Meet Aldo Puccini | Freelance Interior Designer and Contractor

We had the good fortune of connecting with Aldo Puccini and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Aldo, how has your background shaped the person you are today?
In order to understand who I am, and why I do what I do, you’d have to understand my unique history and origins. I am a first generation native to Los Angeles, California. My mother came here from Ecuador and my father from Colombia back in the 60s. I grew up in a town called Arleta, deep in the San Fernando Valley. My parents had moved there when they first got married in the early 70s when it was still a quaint and quiet suburban farming community. However, by the late 80s and into the 90s, when I was growing up, the area, and our home, began to fall into a state of disrepair. The neighborhood fell victim to gang violence and poverty. Development of any kind came to a screeching halt, and it left the place feeling like the neglected section of the valley. Money was very tight for my family, and we couldn’t keep up with or afford the growing list of repairs. My own home became a place of discomfort and embarrassment. I rarely had friends over for fear that our pipes would flood the house or a cockroach would frighten them away. Therefore, at a very young age, I had to take it upon myself to learn how to repair things on my own, and beautify my surroundings. I began teaching myself everything from how to repair a leaky faucet to how to refinish antiques and woodworking. I did everything from landscaping my own yard to helping my sister renovate her fixer upper in Philadelphia. I decided to return to college in my late 20s so that I could earn a degree in Architectural drafting and design, which focuses on using CAD software to create floor plans and renderings. After a long road of self-discovery, and taking my skills to the next level, I felt it my mission in life to take my difficult childhood experiences, and use my creativity as a freelance interior designer and contractor, to help others love and feel good in their homes. In turn, I feel that these efforts will hopefully create a ripple effect in my neighborhood, and inspire others to aid in the revitalization of our forgotten community.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am a Freelance Interior Designer and Contractor. Most people may not think of that title as being an “artist” or a “creative”, but I would like to change that. This field takes every bit of my artistic and creative skills and puts them to the test, pushing me to my limits each and everyday. It requires having an artistic eye as well as having the technical skill to measure and be precise. You have to be able to construct something that is both visually pleasing and functional. What sets me apart from other designers would be my skillset. I don’t just stand there and tell construction workers what to install and how. I don’t just shop around endlessly for pretty decor. I get in there and do the work myself. I’ve HAD to. It gives me a leg up in the field because I’m capable of installing things like drywall, laying tile, doing electrical and plumbing, etc… I can oversee the work, call out mistakes, and plan ahead in a way that most designers couldn’t. I also started out as a visual artist, a painter, if you will, having taken fine art lessons for over ten years. I learned the basics of color theory and composition on a canvas, and have translated those skills onto a person’s home. A home is my canvas now, and not every designer approaches their work in that way. Throughout, high school and college, I also was a singer, actor, and dancer, and those skills helped me to take center stage and work well with others on collaborative projects. Ever since I began this business venture in design back in 2014, my business has grown organically. This Jack of all trades got to where he is professionally mostly through word of mouth referrals – proof that hard work, dedication, and attention to detail, speaks for itself. This journey has not always been easy though. I’ve had my fair share of losses and long periods of time without work, especially at the beginning of the pandemic. In the freelance world, you have to advocate for yourself, and luckily, I was able to overcome those challenging times by shamelessly self-promoting my work on social media. Eventually, I generated enough interest that I could continue on this path. I learned the hard way that we have to be our own biggest fan. Even if we don’t believe in ourselves, we have to pretend, because no one else will. It’s only when we learn to love ourselves, and are proud of the work that we do, that people begin to notice and see our VALUE. Confidence is everything!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I like to think that I give the best tours of LA! I’ve had friends and relatives from all walks of life come here throughout the years, and the main thing I always hear is how overwhelming and huge this place is. Having grown up here my whole life, I like to give visitors insight to parts of LA that otherwise get lost behind the facade of Hollywood. LA is so much more than that. It is a culturally diverse city full of secret gems and hidden history. If it’s their first time visiting, then of course, I’d show them the quintessential Hollywood Walk of fame and Grauman’s Chinese theatre. I’d take them to see the gorgeous views and hiking trails by the Griffith Park Observatory, and make our way down to the Santa Monica Pier, Venice, and 3rd st. Promenade to catch the sunset. A drive through downtown to see landmarks like Pershing square, Olvera St., the Disney Concert Hall, and the Staples Center would be on our itinerary, and if we’re feeling fancy, a stroll through Rodeo Dr. in Beverly Hills is a must. If they get to stay for more time, then I’d recommend amusement parks like Disneyland and Universal Studios. If they’re lucky enough to stay for a week, then I’d take the opportunity to show them some of my favorite neighborhoods, chock-full of LA’s early history, like Highland Park, Pasadena, Echo Park and Silverlake. One of my favorite places to visit would be The Heritage Square Museum, a great place to see how LA used to be at the turn of the 20th century, with perfectly preserved victorian homes and structures that you can tour. Another great place to tour our architectural marvels would be Frank Lloyd Wright’s Hollyhock House in Barnsdall Park, a great representation of early Mid-Century Modern architecture by one of the world’s most famous architects. It is truly a work of art! All of our museums, like the Getty, LACMA, and the La Brea Tar Pits, just to name a few, are fantastic places to visit. Now when it comes to food, we definitely have some of the best. Clearly, any of our delicious local taco trucks are sure to satiate anyone’s craving for authentic Mexican street food. Pretty much any restaurant in KTown is bound to showcase the incredible Asian cuisine here. And last but not least, a night out for drinks and dancing is a MUST in WeHo after a long day of sightseeing! I tend to stay away from overly trendy places and chain restaurants that come and go, as I don’t necessarily feel they represent what LA is truly about. Our diversity, and thus, our diverse cuisine, is where it’s at! Support local and small business!

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
To be completely honest, being in this field has been rather lonely and I’ve had to teach myself most of what I know. There aren’t many people that I’ve met who are in the trades working with their hands, and that should change. There’s a small community out there that I know and love, but I wish I could meet more talented creatives that I could be inspired by, and learn from. I’m searching for those who are looking to collaborate and create something bigger than ourselves. I will say, however, that in my early days, as cliché as it may sound, I was inspired by a lot of what I saw on HGTV… most specifically, the work done by Detroit’s Nicole Curtis. If you don’t know the show “Rehab Addict”, Then I suggest you give it a watch! She takes these old forgotten homes that are set for demolition, and brings them back to life. She inspired me to seek out more revitalization projects like that in Los Angeles, a city notorious for tearing down old structures, and forgetting its history. The culture around that needs to change, as the wasteful construction practices, total tear-downs, and “modernizations”, are a detriment to our landfills, environment and culture! We can do better! I hope that there are more people out there in LA like Nicole Curtis making a difference in their communities!

Website: www.aldojosepuccini.com

Instagram: @aldontyoudare

Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/aldojosepuccini

Facebook: www.facebook.com/aldo.puccini