Today we’d like to introduce you to Hanin Smith.
Hi Hanin, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My love for designing interiors started when I was young. When my family immigrated from Jordan, I was 8 years old and struggled to feel like I belonged in southern California. With home as my refuge, I turned to decorating to carve out my own space. I would always rearrange my own room as a kid, borrowing my mother’s Palestinian embroidered textiles and combining them with tie-dyed fabrics to create a space that felt like me… part Arab part American. Eventually I’d decorate larger spaces in our house (usually right before my parents were hosting a big party!), but I never pursued this as a career.
My Middle Eastern parents preferred I pursue a more traditional education and reserve arts/creativity/design as a hobby. So, I have spent most of my adult life exploring different jobs in TV, journalism, marketing, PR, technology and HR wondering why nothing ever clicked. It wasn’t until we bought our first home in Encinitas when I was 6 months pregnant with my son Reid that it all started to make sense. Armed with a small severance and lots of free time on maternity, I got to fulfill my need to nest by organizing and decorating my own house… and found my calling!
Sometimes, when something comes naturally to you, it seems ridiculous that anyone would pay you for it. I assumed this was a natural skill to most people, so, rather than dive into design as a service, I tip-toed into the design world by opening an online store selling home goods (pillows, planters, small furnishings, etc.). Retail was not my strongsuit, but through staging my products on social media, people started asking for design services and I took my first paying client. It dawned on me then, that I do have an eye for design worthy of being shared. So I poured myself into it with full heart and soul, which is why you’ll often hear me refer to my business as my third baby.
Born out of my own desire to cultivate a true sense of home, I built a business that is going on it’s 8th year now, and I still use this as my north star. I believe in the power our environment can have on our well-being. Our spaces impact our mood, connection to others, and how we perceive ourselves in how we take up space in the world. This informs my design philosophy, and my team strives to help design our clients’ homes in a personal way that reflects who they are. To me, home is the place that receives, nurtures, and inspires you.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The first two years, I’d hardly call my business a success, it was more like a glorified hobby! Generating very little revenue, all of which went right back into the business. My first paying clients were neighbors and friends, until eventually, I had enough experience and clout to attract clients through word of mouth and social media. It was a slow growth until it wasn’t.
We happened to be on the right side of COVID, meaning our industry was flooded with people looking to renovate the homes they were trapped in, and there was more demand than I could handle. As a service-based business, your income is limited by the amount of time you have, so it became clear that the only way to scale was to increase my capacity, so I hired my first contractor and eventually a small team of employees.
Managing employees rather than projects was an adjustment, but it’s proven to be the right move to enable me to juggle motherhood and entrepreneurship. I’m still working on balancing that part, it’s a work in progress!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
HIDE Studio Interiors is a San Diego interior design firm offering home furnishing and renovation design services to SoCal residents. We have a boutique showroom in Carlsbad where our team works from. I currently have three employees, two designers and an operations director who I manage. We have incredible synergy and I credit them for our business’ growth and evolution.
We have designed everything from a single nursery to full-blown ground-up construction homes, and everything in between including commercial spaces. We’ve found our sweet spot is custom furnishing homes for clients, often when they move to the area and need to furnish their new home, upgrade an existing one, or make their vacation home ready for hosting. We excel in providing clients with high quality furniture, bespoke to their lifestyle, and done efficiently.
Our clients tell us they chose to work with us because we aren’t stuffy, we’re transparent in our business practices, and we create stunning spaces they are proud to share. Our process is tested and streamlined, so we can turn around a project in a fraction of the time than other designers because of our preferred relationship with our furniture vendors. We also have trusted and vetted tradespeople who provide custom upholstery, custom window treatments, and more.
I am most proud of the reputation we have built as a trusted interior design team who cares deeply about our clients and strives to serve them best.
What sort of changes are you expecting over the next 5-10 years?
The interior design industry often mirrors the real estate market. When interest rates are low and homes are selling, our industry reflects that. However, there is always a demand for designers, whenever people go through different life stages and need to modify their spaces to accommodate them, they’ll hire designers to assist in that task. I don’t wish for another COVID of course, but that was a unique opportunity for people to inventory their homes and renovate them to meet their changing needs. As trends move toward more organic and sustainable materials, I see people reconsidering what they put in their homes and that will become a higher priority.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hidestudiointeriors.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hidestudiointeriors/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/hide-studio-interiors-carlsbad
- Other: https://maps.app.goo.gl/8g3jYG53j7omN1bG9
Image Credits
Charlotte Lea Photography Charlotte Lea T : +1 424 278 0542 E : cl@charlottelea.com W : www.charlottelea.com IG : @charlotteleaphotography
