Today we’d like to introduce you to Gillian Segal.
Hi Gillian, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Design has been influential in my life as far back as I can remember. My first vivid memory of being immersed in design was in my childhood as my parents were creating their first-ever family home. I quickly gravitated towards design and understood the profound impact it can have in our everyday lives. Coming from a family of doctors, and business like-minded individuals I never thought of Interior Design to be a career path for me. However, through my bachelor’s degree of arts, I was drawn to art history and any classes that involved design. After obtaining my degree, I came back to Vancouver to pursue and earn my certificate of Interior design and hit the ground running with top design firms. After a couple of years of experience, priceless mentorship, and a bit of naivety around the ins and outs of running your own business, I decided to start my own firm.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Absolutely not – like I mentioned, I think it takes a certain amount of naivety, a lot of passion, and resilience to jump into starting your own business. Luckily, I feel like I grew with my business so I was able to learn and navigate the day-to-day hurdles as they came. There is a lot of risk and responsibility that comes with having your name on the door, and while my passion is in the creative, interior design is not just the glamorous end product everyone sees. I would say 80-90% (or more) of interior design is not so glamorous – you are truly in the trenches of project management, admin, and being a principal designer a lot of business management/development. However, with all that being said that 10-20% of creative work mixed in with happy clients and an incredibly supportive team (both personally and professionally) is priceless and incredibly fulfilling to me.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I really believe the home is an opportunity for self-expression and further to that where we spend our intimate time with ourselves and loved ones which affect our mood, productivity, and lifestyle. I put a lot of emphasis in the conceptual phase with my clients and working closely with them to ensure what we are creating will benefit their day-to-day life. I take a lot of creative inspiration from my clients during the conceptual stage which typically results in a modern eclectic aesthetic. I like bringing in unexpected elements, blending old and new, bringing special pieces that have a story behind them, and adding in high and low price tags throughout which results in a very lived-in feeling.
What matters most to you? Why?
Two words that come to mind are authenticity and integrity. It is crucial to me to build trust with my clients since we are fortunate enough to be involved in some of the most intimate moments of their lives. Beyond how talented you are in the creative / business aspect are the core values of you, and your business which translates into creating those long-term relationships that I value deeply and do not take for granted.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://gilliansegaldesign.com/
- Instagram: @gilliansegaldesign
Image Credits
Ema Peters Photography Nick Mele Photography
