Bored Panda reached out to Dani Alexander who is an Interior Designer in California and a business owner of "Dani Alexander Interiors". We kindly asked Dani to tell us a little bit more about herself, and her own personal philosophy when it comes to her work, given that she has been in the industry for quite a while.

"My personal interior design philosophy is that a cohesive, beautiful, and functional home can make a huge difference in the way that you feel in your home. Most of my clients have kids or pets, and it’s extremely important for them to have a home that works for them. Maybe this means we select kid and pet-friendly furniture and fabrics or make sure there is plenty of toy storage, every family is different. I also believe that interior design should be highly personal, meaning I need to get to know you very, very well. I always ask my clients lots of questions in the initial consultation so I can make absolute sure that their home is perfect for them and their needs." She told us.

Given the topic of the post, we also asked Dani's opinion on what makes a "good" design. "This is such a great question. So much goes into design that people do not realize. I always tell clients, interior design is both an art and a science. It’s a puzzle that needs to be arranged just right to make sure that it is appealing to the eye.

This means the art needs to be hung at the perfect height for your particular ceiling and for any furniture that may be underneath. The sofa needs to be the correct scale for your ceilings and for any surrounding furniture. The rug needs to be big enough that it’s on at least the first two feet of each item of furniture. If these things are not done correctly, the space can feel out of balance and visually messy."

When it comes to designing a beautiful place, one also has to take into consideration the practical side of things and know how to combine the two successfully. According to Alexander, one should start by noting some things down.

"Start with a list. I am a huge fan of lists because they keep you from getting overwhelmed. Start by writing out how you need the space to work for you. Is there anything that you need to store? How many people could be in this space at any given time? Do you need to leave adequate space for the kids to play in this room? Do you have enough lighting? Write all this out. Then, start searching for inspirational photos so that you can understand your style. When you find a piece you like, make sure it meets the demands on the list and also matches your unique style. I highly encourage having a plan before you start painting any walls or buying any furniture or decor."

When it comes to inspiration, the interior designer says she is often inspired by both her clients and their projects.

"I am inspired for my clients' projects and by the clients themselves. I base the design on their wants, needs, personal style, personality, travels, etc. I personally am inspired by color as well. I love color! It makes my heart so happy."

As we have mentioned previously, Dani has also founded her own business, in doing so we were quite curious to know what were the main difficulties and what motivated her to do so.

"I have known since the time I was a little girl that I wanted to own my own business. After several years of jobs that didn’t allow me the time, freedom, and creativity I was hoping for in a career, I made the decision of going off on my own.

In 2018, I got very sick with a condition seriously threatening my eyesight, and that was when I officially took my business full-time. It was possible at that time that I could lose my eyesight eventually and I wasn’t going to wait one more second to live my dream. Now in remission, I am so happy that I am able to do what I do."

Alexander also shared with us the journey of her creative process as well as how everything starts when she receives a new project to work on.

"The first thing we’re going to do is set up a consultation so that I can see the space and so that we can get it measured. For local clients, I’ll go out myself personally and talk with them, view the space, measure and take photos. For non-local clients, we will do a video call and I will find a local contractor to come and take detailed measurements of the home."

Going back to the topic of the post, we asked Alexander to tell us the main mistakes people often make when trying to design a place on their own.

"I would say the biggest mistake people make is starting to buy things without a plan. I work primarily on full homes and because my biggest focus is on creating a beautiful, functional, and cohesive space, we do not do anything without a plan. We create a list of what each room needs, we create a detailed floorplan and we do a complete style profile for each client before we start purchasing anything. We do not make any purchases until every single item in the entire home has been selected."

Lastly, we asked the professional interior designer to share some tips for those of you who might be interested in joining this particular field.

"Be prepared to work! Getting my 4-year design degree is one of the hardest things I have ever done in my life. But it did such a good job to prepare me.

For those wanting to start their own interior design business, don’t just focus on learning about interior design, but learn how to run a business. It’s about 80% business and 20% design. I suggest listening to interior design podcasts, reading books about running a design business and asking a local interior design professional if you can shadow them or even work for them to see how things are done. There is so much that goes into it and you’ll want to not only be prepared, but it will help you to be confident in your ability to not only design but to handle all that comes with it. I also suggest taking internships and working in design-adjacent fields like drapery work rooms or furniture stores to really prepare you."