We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Cola Studios. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with co-founders Sam and Olya below.
Sam and Olya, thank you so much for taking the time to share your lessons learned with us and we’re sure your wisdom will help many. So, one question that comes up often and that we’re hoping you can shed some light on is keeping creativity alive over long stretches – how do you keep your creativity alive?
Traveling and experiencing different cultures has always been a core value of our firm Cola Studios. Every year, we plan a sourcing/inspiration trip to a new place, in search of unique vintage and contemporary pieces, ceramics, textiles, and creative architectural solutions for our projects. Exploring different parts of the world exposes us to different architectural styles, color palettes, and design philosophies. It’s not just about aesthetics either – we’ve learned how cultural nuances impact how people interact with their spaces. Understanding these subtleties allows us to create designs that not only look beautiful but also function seamlessly within the context of different lifestyles.
Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Starting our interior design firm has always been a dream of ours. Nearly a decade ago, at one of the world’s largest architectural firms in NYC, fate played its part in intertwining our paths. We ended up working in the same studio on the same project, where we teamed up for the next few years. When the time was right, and we both felt ready to embark on this entrepreneurial adventure together, starting Cola Studios felt like the most natural and organic decision we could make. And just like that, our dream became a reality.
We’re a full-service interior design firm based in New York City and Long Island (although we have projects in Miami, and LA!). We bring a unique perspective to our work, blending our fine arts training with formal education in interior design. Together we have led projects for some of the largest and innovative brands across various sectors, including high-end residential, hospitality, and retail projects. This unique experience distinguishes our approach, injecting a fresh perspective into our design work.
We are very excited to partner with a new platform TALD that will connect clients with a trusted community of interior designers starting in November. It’s going to be an amazing resource, stay tuned!
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Having formal training in fine arts such as sculpture, figure drawing, and painting has honed our eye for form and function. It has taught us to appreciate various materials, color palettes, and compositions which is what sets our designs apart. Secondly, the experience we gained from working on large-scale, complex commercial projects in both hospitality and retail has had a significant influence on how we approach each of our projects. Through these experiences, we’ve gained extensive knowledge of construction, budgets, project management, and how to communicate effectively with various stakeholders. Lastly, we’ve honed the ability to recognize the balance between left and right-brained thinking – an important skill for achieving high-impact designs. It allows us to not only meet the practical needs of the space and client experience but also create environments that truly resonate with the people who experience them.
Our advice would be to stay curious, say yes to every opportunity, and don’t be afraid to fail. Try to be open-minded to all types of projects and learn all of the roles that contribute to the success of one. Running a design business isn’t always glamorous, so even the most boring and mundane tasks are important parts of becoming a true expert in your field.
One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
We love collaborating with people from all fields! Designing furniture, patterns, and home goods has always been a dream of ours, given our backgrounds in sculpture and fine art. So, collaborating with brands to design a capsule collection or establishing brand partnerships would be truly exciting. We are also constantly seeking opportunities to connect with other industry professionals, such as developers, realtors, and architects, to build a robust referral network. A strong team of people we can trust and with whom we can build relationships is what makes the process pleasant for everyone involved.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.colastudios.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/colastudios/
Image Credits
Adam Kane Macchia Madeline Tolle
