TALES FROM THE TRENCHES

Blima Ehrentreu, New York

Founder and CEO of The Designers Group (TDG), Brooklyn, Miami, and Toronto

Graduated From: George Brown College and Academy of Art University, M.A., Interior Architecture and Design

Years in Field: 10+

My Typical Day at Work

As CEO, my role is dynamic and multifaceted. A typical day can include anything from brainstorming design concepts and meeting with clients to overseeing design approvals and collaborating with the team.

During meetings, we start by understanding the client’s vision and the needs of the people who will use the space. For example, when designing an office, we focus on encouraging collaboration and boosting productivity, creating environments where people feel motivated and supported. When working on spaces for those with special needs, we prioritize accessibility, comfort, and sensory-friendly elements. At every step, we ask ourselves: How does this design align with the purpose of the space? How will it impact the people who use it?

How I Chose the Profession

From an early age, I believed that spaces impact how we feel, function, and connect. Interior design offered a unique way to combine creativity with purpose. I began my career interning at an architectural firm and went on to earn a master’s in Interior Design. This mix of hands-on experience and formal education has been essential in shaping my approach to design.

As I gained more experience, I saw firsthand how spaces could influence people’s moods, productivity, and overall quality of life. I wanted to use my skills to do more than just decorate spaces; I wanted to design places that genuinely improved people’s lives. This vision has become the backbone of TDG’s work and has guided the direction of our projects and initiatives, including our charitable efforts.

How I Chose My Specialty

TDG specializes in the commercial sector, with a focus on hospitality projects, senior living communities, multifamily developments, educational spaces, and office environments.

One of my first commercial projects came through a referral from a residential client who was impressed with my work and asked me to help design an office space. That project opened the door to more commercial work, allowing me to expand my portfolio and build connections in the industry. It also solidified my passion for creating spaces that serve the community, which naturally led me to specialize in the commercial sector.

What I Love Most About the Field

The positive, direct impact our work has on people’s lives. It’s incredibly rewarding to see how thoughtful design can transform people’s experiences. Through our TDG Gives Back initiative, we also use design to give back to the community. Our TDG Furniture Exchange program, for example, enables people to donate and repurpose furniture, providing options for those who cannot afford new furniture. We connect people with furniture they no longer need with individuals and organizations who can truly benefit from it. We’ve provided furniture to shelters, schools, community centers, and families in need.

Additionally, our TDG Insider program offers insights and resources to help individuals looking to pursue a career in design. It’s a “day-in-the-life” shadowing initiative where participants get to spend a day at the TDG office, experiencing various aspects of interior design — from initial concept stages to implementation. This initiative not only helps newcomers understand the profession but also provides mentorship opportunities to support them as they prepare to enter the field.

What I Find Most Challenging

Each project comes with unique complexities, from managing budgets and timelines to aligning with client expectations. Expanding into new markets also presents challenges, requiring knowledge of local preferences, materials, and regulations. These obstacles keep our work dynamic and drive us to innovate, making each success even more rewarding.

I’ll Never Forget When

On a recent preschool project, our design inspired the administration to offer additional resources for families. Initially, the administration had asked us to design standard learning and play areas. However, when designing, we saw an opportunity to create adaptable spaces that could be used for family workshops, classes, or health consultations — programs that could extend the school’s support to families beyond typical school hours. We incorporated these possibilities into the layout, considering how these spaces could make a greater impact on the community.

Inspired by this potential, the administration decided to implement additional services, such as parenting classes and health resources, transforming the preschool into a community hub. This outcome — where a thoughtfully designed space unlocks new ways for an organization to give back — is exactly the type of meaningful impact we aim for.

Something I Wish People Knew About Interior Designers

A common misconception about interior design is that it’s only about aesthetics. While visual appeal is important, a well-designed space should be a full sensory experience. Textures, sounds, and even scents contribute to how a space feels. We create environments that are not only visually beautiful but also inviting to touch, sound harmonious, and evoke comfort and well-being.

How I’ve Seen the Field Change Over the Years

The field has evolved significantly, with technology and sustainability playing major roles. Tools like 3D visualization and AI allow us to involve clients in the process, refining designs in ways previously unimaginable. Sustainability has also become a priority, with clients increasingly seeking eco-friendly solutions.

My Advice for People Starting Out

Seek as much hands-on experience as possible — internships, volunteer work, or small projects can be invaluable. Build relationships with mentors who can help you navigate industry challenges. Patience is essential, as a career in interior design takes time to build, with each project adding to your expertise and portfolio. And above all, remember to design with purpose — your work has the potential to create lasting, meaningful impact on others’ lives.

ZISI NAIMARK

Queens, New York

Interior Designer and owner, Zisi Naimark Interiors

Graduated From: The New York School of Interior Design, Bachelor of Fine Arts

Years in Field: 20

My Typical Day at Work

My typical client is a homeowner or building developer. My clients need competent space planning with manageable flat fees. Since I have several years of experience, I work fast. I can usually measure a space and turn over several options in under a week, even for larger condominium buildings.

First, I’ll visit their space, sometimes remotely. I’ll listen to the client’s ideas and needs, and when necessary, help them understand the limits of their space and manage their expectations.

Next, I’ll draft options of how to lay out the space, taking into account space-planning regulations. For example, a hallway needs to be at least 30 inches wide (though most people prefer it a little wider) and a bedroom needs to have a window that is wide enough to use as fire egress. Some people have special needs to consider, for example, mobility or vision issues. One very tall client wanted a wider office, where he could stretch out his arms. People often think that they can fit more in the space than is viable, so I draw furniture on the plans to make it more concrete.

Once I have an initial draft, I’ll meet with the clients to walk them through the plans and hear their comments. I show them how their choices can set off a chain reaction — for example, the placement of a grand staircase will determine where the upstairs hallway will be, which in turn will determine part of the bedroom layout. A full floor usually requires three or four revisions, while detailed spaces like kitchens can take as many as 15 revisions.

I work in tandem with the general contractor, who will often suggest small changes. For example, he might say that the construction will be more efficient if a bedroom and a bathroom switched spaces. I’ll also create a document for the contractor, including lighting and electric plans, door and window schedules (a chart showing the size and type of each fixture and where it goes), and floor tile layouts.

Often, I’ll help the client select materials like flooring, tiles, and paint colors. While this service is optional, most clients like having a hand to hold as they make their choices, and they appreciate having the sourcing done for them. They also want to see renderings that show them how a few options will look together once a room is complete. I’ll also track orders and oversee installations, which often involves finding expert subcontractors, like wallpaper hangers.

How I Chose the Profession

I asked myself where my skills could be best used and came up with interior design!

How I Chose My Specialty

My specialty is residential space planning, as opposed to the more decorative side of interior design. I also create other technical documents, like the drawings needed for custom furniture and built-ins. I landed on this specialty after working in several areas of interior design, from rendering to office management, while working for several design firms, including Fox-Nahem and Marcia Tucker Interiors. Eventually, I started my own company specializing in space planning.

Space planning has the quiet satisfaction of a puzzle, except that there are often multiple correct solutions. I love that magical moment where everything comes together.

What I Love Most About the Field

The opportunity to work with so many fun and flexible clients! For example, one client allowed her teenage daughter to turn her bedroom into the Gryffindor common room.

Then there were the Chabad shluchim who wanted to design a slide from their second floor into their playroom. I drew a cut-through of the house to show them how the angle of the slide would take up a huge chunk of space in two other rooms — not to mention that all of their guests, adults included, would be going upstairs to try it out! They didn’t mind using the space, but they were bothered by the breach of privacy. Luckily, their playroom had a very high ceiling. We designed a loft area with a slide, tunnel, climbing wall, play house, and storage.

What I Find Most Challenging

Pushing indecisive people to a solid decision. At a certain point, I realized that often, my clients want me to take that responsibility off their shoulders. But when someone is really stuck, it feels unethical to make a decision on their behalf — they may end up paying for something they dislike.

It’s also hard when couples have different goals. My policy is that both parties need to be at all design meetings. Working together, we can arrive at solutions that meet both party’s needs, or I can gently tell them, based on my experience, that one option will be more effective.

I’ll Never Forget When

I’ve worked on some projects that had no budget. There’s nothing like placing an order for a six-figure piece of furniture, like the Yves Klein coffee table, knowing that it’s not returnable!

One client had six residential properties, a yacht, and a plane. For a holiday, he surprised his wife with a townhouse in Lennox Gardens, London. I had to find subcontractors across the pond, and on a whim, I tried searching for the laborers who worked at Buckingham and other palaces. I didn’t realize at the time that a company who works for the crown can advertise a prestigious “Royal Warrant of Appointment” — so it was quite easy to find the upholsterers and painters that we needed!

My boss at the time sourced a grass cloth wallpaper for one of the bathrooms. I asked her if the steam from the shower wouldn’t peel the wallpaper off the walls. She said, “Zisi, they’ll be there for, what? Two showers a year? It’ll be fine.”

I’ve discovered some interesting things in clients’ houses; see partial list below:

Sword (ancient)

Sword (modern)

Sword (hidden in the shaft of a silver-tipped walking cane and heretofore unknown to owner)

Ketana (curved Japanese sword)

Jambiya (short Moroccan sword)

Which brings me to a basic safety PSA: If you have kids, you really should lock away your swords. (No, I did not put one in the Gryffindor bedroom.)

A short while ago, I worked with a couple who had gotten married well into their forties — a first marriage for both. As we walked through their new house, the wife said, “I’d love to say that this bedroom will be a nursery, but since that isn’t happening, it will be a guest room.” Their third bedroom became an office. Two years after I finished the job, I noticed on a local Free Giveaway chat group that this client was posting several baby items. I asked a third party, who confirmed that they had indeed had a baby. I’ve never been so happy to have my work rendered moot.

Something I Wish People Knew About Interior Designers

People think this is a glamour job — until they find themselves needing this kind of help. Students who enter a program looking for an easy and fun time end up leaving the program very quickly.

Both clients and designers should know the difference between fame and success. Every lead I’ve gotten was through word of mouth and client recommendations; most of social media is about getting attention, which does not lead to a better income.

Clients should make sure to walk through real-life projects before hiring a designer, because things posted on social media are very misleading. Many people post photo-realistic renderings as “completed projects.” Clients should ask pointed questions about who did what in the project. They should speak to previous clients about the designer’s work, fee transparency, and turnaround time. Contracts should be very clear and should be reviewed together before starting a job. Every purchase and every payment should be recorded.

How I’ve Seen the Field Change Over the Years

There are always new appliances and materials being introduced. It’s a balance to keep a home updated without using too much built-in technology that will become obsolete.

Within the frum world, the field of interior design has grown a lot in the last ten years, in part because of a growth of wealth. This has resulted in several frum interior design programs. It’s great that there are accessible routes for frum women to start a kosher career.

Some designers criticize these programs; I’ve heard one call graduates “pop-up designers.” These comments are coming from insecurity and are ill-informed. I teach at TTI’s interior design program, which is accredited and teaches about as much as an associate degree.

My Advice for People Starting Out

Learn on the job for several years before starting out on your own, and learn project management and professional practice as much as practical design.

Seek out a mentor. My graduates know they can call and text me with design questions, and also with “is this normal” questions regarding office expectations.

Avoid disparaging other designers’ work. In some cases, clients insisted on poor choices. Sometimes immovable building elements resulted in less-than-ideal space layouts. There are often solutions for such problems, and they can be handled without pointing fingers.

TCHIYA GOODMAN

Ramat Beit Shemesh, Israel

interior designer and co-owner, Tchiya & Sara Architecture

Graduated From: Seminar Maalot, Handesai Program for Architecture and Interior Design

Years in Field: 13

My Typical Day at Work

As the owner of an interior design company (together with my partner, Sara Viller — a huge gift to me!), my days are highly varied and dynamic. Our schedule is very flexible, and there’s a lot of “going with the flow.” As our client projects are mainly in Jerusalem and Gush Etzion, we spend a lot of time on the road. I try to organize my week into field days for on-site meeting and office days for planning and drafting.

An interior designer is responsible for the planning and design aspects of construction, from developing a program that defines the client’s needs and priorities, based upon their budget; to the initial sketch phase, which plans the division of space; to shaping the design concept and style; to the detailed planning stage; and continuing to implementation. This involves coordination with contractors and suppliers, frequent site visits, and selecting all finishing materials — tiles, wallpapers, faucets, kitchens, lighting, curtains, and more.

I also help with overseeing the quality of the building work. However, I always make clear that this involvement is in an advisory capacity only; designers can’t and shouldn’t be taking responsibility for the results of the construction work. For actual supervision and management, clients should hire a certified on-site construction supervisor.

Aside from all of these responsibilities, an interior designer who works for herself is also essentially running a business, which entails its own significant time and costs. We need to manage workers, collect payments and prepare quotes, not to mention all the effort that goes into marketing: maintaining a website or other digital platforms, arranging photo shoots, and more. There’s also a constant need to stay updated on new products and trends, attending seminars and courses in both design and business.

How I Chose the Profession

When I was in school, I debated whether to pursue a technical field like software engineering or something more people-centered like psychology or therapy. At the same time, I loved art and creativity. Interior design allowed me to avoid choosing between them! It combines it all: logical thinking, working with people, and creativity. It’s truly a gift to work in a profession you love so much.

When people ask if I recommend this career, my standard response is only if you have a real passion for it. It’s a challenging and highly volatile field and isn’t always financially rewarding.

How I Chose My Specialty

We specialize in office design, a specialty I fell into from when I was still working as an employee at an architectural firm. I spent several years there specializing in accessibility for individuals with disabilities. I worked on a lot of government offices, which gave me exposure to a wide range of design and functionality styles. When I opened my own business, Sara and I enrolled in a commercial design course where we learned how to craft effective design concepts for businesses and organizations. From there, everything took off.

While about half of our projects still involve designing private homes, there are unique advantages to designing offices or commercial spaces. In residential design, our job is to reflect the visions and style of the residents, not our own. But with offices, clients tend to be less emotionally attached, giving us more creative freedom. Business clients often don’t have the time to shop for materials with us or make decisions about every detail — they want a designer they can trust. Offices also often have a greater need for unique, eye-catching designs — an especially fun opportunity for us designers!

For example, toward the end of Covid, we were asked to design a 1,000-square-meter office. One of the main goals of the renovation was to encourage employees to return to the office. We dedicated a significant portion of the space to a large, inviting kitchen, which became the office’s centerpiece. Open and appealing, it featured spacious work surfaces, comfortable seating areas, and acoustic solutions to ensure it wouldn’t disturb the people at work.

What I Love Most About the Field

Definitely the initial sketching phase — it’s like solving a puzzle. Sara and I like to work on this stage separately, each coming up with our own ideas, and only then comparing the results. It’s always amazing to see how many different and creative directions we come up with. Once, we both came up with the exact same design. We joked that we must be spending too much time together if we’re starting to think alike.

What I Find Most Challenging

Working with contractors on-site. Unexpected issues always come up, and it’s crucial to handle them with patience, finding solutions while maintaining a positive atmosphere.

For example, in one of our current projects, a complete home renovation, the contractor has been particularly uncooperative. He tends to cut corners and work in ways that are most convenient for him, rather than following the plan. For the bathroom tiles, we needed a specific and complex cut. To bring him on board, we opened the boxes with him so that he could appreciate the uniqueness of the tiles. We made a big fuss about how exceptional these tiles were, hoping he’d catch on to our enthusiasm and want to cooperate. “Tiles this special — you wouldn’t want to cut them any other way, right?”

While disagreements and even heated arguments do happen, we strive to create a collaborative atmosphere, motivating the contractors to take pride in being part of the success.

I’ll Never Forget When

We had the zechus of designing a workspace for women with disabilities. This project allowed us to participate in a truly special cause, combining our expertise in commercial office design with our knowledge of accessibility. The work these organizations do with individuals with disabilities is nothing short of phenomenal. Creating a space that enables them to work and feel equal was an incredibly meaningful experience.

Something I Wish People Knew About Interior Designers

It takes a lot of effort for a design to look effortless. I guess the rule “what I do is hard, what you do is easy” applies to this field, too!

How I’ve Seen the Field Change Over the Years

Covid brought a major shift in the way we hold meetings. Before the pandemic, we would review plans with clients during in-person meetings at the office. Now, everything is done through Zoom meetings, which speeds up the design process and is much more convenient for clients. I honestly don’t know how we managed it before.

Another significant change in recent years has been using technology to make plans more accessible to clients, who often struggle to visualize the final result. At our office, we are now investing in training to transition to 3D software. In addition to providing a more tangible 3D representation, the newer software is more professional and helps prevent mistakes and headaches during the execution phase.

My Advice for People Starting Out

For anyone starting their own business, I highly recommend getting training in the technical aspects. (If you live in Israel, MAOF, a government agency under the auspices of the Ministry of Labor, offers an excellent subsidized course in which I learned about business management, marketing, and sales calls.

(Originally featured in Mishpacha, Issue 1044)