to the conference room. In terms of inspiration, it’s a space that inspires creative thinking, which was the intention from its inception.

Love your space! Take advantage of modern interior design trends and create what makes you happiest. Imagine working in an office like this all of the time! That would surely brighten anyone’s mood. Etch Design Group has the key to a colorful interior design office, and we are taking notes!

The post Etch Design Group’s Colorful Interior Design Office first appeared on Inspired By This.

Read on for a little back story behind the women at Light and Dwell, provided by our friends at a Design Partnership…

Light and Dwell was created in 2015 when Aymee approached Molly about going into business together. Aymee and Molly have known each other for several years and worked closely together in Young Life College at Oregon State University. Throughout their time working with college students, they recognized their shared heart for relationships/people, and all things beautiful. Over the past years, Light and Dwell has evolved into a Full-Service Interior Design Studio that serves clients all over the country. Light and Dwell is located in Corvallis, Oregon, but now has team members globally.  They are known for their Pacific Northwest style, which translates through various design styles from Minimal Modern, English Tudor, Updated Traditional, and Modern Mountain. Their love for creating beautiful homes runs deep and isn’t limited to the homes themselves, they believe deeply in creating spaces where every client thrives and feels their best. It’s in the transformation where the magic happens.

Q.1 – The story about how the two of you met, is so fun! How does your history together help your business and clients?

We have longevity in the relationship, we’ve been working together for over ten years. We’re also friends, we really care about each other and each other’s families. There is a mutual respect and understanding of each other’s capacities, unique contributions, and roles. A lot of people don’t get into business with their friends, but for us, it has been a really great thing and if anything has grown us closer together. We laugh and joke constantly, but we also work extremely hard.

Q.2 – What was the first project you took on as a company and how have you evolved since then?

Our first project was for a local friend, who was nice enough to entrust us with their home and essentially let us “practice” on them. They are the nicest people, and we’re forever grateful!

Q.3 – You mentioned that you both love working with people, how has this company helped shape who you are today?

It’s really fun for us to work with all types of people, all across the country. Most of our jobs are remote, so we’re working with all different teams. Relationships are really important to a healthy job, and when there’s a great team, the energy and collaboration is one of the best parts of our job. The Light and Dwell team is such a fun group of people – we’re a smaller team, so it’s fun to be intimately involved in everyone’s lives. We really care about our team.

Q.4 – If you could tell your younger self one thing, what would it be?

Failure is going to happen, and it’s okay. Use your failures to push yourself to be even better both personally and in business. I would also say, it’s okay to ask for help and say “I don’t know.”

Q.5 – What inspires your love of interior design, and how do you strive to be different from others?

Molly: Being in a home that is innovative, well-curated, and yet comfortable at the same time makes me excited to be in this field. I love that no project is the same, and every project is uniquely meshed with our clients’ personal style and Light and Dwell’s style. Our goal is to try new things without being pushy and to create designs that haven’t been seen before. We strive to be different from others by having a Pacific Northwest twinge. Light and Dwell has the ability to design minimal modern designs all the way to classic traditional designs while pairing vintage goods to all design styles, and that’s what makes us unique!

Quick Questions

Coffee Order?

Aymee: Decaf Au Lait
Molly: 2 pumps lavender breve au lait (only from our local coffee shop who makes it right, ha)

AM or PM

Aymee: AM
Molly: AM

Business Idol

Aymee: Beyonce
Molly: JoAnna Gaines – the woman’s a queen, she’s been able to balance family and run an empire!

Happy Hour drink of choice?

Aymee: Sparkle water
Molly: Pinot Noir

The post Behind the Scenes Look at Light and Dwell Interior Design first appeared on Inspired By This.

If you loved looking over this article then we know you are going to love these tips for how to structure your workday.

The post A Behind the Scenes look at Be Inspired PR’s Oceanfront Office first appeared on Inspired By This.

1. Switch out old framed prints with newer photos. We have a gallery wall in our conference room that showcases our favorite shoots and events over the years. While there was nothing wrong with the old photos, it was time for a change! We pulled more recent shots in a brighter color scheme and switched them all out in one day. All in all, it was less than $100 at Costco. Worth it? 100%!

2. Invest in one new statement piece. For us, this was new conference room chairs! By switching out our old plain white chairs with chic blush velvet ones, we completely changed the look of the room. As a result, we spend way more time in here brainstorming new ideas and meeting as a team!

3. Plants, plants, plants! We’re notorious for having trouble keeping office plants alive. Can anyone else relate!? However, we’re huge fans of the way that plants can liven up a space. We took our (not) green thumbs to Homegoods, and picked out new faux plants to refresh our desks, bathroom, and shelving.

4. Replace tired pillows. A few new throw pillows on your desk chairs or in your lounge area can make a huge difference! Case in point: We got new blush velvet pillows to tie in our new conference room chairs, and it completely refreshed our current couch!

5. Try removable wallpaper. We get that painting your office walls might not always be an option, especially if you rent your space! Thankfully, there are some really amazing removable wallpaper options on the market now! Wallpaper can give you more flexibility in your decor because it can be easily changed when needed. We fell in love with this faux white brick decal from Rocky Mountain Decals. Plus, the white brick really made our black and white Minted gallery wall pop!

What are some of your go-to affordable office swaps? Share with us on Instagram using our #everydayIBT hashtag and we’ll repost our favorites!

The post Affordable Swaps to Refresh your Office Space first appeared on Inspired By This.

1. Tell us a little bit about the history of Lindye Galloway Interiors – how did you get started in interior design?

It all launched from my own remodel. Four years ago, with my three-week-old baby in tow, my husband and I found a home with so much potential, but it needed so much love. We figured, “hey, we’re getting so much sleep with this newborn, let’s embark on a remodel!” It was all a little crazy, but we did it. We gutted the home, remodeled each space and added the last layer of new furnishings throughout. A few posts of my home on social media later, and I got my first client where we gutted and furnished their home in Newport Beach. From there, our client list and projects grew organically and quickly. I now have an amazing team that works with me to create client’s dream homes, from new construction to complete remodels and full furnishings.

2. Where was your first office and can you share a little bit about the journey it took you to get to this gorgeous office space?

Our first studio was in Costa Mesa, right next to the Camp and the Lab. It was a great space when I was first growing my team, and we did some light work to design something great with its urban feel and good bones. But as our team doubled, our client list tripled. Our projects became more and more high-end and we needed a new work home. We wanted to find a place that was conveniently located for our clients and had great eateries in walking distance, somewhere we could remodel every corner to our vision but in a well-established, beautiful area and building. So, we landed here – and every Friday I walk 20 steps to Puesto for the most delicious tacos!

3. How did you decide on an aesthetic for the new office space?

I wanted to create a space that was a reflection of the homes we design. I didn’t want it to feel like a typical office but rather a design studio that would leave each client feeling like they just left my home. Warm, inviting and creative was the goal! Since we work in a lot of different aesthetics and styles, I wanted to bring together some of my favorites: a little transitional, a little modern and a touch of contemporary. But this place needed a lot of work! Before we got our hands on it, it was a leasing office and before that, a gym. It never got a fair shot at being something amazing and I certainly don’t shy away from spaces that most people wouldn’t want to touch. I immediately saw a vision for a new kitchen, steel doors and the prettiest workstations!

4. What is your favorite part of the office?

I absolutely love the kitchen. I love the mix of the cabinet styles paired with the marble moments. But just like most people’s homes, this is a favorite gathering space. This is the spot we celebrate each other’s birthdays, the place where the team shares chit-chats while prepping their lunches and the spot where our clients tend to hang around when they pop by. This corner of our studio is a spot I hold dear! We had some amazing industry friends help us bring our space to life and you must know about them for your own home!

Flooring: Warren Christopher Flooring, Steel + Glass Conference Room Enclosure: Banana and Hammocks, Shiplap: Urban Wall Design

5. What happens here on a daily basis?

All the things! We have an amazing team of women here at LGI that make our studio a collaborative and fun place to work every day. We spend most of our days working on designs for our custom homes. Since we work on new construction and large-scale remodels, we’re developing the finishes design (think tile, faucets, cabinets and lighting) for each home’s kitchen, every bathroom and any other space imaginable! And a fun fact: right now we’re working on over 50 bathrooms! Then when we’re knee deep on the furniture part of a project, we’re selecting every furniture item and textile samples are flying all about our studio. We’re always juggling designing with client presentations, vendor meetings, job site visits and installations. Basically, no two days are the same and it’s just the way we love it!

6. What’s next for Lindye Galloway Interiors? Any fun, upcoming projects you can share with us?

I’m always dreaming, and we have some good things in store for next year. But in the meantime, just a few projects we’re currently working on: a gorgeous Spanish Modern waterfront home in Newport Beach, a unique Mid-Century Modern ocean view property in Corona del Mar, and even a Brewery in Dana Point!

Inspired by this modern coastal office tour and looking for more? Check out this modern family-owned business and this tour of The Unique Space!

The post An Interior Designer Shares Her Modern Coastal Office first appeared on Inspired By This.

Let’s start at the beginning! What was your first job? When did you discover a passion for event planning?

I started my career as a Marketing & Events Intern in the fashion industry in Kansas City. I interned there for three summers while in college and was graciously offered a full-time position on the Events team after graduating. I had no idea going into my internship the first summer that I would end up wanting to be an event planner. I was talking to my supervisor during my second summer interning and still remember the discussion we had of my career goals and telling her I wanted to be an event planner. This career path has opened me up to a world of creativity, design and some rewarding perks like international travel.

Tell us a little bit about the history of Heather Lane Events! When did it launch and how did you get to where you are now?

After moving to Dallas in late 2016 and starting a corporate position in event logistics planning, I felt that I was losing my creative edge and feared that if I couldn’t find the right corporate job to fill me creatively, then I would have to build my own. That is where Heather Lane Events evolved into what it is today. I already knew how to plan events and weddings, but I wasn’t capitalizing on the opportunity to turn it into a profitable business. I put a ton of sleepless nights and money into my business the first year to create content, build a website, and advertise to the world that I was up and running and taking clients in 2018. I booked my first wedding a few months before I officially launched in January 2018.

OK, we know “Lane” isn’t your middle name—can you tell us the story behind ‘Heather Lane Events’?

Heather Lane is the street my mother grew up on as a child and the street my grandmother still lives on to this day, over 50 years now. Some of my greatest childhood memories are playing on Heather Lane with my siblings and cousins. My grandparents live in a small town in rural Montana where my family owns a pizza restaurant and my grandmother still works full-time as the cook at our family restaurant at age 82. My mother swears she didn’t name me Heather because of the street she lived on most of her life, but I have a hard time believing that!  

What has been the most challenging part of running your own business? Anything surprise you?

Being your own boss while managing all of the roles as an individual business owner is definitely the most challenging part for me. You have to be the CEO, CFO, CMO, COO, the list goes on and on. I’ve had to teach myself a lot over the past two years and have sought advice from fellow business owners and experts where I lack in experience or knowledge. Automation and operationalizing my business has saved my life. It shocked me how much time I was spending on building things like email templates, invoices and proposals when I could have been using a software to automate all of those tasks for me! It has changed the way I operate my business and frees my schedule to work on key projects and spending more time with my clients.  

Alright, let’s talk about your cute office! How did you decide on an aesthetic for the space?

Having an open floor plan apartment as well as floor to ceiling windows doesn’t offer your typical office setup. I wanted to break up my living spaces between my living room, kitchen, dining and office. I knew I needed to have a dedicated office so I settled on having no dining table in my space and instead eating at my kitchen island or couch in exchange for a killer work space. Having the two shelves behind my desk was crucial to anchor the space and act as a “wall” for me decorate with pretty décor, travel souvenirs and books. I live for bright colors so when I found this rug from Urban Outfitters Home, it was a perfect fit with my colorful décor. Keeping my desk and office chair neutral as well as the clean lines of the white shelves make the space really pop without being too visually busy. I think it’s the perfect blend and I often find myself admiring it while I cook dinner in my kitchen, it is definitely my favorite place in my apartment.  

We love all the cute accessories and live for a good #shelfie. Where did you shop for decor? Do you have a favorite piece?

Most of my décor comes from Home Goods, CB2, Nordstrom home and pieces I’ve collected over my travels. I love the versatility of affordable décor from Home Goods because it allows replacing décor from season to season without the price tag. My favorite pieces are items I’ve found at flea markets while traveling in Paris and Greece, but also here in the states. If I had to choose, it would be my “press for champagne” button hanging over my bar cart. I found this little gem at a flea market in Show Low, Arizona while visiting my grandparents and it’s still my favorite find of all time. It was three dollars! And bonus…the button actually rings a beautiful chime, exactly what I think of when I want a crisp glass of bubbly.  

What does your typical day here look like, do you have a normal routine to get into work-mode?

I can’t say it’s every day, but most days I wake up and open all of my curtains and admire the city and the landscape below me. I sit down at my desk with a cup of tea and put on a chill work playlist and bust out projects and emails. I pause frequently and watch a man walking his dog, a couple biking down the street, and the construction workers building a new complex right beside me. It’s the ultimate people watching and surprisingly I get so much done with all the chaos and distractions, it feeds me and gives me energy.

You are based in both Dallas & Kansas City – how does that work? Do you focus on specific services in each area?

When I moved to Dallas three years ago from Kansas City, MO, I had yet to launch Heather Lane Events. After I launched, and the requests started to come in, the majority were referrals from friends and family in KC, so I decided to operate out of both cities. Ultimately, I can work anywhere in the world and offer destination wedding & event planning, so working out of both KC and Dallas has worked great thus far. Especially as I was building up my clientele and relationships with vendors and friends in Dallas. My business has definitely shifted to more work in Dallas the longer I’ve been living here and associating myself with local networking circles and wedding/event professionals, but I will always go back to KC to work if I book a client there, because there’s no place like home!

If you could plan a celebration for one celebrity who would it be, and why?

I would throw a combined birthday bash for celebrity BFF’s Jennifer Lawrence and Emma Stone. They seem like the most down-to-earth and cool women who would be a blast to party with. I adore their friendship and work individually and look forward to the day they make a movie together. If and when they do, I’ll be ready to plan a premiere party!

We know picking a favorite event can be like choosing a favorite child, but is there a favorite theme or type of celebration you have worked on that stands out?

Yes! This past January I worked on a 25th birthday party for a good friend and business bestie centered around Champagne. Because what’s a party without champagne!? It was my dream theme, both creatively and aesthetically. Each place setting for the tablescape had a mini “press for champagne” button and a mini bottle of champs. I would plan it again tomorrow if I could.

Quick ?’s

Coffee Order: Vanilla latte with almond milk

Words to Live by: You are the energy you put out to the world

Favorite Flower: Ranunculus

Most Recent Podcast Listened to: WorkParty by Jaclyn Johnson (of Create & Cultivate)

The post Heather Lane Events’ Creative Home Office first appeared on Inspired By This.

Jonas Paul Eyewear stemmed from your own family’s struggles with eyesight and glasses. Can you tell us a little bit about your story and how that inspired you to create the brand?

6 years ago our son, Jonas, was born with a rare eye disease called Peter’s Anomaly, causing him to be born blind. We were devastated when we first heard the news (and it is still a difficult challenge we face every day) but we wanted to create as happy a life for Jonas as possible. Jonas ultimately underwent 21 eye surgeries to gain low-vision, and this still required the use of glasses. Once we started shopping around for glasses for Jonas, we were really shocked to see the lack of affordable and stylish options available for kids. We knew we wanted Jonas to feel like the little stud muffin that he is, and wanted other kids to have this same option. So, we decided to create this option ourselves! We left our careers behind to launch Jonas Paul Eyewear in 2013 to help as many kids as possible feel empowered and confident in their glasses.

We love that you created this together! How is it working with your spouse?

We definitely think of it as a blessing being able to share both our work and lives together. But we’ve certainly learned some valuable lessons about setting boundaries and creating autonomy between work and life! Of course, so much of work can spill into life and vice versa, but we do our best to practice boundaries, leaving work at work and not taking that home with us. We’ve also found it to be much more beneficial when we trust each other in the roles we’ve established. Our tip: don’t try to micromanage your spouse! When you treat each other with the same respect you would a co-worker, work can be a very happy place with your spouse.

How do you divide the roles and how have they evolved since the start of Jonas Paul?

In the early days of Jonas Paul Eyewear, we knew we wanted to define our roles and responsibilities and trust one another fully. Our roles within the business have certainly evolved and changed over the years as we have grown. In the beginning, we did everything from fulfilling orders to shipping to answering customer emails and design to website management, and beyond! As we’ve grown and our team has expanded we now have a different focus in overseeing more of the “big picture” and growth of the business. But we are still heavily involved and willing to jump into any day-to-day operations that need to be done.

How do you balance running a growing business and time with your family?

It isn’t easy, that’s for sure! We do try our best to focus on work when we are at work and be with the kids when we are at home. However, our business is our 3rd child and when work discussions creep in at home or on date night we don’t feel bad about it. Our work is a huge part of our life being married and business partners!

We love your modern office! What goes on here on a day-to-day basis?

We love it too! We knew we wanted an open concept and lots of natural light when looking for our new space. A lot happens in our office on a day to day basis since all of our prescription lab work is done here, in addition to shipping, processing and of course general teamwork and meetings!

We are excited about your mission to give sight to the world! Tell us a little more about your partnership with CBM International! Has giving back always been a foundational part of the business? Why is this important to you?

As parents to a child with impaired vision, we understand the stressors, confusion, and limitations that come along with blindness. We also recognize the tremendous privilege and access we have to doctors and special services. So as we built our company, we knew we wanted to help kids and parents who didn’t have the same access we did. Through our partnership with CBM International, we are able to provide sight-saving, and often life-saving, supplements and medications to areas across the world that have limited access to healthcare. Sometimes this can mean fighting against Vitamin A deficiency, and other times it can mean providing medication that fights trachoma, which can cause pink eye. We are so excited that Jonas Paul Eyewear has already helped provide more than 139,000 kids this sight-saving care, and can’t wait to see that number continue to grow!

What is the best piece of business advice you have ever received and tried to implement in your own journey?

Keep your blinders on! Throughout any entrepreneurial journey, you can get caught up in the struggle of comparison when you’re keeping your eye on the competition. Maintaining focus on your business, why you started, and innovating (not-appropriating), will help you find greater success and a more loyal following of customers that believe in what you are doing.

Where do you see Jonas Paul Eyewear in 5 years? Any fun projects we should know about?

We absolutely have some exciting new developments at Jonas Paul Eyewear in the works! We can’t give away too much detail just yet, but for now, we can tell you that we’ll be introducing more age ranges and product categories soon.

The post The Family Story Behind Jonas Paul Eyewear first appeared on Inspired By This.

Let’s start at the beginning! Where did you start your career?

Before moving to Los Angeles I worked as a journalist in Toronto, where I specialized in online content. Because I was literally one of the only people with a background in writing and concepting for online, and am a very hard worker, I moved up the corporate ladder extremely quickly. By the time I was 26 I was hiring and managing teams of people, building and running websites for Fortune 500 companies, and achieving amazing results from surpassing sales targets to increasing traffic over 3000% year-over-year. One day in a senior management meeting, HGTV, one of the TV stations that I managed online, said they needed more diversity and I saw that as an opportunity—so I threw my hat in the ring and ended up becoming an interior designer on the channel, using my vacation days to film the episodes.

When did you decide it was time to transition out of design and launch Unique Markets?

In my late 20s, I had serious ‘tech burnout’ and decided to change my life and move back to Los Angeles, where I grew up. The decision to start Unique Markets wasn’t truly planned, it came from a series of events… I ended up getting cast as a designer on TLC’s Trading Spaces (literally my dream job, dream show) but very quickly got let go. I had some savings so decided to spend most of 2008 volunteering for a local non-profit to help register voters and increase awareness around local elections – I met my local city councilor, who is now the Mayor of LA, and was incredibly inspired. That experience showed me how impactful a leader can be on the local level and in their community.

One day, sitting in traffic, it dawned on me that there needed to be a large-scale community shopping event where you could buy lots of cool, curated items in one place. An event that would help hundreds of small business owners reach new audiences and increase sales, and in turn, help the local economy grow and thrive. So I risked my entire 401k savings to start Unique Markets! In December of 2008 we held our first market in Los Angeles, Unique LA, which instantly became the largest ‘buy local’ shopping event in the country. Now we are around the country!

What is, for lack of a more fitting term, so unique about shopping at one of your pop-ups?

Shopping at Unique Markets is about having an amazing experience. Instead of an impersonal transaction online or at the mall, our shoppers get to explore, feed their curiosity, get inspired and have a lot of fun. You get to shop around while a DJ plays great music, there are free arts and crafts projects you can engage in and delicious food vendors to try. The brands, artists, and vendors you discover at our markets soon become brands you support and shop from for years to come. Plus, shopping with us has a positive impact on your community…

Unique Markets gives consumers the opportunity to support and shop from small business owners and makers in their community. It’s a shopping experience like no other because you get to meet and talk with the person behind the product that you’re buying. You hear their story and how the product was made, and all of a sudden that product holds more importance and character than a product you bought online that says “made in China.” It’s so inspiring! Most importantly when shopping at Unique Markets you know where your dollar is going and whose lives you’re impacting, which is way more meaningful than placing an online order with a mass retailer. Besides impacting that small business owners life, by shopping locally you actually are helping put funds back into the local community because those owners pay local taxes that go into our schools, parks, libraries etc.

You have featured thousands of unique small businesses through your pop-ups. After seeing so many success stories, do you have any advice for small business owners who are just starting out?

I always say to trust your gut. There will be lots of people around you telling you what to do but no one except for you knows what you are capable of and what your vision is. I also think it is important to understand the power of your own community and not look at others doing similar work as competitors but as collaborators. We should be lifting each other up and learning from one another.

And now you have the Unique Space as well! Tell us a little about the intended purpose of the space and how it functions today!

I’ve always been driven by the idea that creativity can change the world. With this, I’m fixed on creating businesses that foster entrepreneurship, spread creative thinking, and grow the community. As I started to work with hundreds of small business owners I started to hear some of the things they needed the most help with: it was often education and learning, and the most basic thing like office space. So I realized there was space for a business conference that didn’t take place in a cheesy giant hotel ballroom, and I decided to open an entire office building that is communal and community-driven so small business owners can thrive and grow their companies. The Unique Space doubles as a modern communal office space, wedding venue and private event rental space for the LA community and beyond.

How did you decide on an aesthetic for Unique Space?

I renovated The Unique Space in 2014 to be a hub for the creative community, so my goal was to make it inspirational while also feeling warm and comfortable, like home. I wanted to show off the beautiful, original elements of the 100-year-old building while updating it with modern, playful touches. So you’ll see the original brick walls and wooden beams, next to metallic wallpaper and neon signs that I designed. My goal was to make it inviting, a place that would inspire creativity and collaboration, and to specifically use elements that appeal to women, as I wanted it to be a place that supported other female entrepreneurs and creatives like me. You will not find a ping pong table or beer-on-tap here.

What is your favorite part about working here?

I love the community. There are small businesses of all types in the building from creative agencies to architects to shoemakers, so it’s really nice to talk to different people and learn about their projects. And we do a monthly wine tasting, which is probably my second favorite thing!

How do you split your time between all your different ventures? What does a typical day look like?

First, I’m lucky to have a really great team who help me with the two businesses. Now that we’ve expanded outside of LA and have our pop-up markets all around the country, it’s busy year-round! Most of my time is spent on Unique Markets between researching retail trends, curating sellers, leading creative direction and design for the company, speaking at conferences and to groups at corporations, and marketing. My typical day involves a lot of emails! Aside from that, I usually have meetings with my team, media interviews, and I try to dedicate time every day to thinking about the bigger picture/see how we’re doing, looking at finances, and reading/surfing the news to keep up with arts and culture.  

If you could give your young entrepreneur self any words of encouragement, what would they be?

Don’t worry so much about what other people think of you or your ideas. You’re the only person who knows your vision and capability. Just keep moving forward!  

The post Touring The Unique Space with Founder Sonja Rasula first appeared on Inspired By This.

Let’s start from the beginning! Tell us a little bit about how you got started with Aww Sam!

I started Aww Sam when I was still in college in 2015, and it was something I initially just did for fun in my free time. I was making a lot of donuts, embroidery, pins, and a bunch of little projects out of my apartment before starting an etsy shop where I sold crochet food brooches! (You can see how my love of food has translated throughout this whole journey. Ha!) During my senior year, I started to see more and more followers responding to my recipes, asking for tutorials and photos, which is when I really started to flesh out Aww Sam as brand, and I built a website and created a logo. I’ve always been a jump first, figure everything out later kind of person, so once I graduated I decided to get into this weird business world full-time and I’ve been working on growing this brand ever since!

When did you move into this great studio? What goes on here on a daily basis?

We moved into our newest studio back in August, after leaving our very first studio in July! We like to call this space the Aww Sam 2.0 Studio. On an average day, we are doing any number of things, from brainstorming a DIY, photographing a sponsored project, or planning out the next week’s work and Instagram content. We currently have two employees, Kyle, my husband, and Nova, who has been with me for three years! Kyle primarily helps me photograph all of our projects, and any larger scale backdrops you see in our photos are usually his creation! And Nova does a little bit of everything; she makes our gifs, graphic design, and is an amazing paper artist.

Your studio is seriously colorful, and we are so into it! Are there any colors you stay away from?

I tend to stay away from colors that don’t fit within our brand identity, so black, grays, browns, and reds are colors that you won’t see appear often on our feed! We think of our brand as a rainbow without the red!

How would you describe your aesthetic? Has your decor style evolved over time or have you always loved colorful design?

I think my style is pretty much what you would see if you fell into a bag of skittles! Ha! All jokes aside, my aesthetic is a modern, pastel take on patterns and prints from the 60’s and 70’s. I love the fashion from those decades, and being able to look at it for inspiration for home decor, style, or colors is one of my favorite things to study. If it’s floral and rainbow, I’m wearing it! Surprisingly, my style has definitely evolved over time, though I’ve always loved color. When I first moved to NYC, I had the phase that I think everyone goes through when they move here and they go to art school. I pretty much strictly wore black with a pop of color in my shoe choice or bag. I dressed a lot more punk, and if any of you remember the scene in the movie Ghost World when she dyes her hair green and wears a black leather jacket and creepers, that was me!

Where is your favorite place to shop for fun pieces?

I always seem to find my favorite things in vintage stores! Nothing beats the feeling of finding a really special piece that you know 20 other people aren’t going to have in their spaces too. For more contemporary things, we love Urban Outfitters and CB2!

Your recipes are always so adorable! What does the creation process look like from idea creation to seeing it up on the site?

It starts with an inspiration idea, like seeing a fun pool float or wallpaper. Then I try to imagine how I could take that inspiration and turn it into an edible cake or donuts! Donuts have always been the easiest thing for me to imagine as different objects. For example, I could be looking at an orange slice and think that it would be cute in donut form! We figure out the recipe for each dessert and then onto the decorating! Once they’re decorated, we get them ready for their close up and take 6-8 photos for the blog, edit, and push everything live!

Do you have a favorite sweet treat?

This may be a bit of a shock, but I absolutely love a run of the mill chocolate chip cookie! It’s simple but when you bite into the perfect one it’s a dream! I love crazy desserts too, but give me a bag of Tate’s chocolate chip cookies and I’m good.

How do you stay organized with so many fun little nick-nacks and DIY supplies?

Sometimes it can be hard to be organized, especially with the sheer number of smaller materials and craft items. Once we moved into our new studio, we made it a priority to organize our supplies, with holiday materials going together, and smaller knick-knacks having their own place on our prop shelf. I’ve very proud of our prop shelf, because it showcases some of our DIY projects throughout the years and lots of our more unique objects! By keeping things organized and grouped together, it makes it easier to find them and also makes the process of creating things go much faster.

Your life looks like one big party!! What are some of the not so glamorous aspects of running Aww Sam?

A lot of people see my Instagram and blog and tend to think that I live one huge party, and although I try to bring fun into everything I do, my job is very much a job! We have bad days where everything goes wrong just like everyone else does, and there are some days where I don’t feel like being in a photo or working on a project. When you own your own business you have to start paying attention to things and learning things you never would have imagined. I’ve read so many contracts I sometimes feel like I went to business school! Ha!

I have had to learn to not take rejections to heart, because not every company wants to work with me or understands my brand, but that’s totally okay! Before I started this business I knew it was going to be a lot of work, but I had no idea just how time consuming some of the simplest things could be. I feel so lucky getting to do something I love everyday, but owning a business is also the hardest thing I’ve ever done.

Where do you go for inspiration?

My favorite places to go for inspiration are weird dollar stores or party stores. Browsing the aisles of a party store can guarantee some of the most bizarre objects or ideas that I then love to reimagine and reinvent in my own style. We also use Pinterest A TON for inspiration. Saving images for anything from fonts to patterns can help spark a brilliant idea for a project or post!

What can we expect in the future from Aww Sam? Do you have any fun projects in the works?

In the near future, you’ll still be seeing plenty more crazy and creative recipes and DIY projects from us, because that is what we love to do! But we’re also working on what Aww Sam products would look like as well as figuring out a book and some other bigger projects!

Now, that, sounds (and looks!) like a good time!

The post Blogger Aww Sam Shares Her Colorful Studio first appeared on Inspired By This.