An Interview with Interior Designer, Raili Clasen
- Adriana
- Jan 20, 2020
- 4 min read
Raili Clasen is an Interior Designer who I first learned about on a #newportharborhometour many years ago. Since then I have followed her design career on Instagram and seen the creativity that makes her stand out from the rest. Aside from her fun and beautiful design I am also drawn to her because of the career change she made later in life (In 2011 she became an interior designer after years in the surf/fashion industry). For someone who has spent almost a decade in higher education and dreams of transitioning into interior design she is a huge inspiration. She was kind enough to make time for me and answer some questions, so with no further adieu, Raili Clasen....
ARC: Interior design was a career pivot for you. How did you get your first clients and what is some advice you have for aspiring interior designers who are untrained and have no contacts in the field?
RC: Well, I just dove in. We bought a house and our designer moved out of the country before the project got started. I just looked at my husband and said, “I’m gonna give this a shot.” My advice to untrained designers is to train yourself ON yourself, or willing family members. I made a LOT of mistakes, but with each of those I called it my masters degree in design. I’ve never made them again.
ARC: When you first started out you were a one-woman show. How long did you go without a staff and what lessons were learned along the way? Was there something you wish you outsourced from the beginning (accounting, billing, e.g.)?
RC: I quickly had about 4-5 very small jobs after putting my home on the Newport Harbor Home Tour, so I hired my friend to help with ordering, installations, billing etc. That is definitely my weakness so I was happy to have someone who liked to do that part time.
ARC: A while back I was listening to a podcast with Emily Henderson and she said she realized, after doing an analysis of her business, that she actually made the least amount of money decorating people homes relative to the amount of time it took when compared to the other business ventures she had. So, she stopped doing it and now focuses on the collaborations and partnerships that are more profitable. Have you had this experience? Is there something you’ve realized in the last nine years that has shifted your energy elsewhere, within your interior design business?
RC: I happen to like designing homes AND more commercial spaces but yes, collaborations are an extension of my design, and I haven’t done enough to know how it effects my income. I do know that the bigger we get, the less I actually dig in and design. My assistant designers take my cues and run with it and I spend more time running a business, which is not that fun.
ARC: Last summer you traveled to Peru…How was Machu Picchu? What was your favorite street food? Were there any handmade ceramics you couldn’t live without? What design ideas and inspiration did you leave with?
RC: I made a quick decision to meet my daughter in Peru, where she was traveling. I was told by many not to touch the street food, so I stayed in the safe zone with food. The rugs were amazing and soooo inexpensive, but I could only fit so many in the suitcase I bought so I missed out on many fun ones. I didn’t dive in much to design, mostly because I was in the mountains and nature, but it sure is colorful in Peru!
ARC: Let’s talk about your Spanish Hacienda project that you recently did for one of your close friends….the initial fear you had in designing their home, did it go away once the process started or did it stay with you the whole time? What was it like creating a home for someone you care about?
RC: Oh, it was stressful at first. Her friendship meant way more to me than any job, but she and her husband did not let me say no. It ended so well, but I was nervous because there are always problems in a job that big. Thankfully, we both loved working together.
ARC: Tell me a little bit about the design elements you brought into this home, specifically that bar! The leather barstools, the tile, the lyrics painted on the wall...I love it all! Did the clients request that song be featured in that space or was that your idea? Does it hold some special meaning to the homeowners?
RC: I got the idea for the lyric wall while traveling in San Miguel de Allende. The song was sung by her dad at their wedding. They are such huge entertainers, we wanted a proper bar with a “south of the border” feel.
ARC: I love how you incorporated their family heirloom in the outdoor space. Can you tell us a little bit more about this cabinet and where you got those lanterns?
RC: That was the ONLY thing we kept. The lanterns were purchased online and I wanted to do a huge wall full of them like one I’d also seen in San Miguel De Allende.
ARC: Speaking of nice things, I have two kids under 4. My husband and I are always saying that we can’t have nice things right now because our kids are just going to ruin them. What’s your recommendation for floors, couches and décor in the home for young parents? (because the only thing I can come up with is tile, decorated rubber mats and bringing back plastic covers for couches)?
RC: Oh gosh, I just always did slipcovers. The rest got demolished.
ARC: If you couldn’t design your own home, who would you hire to do it?
RC: My friend Dana who founded Laguna Supply. She was the Roxy designer for years and has the best style.
ARC: What type of client would you be?
RC: Fickle and I’d rack up the change orders.
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