We were lucky to catch up with Amalia Gal recently and have shared our conversation below.
Amalia, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.
I keep my creativity alive by being curious about the world around me. I love to travel, and prefer visiting new far-off places over revisiting places I’ve been — except for Paris. Paris always fuels me and feels most like home to me, even though I lived there only two years. I’ve been to five of the seven continents, and visiting all of them is a goal of mine. I read design-related publications to keep up on trends and products. I observe and keep up with what is happening in music, film, theater, etc. I also enjoy making things, whether it’s crafting a piece of jewelry, trying a new recipe or putting together a new combination from my closet.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I am the owner of Amalia Gal Interior Design, a boutique interior design studio located in West Hollywood, California. We work on both residential and commercial interiors. I launched the business just over five years ago, after having worked in the industry for about 25 years. We specialize in interiors that are filled with color and pattern, and also specialize in being designers, not just decorators. That means we do full drawing sets, understand code limitations, and conduct the practice professionally. We also do the decoration, so most projects also include furniture, finishes and accessories.
I love being an interior designer. Every project is different, and each presents new challenges. When presented with a design issue, it’s so satisfying figuring out the best solution. To the end user it may seem “easy”, but the reality is that it is not. I also love it when I exceed client’s expectations and see that look of “wow” on their faces…that’s really the best.
I also enjoy educating people. On Instagram we recently started an educational series called “Word of the Day”. It has been quite popular, and now we have two spinoffs: “Learn of the Day” and “Spotlight On”. They are short videos of terms we use in the industry, with me probably doing something a little weird. They are fun to film and the response has been great.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
An education in interior design, confidence in my creativity and the chutzpa and tenacity to become a business owner.
The first thing I tell people who inquire about becoming an interior designer is to go to school. Being a designer is more than selecting pretty objects that other people have designed and putting them all together. Design is about understanding the history of architecture and interiors, learning about color theory, scale, materials — there is a lot to study. The other piece of advice I have is to work in the industry for several years before striking out on your own. There is so much to be learned from others, and it’s not learned in a year or two. Construction takes a long time, and it takes many different projects to gain the experience to know what to do when issues arise (see previous comment about it looking “easy”).
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
I would love to collaborate with a brand. Many interior designers put out a capsule collection with all sorts of brands, from consumer brands like Pottery Barn to specific products like wallcovering or fabric. I think it would be such fun to do that.
Contact Info:
- Website: amaliagaldesign.com
- Instagram: @amaliagaldesign
Image Credits
Jess Isaac Photography Amy Barnard Photography
