Today we’d like to introduce you to Leah Elmange.
Hi Leah, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My mom was an interior designer. When I was in elementary school and my mom was in her 40s, she went back to school and then started her own business – Casa Bella Designs. I grew up helping her with her jobs, going to clients’ homes, helping install furnishings, etc.
About five years ago, my mom was diagnosed with terminal cancer and about 2 and a half years ago she passed away. After losing a close loved one, the grief is overwhelming. I had to clean out my mom’s home, an entire life’s worth of stuff. She had a lot of items from her business, and I even came across an award she won that I didn’t even know about. That was when the idea first popped into my head, the idea to carry on her legacy.
I’ve been a school teacher for many years, it has been my career path since I graduated college. I love teaching and teach with my heart, but I couldn’t get this urge out of my mind. One day, I was reading a Reddit post (LOL) – I think it was Mark Cuban doing an AMA. And he gave the advice to do what you love for work and to think about what you always choose to do with your spare time. If you can somehow manage to make that a career, you would love your work. It was a bit of a turning point because it dawned on me that in my spare time I was constantly looking up interior design websites and blogs.
Eventually, I decided to just go for it. I enrolled in an interior design program and graduated in less than a year. I spent a lot of time researching how to start a business. I applied for a business license and completed all the official paperwork. Carrying on my mom’s legacy was really important to me so I kept the business name the same. In February 2021 I officially became a small business owner. It was slow at first, but then I started actually getting clients. I started getting hired for small interior design jobs, and then the jobs started growing bigger. I have met some truly wonderful clients over this past year, and I have loved every minute of helping them achieve the interior space they have dreamed of. Today, I design all kinds of interior spaces including kitchens, bathrooms, living spaces, and even whole homes.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road, but a lot of that has been circumstantial. I began this business during the height of the Pandemic. My children were attending school virtually from home, my husband was working from home, and I was working from home. It was a lot to manage and persevere through.
It has been a learning process as well, and I definitely made some mistakes along the way. For example, I was so excited for my first paying client and she was having me work on a large portion of her home. The excitement got the better of me, and my lack of experience came through when it came to pricing the job. When all was said and done, I had worked on her project for several months, gave her a space that she fell in love with, and made a total of a few hundred dollars. I’ve had quite a few jobs that have been learning experiences, where I had to adjust some of my processes afterward.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Casa Bella Designs is an interior design firm. I started the company a little over a year ago. I specialize in interior design services including creating floor plans, space planning, specifying finishes and fixtures, furniture selection and procurement, color selection, and decor selection. I work in E-Design which means I complete the design services remotely and send everything digitally and I also work in person throughout the Los Angeles area. I think the most important thing that sets me apart from other designers and also what I’m most proud of, is the heart and soul that I put into every job. I design homes with my mom’s memory at the forefront and as if my own family will be living there. It is so important to me that each client gets the absolute best, and even more than they were hoping for.
What are your plans for the future?
I plan to continue to grow my business with each day that passes. I know that the sky is the limit for me in this field. It’s only been about a year and a half for me, but I am fully immersed in the world of interior design and have connected with some of the best in the field. And that’s where I know I’m heading! I have recently started working on bigger projects, including multi-million dollar homes and I love the challenge and the result of creating something special. My goal for my clients is not to just have a home that looks nice and has a similar decor to all the other houses in the neighborhood. My goal is that each client will have a unique space that reflects who they and their family are and how they live, as well as a space that improves their quality of life just by being in it.
Pricing:
- In-Consultation with Follow Up – $250
- E-Design starts at $350 per room
- Full-Service In-Person Design starts at $450 per room
Contact Info:
- Website: www.casabellaid.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/casabellaid
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/casabellaid
