RISING STARS: MEET DEMI ADENIRAN

Published on sdvoyager.com

April 4, 2022

Today we’d like to introduce you to Demi Adeniran.

Demi, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?

My journey in home and design started at an early age. I enjoyed walks at night and looking in homes. Realizing each home reflected its inhabitants in distinctly unique ways was fascinating. I noted that styles differ as much as the people.

My eclectic style developed out of necessity, a limited budget, and personal background. I launched my design studio in the late 90s after successfully purchasing a rundown apartment and renovating it on a tight budget. Then, I received inquiries to help other homeowners after publishing that apartment in a magazine, and the rest is history. I have always shopped at vintage and thrift shops, mixing genres of furnishings to create a harmony of styles. This mixing became a hallmark of my aesthetic and the liberal use of colors.

Today, I’m still an advocate for mixing furniture classification. The reuse is sustainable to create a unique aesthetic to articulate personal style.

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?

In 2004, I opened a home furnishing and design studio in Brooklyn, NY, called Fabrica. We ran the community-based store for ten years. Interiors 432, Inc. in San Diego, CA, is the newest iteration. We are a full-service interior design studio. However, our COVID pivot has been helping clients set up functional home offices.

One of the daily challenges I face as an entrepreneur who must wear many hats is striking the proper work/life balance. This juggling can be difficult when running your own business and has been particularly relevant for me as a working mom. However, it has also been my motivator and superpower. I have been able to model a work ethic and share the rewards of my efforts with my young daughter. It has been rewarding to witness my positive influence reflected in her approach to her education and the passion she displays in pursuing her interests.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?

I’m a practitioner of the arts and design in general, offering full-service interior design programming is my mainstay. I have completed residential and notable restaurant and hospitality projects in collaboration with recognized architectural firms.

As a designer, I’m known for championing the notion of identifying a color palate that clients can live in to promote happiness. As many of us have pivoted to working at home, I’ve had the opportunity to create a homework environment that promotes productivity and well-being. Forecasts projects that 23% of the worker will continue hybrid work well into the future. I’m excited to embark on this segment of the design industry.

I’m most proud of the home I created to raise my daughter. She was a demanding client who wanted to live in a rainbow. I was challenged to meet her desire while balancing the needs of the adults who also inhabit the home. The result was happy spaces throughout the house generously infused with colors with a serene backdrop. We found harmony and inspiration from our favorite artist, Mark Rothko. My daughter’s early introduction to art allowed us to reference an artist we all love to establish a color palate.

I have been using that method to help my clients determine colors they can live in based on their favorite artists. Referencing art as a tool, sustainably using vintage furniture, and the cultural mixing of genres have become my practice calling card.

Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?

I genuinely enjoy growing food. It’s incredible how much you can grow even in a small space. I get a great deal of joy from gardening, and the process of tending to my plants satisfies me.

I love the beach and feel fortunate to live close enough to enjoy it daily.

I’ve resumed the practice of yoga after a long hiatus. Returning to the practice offers me peace and opens my mind, allowing creativity to flow.

Pricing:

  • Studios’ hourly rate is $225, and projects are priced individually based on scope.

Contact Info:


Image Credits:
Melanie Acevedo