Rising Stars: Meet Nathalie Gispan

Today we’d like to introduce you to Nathalie Gispan.

Hi Nathalie, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
Growing up, I always found myself in need for a creative outlet, and as an adult I learned to channel that through the arts and design. In 2004, I co-founded a well-known firm in Los Angeles- NE Designs. Several years later, following much personal and professional growth, in 2019, I realized my dream of putting together my very own Design Team. This is when Nathalie M Designs was born. Nearly 20 years later, my passion and an innate desire to create interiors that exceed my client’s expectations continue to thrive. I pride myself on working with a variety of budgets, styles, timeframes, and requirements. I try to guide my clients through every phase of the design process and do my very best to ensure that my designs consistently complement the client’s personality. Whether someone desires a more traditional outcome or perhaps a modern one, contemporary or even farm-like, I try to translate their wants and needs into my work. My ultimate goal is that the end result makes them elated. Collaboration with architects and builders to execute a vision is something that is also very important to me. I take each and every project personally, and my work is very much influenced by my own life. I give one hundred percent to my designs as I give one hundred percent to my family. I teach my kids to always continue learning and growing, and I regularly attend showcases to keep up with the latest trends in the world of Interior Design. No matter where life takes me, I always view the world through a creative lens, believing that any space can be turned into a personal masterpiece.

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
I would say having to hit pause on my professional life when I first became a mother, and societal changes that were the result of the recent pandemic, are two challenges that really stand out for me. As far as becoming a mother, I think I have come a long way from the time when my children were younger. It was quite challenging balancing a business while taking care of my little ones. There was also the curve ball of an unexpected marital split, that was difficult as well. I have grown quite a bit from that experience, and now that they are older and I am single, I am so much more equipped in balancing the title of Mom, Business Owner, and what I hope is a strong female role model for my children. Ultimately, the vulnerability I felt becoming a mother and these challenges added a component to my work later in life I otherwise would never have had. On to the obstacles of post-pandemic life.

Mostly this presents itself for me when it comes to my work and my designs. So much of what we do, how we live, and how I design has been affected by this historical period. I feel like we don’t entertain the same. The requirements of personal space, social space, both of these have changed. We gather differently and really live life differently. I am often now required to design with these changes in mind. To create living spaces that now include more of a “staying in” approach. A space that offers the stimulation of the outside world but with the comforts of home. This isn’t always simple, but I am definitely adjusting to this new way of living and hopefully succeeding in giving my clients what they want. I welcome the challenge.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I derive inspiration to create from what I call the school of life. This is where my art lives. Life is an endless lesson of sorts. Some days are great, some phenomenal, challenging, beautiful, and surprising, but always filled with endless inspiration. I am committed to learning and growing every day. Every project I take on is a learning experience. Inspiration comes to me while I create. As life, projects I take on are there to push me, challenge me, stump me even and help me grow. Every moment of every day, experiences and clients are there to teach me and push my creativity. With each subsequent job, I develop my craft further and each unique design experience teaches me and prepares me for my next one. Art is my outlet. Without it, I am not who I am meant to be. To create beauty, to create what is being asked of me, To make my clients happy but to also make myself happy. I love the feeling of having delivered what was asked of me and being able to give my clients what they envision. I am a client-oriented designer, and it is most important for me to deliver a result they are happy with. The process leaves me fulfilled and allows me to tap into my creativity.

Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
To say I have learned from the Covid-19 crisis is an understatement. My view is that I haven’t just learned but I am continuing to learn in the aftermath of it all. For instance, from a design perspective, I realize that the “required” amenities within the home have really changed due to the pandemic. The transition to working from home for many has increased the need for an office space within the living space. Home gyms, game rooms, spas, theatres even for some, are now more prevalent when designing for clients. Another lesson or angle is this forced pause that took away my ability to create, provide for my children, and opportunities to engage with my work, made me feel as though a part of me was missing. I suspect that I am not alone however when I say that, it also forced me to slow down. Oddly I even miss aspects of that strange period. In a way, we were almost given the gift of time. Time to process humanity. Time with my children. Time to slow down that I fear would not have otherwise happened. Time to process, and time to embrace and derive joy from the closeness of being with loved ones. And time for me to understand fully that my art and need to create is so intense I need my work beyond just providing for my family. The pandemic placed front and center the understating of how fragile human life is and how we are ultimately at the mercy of something much bigger than any of us.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.NathalieMdesigns.com
• Instagram: @nathaliemdesigns
• Facebook: Nathalie M Designs