Today we’d like to introduce you to Lara Friedman.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
It all started in high school where I was a persistent window peeper as my friends and I wandered Back Bay. I used to climb the stairs of residential brownstones trying to catch a glimpse of their glamorous and intriguing interiors. I went on to college to study International Relations and Psychology, but after college, it quickly became apparent what my true calling was!
So, after moving to San Francisco following college, back to school I went to UC Berkeley for design classes while working full time for a well-known designer. After a few years, I moved back to my home, Boston and continued to work in the field for another high end, well established residential designer and furthered my education at the BAC (Boston School of Architecture).
All told, I’ve been in the industry since 2002 and started my own business, Lara Friedman Design, in 2007. I would not trade my career path for anything! I feel blessed having trained by some very strong, established designers and lucky to be working in a field that I can consider my true calling.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
I can say it’s predominantly been a smooth road, though not without a lot of hard work and determination. I was lucky to receive my first job offer in the field of design early on, though the working/learning environment was a steep learning curve. It was a lot of work to go back to school at night while working full time and financially supporting the endeavor, especially while still working off undergrad loans.
When I left San Francisco to move back to Boston it was very challenging to find a new job in the industry. The economy was going through a rough time and jobs in the field were rather scant. It took many months of pounding down doors, but alas I was given a break!
Please tell us about Lara Friedman Design.
I work on residential interiors. My projects can include anything from a single room re-design to a soup to nuts, ground up construction project where I touch every single design selection that your eye can land upon.
I specialize in designing comfortable, sustainable interiors that speak directly to my client’s lifestyle and personality. I like to think of a project globally, whether it’s one room or 10 that I am touching. That means taking a look at the home and the client’s lifestyle as a whole and working to create an interior that is cohesive throughout the entire home and doesn’t look like one-stop shopping for each individual space. The spaces need to flow and work off of each other.
Many clients come to me because they have heard that “I understand what it means to be a busy family and that I am cognizant of creating a durable space that can stand the test of time, and children (and often times pets too!)”. So, that means perhaps those white linen sofas will have to wait until they are empty nesters!
I am quite proud that I have a constant roster of strong, interesting, wonderful clients all of whom have come to me through word of mouth. A good referral is worth its weight in gold and there seems to be no shortage of them thankfully! I feel set apart from many designers in the level of which I communicate with my clients and really push that their design is a reflection of THEM, not me. It’s not my home, it is theirs! I welcome their vision and goals and want to make them a reality.
I also make it clear from the start that they have hired me for my opinion, which, for better or worse, they will receive, as I also want theirs! We lay out how our relationship will work from the start in this way and many others and I am pleased to say it’s a long, lovely, flourishing relationship with many repeat customers over the years.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
You know what they say about the hind site…. but absolutely not!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.larafriedmandesign.com
- Phone: 774-571-7556
- Email: lara@larafriedmandesign.com
- Instagram: larafriedmandesign
- Facebook: Lara Friedman Design
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