Meet Danni Harper | Interior Designer

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

Hi Danni, how do you think about risk?
Oh man, I would not consider myself a ‘risk taker’, but I suppose starting your own business is quite the risk! I am definitely not afraid of change or discomfort, and I associate discomfort with growth, which is like my drug of choice in life. This helped me in leaving jobs that I grew out of, jumping into projects that felt too big, and just generally putting myself out there exactly as I was and learning along the way. I believe that taking the risk and realizing that you figured it out builds the trust and confidence within yourself to keep aiming higher. I love challenge, growth, and expansion, so I learned to love discomfort. This also means that I get burnt out from pushing myself, so I really had to learn how to recenter myself and make that a priority. So to me, risk is all about balance and not fearing discomfort, and also self-awareness. You have to know your own limits and you have to be able to reflect on the journey. I guess risk has gotten me everywhere, but everything is a risk if you want to look at it that way. I usually have a big idea that I take some time to weigh out and if it isn’t truly detrimental, I just go for it. Chances are you land right where you belong, or you learn a lesson. Win Win.

What should our readers know about your business?
Danni Harper Design is a full-service residential design firm, which means we can do it all! We focus mostly on large-scale renovations, and definitely favor kitchen and bath remodels, but can take on smaller remodels and one-off room designs via our E-Design services. We are conscious of budgets to prove that good design doesn’t have to break the bank. And while we are offering a luxury service and experience, we try to accommodate clients with smaller budgets and offer our best advice on where to splurge and where to save. Where our true passion lies is working with developers on ground up builds. At one of the first firms I was at, I worked mainly with developers and I fell in love with that push and pull of what I knew was right as a designer and what made sense for the broader market we were trying to appeal to. Not every buyer in LA wants to go through a renovation, and not every buyer in LA wants an architecturally charming house, but they do want good design either way. It feels like another way to help people to live in a well-designed home without all the stress of building or renovating. Plus, we absolutely love it!
It’s taken us a few years to find our niche, but turns out, it was what was pulling at our hearts all along!

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 always struggle with this because the options are ENDLESS! But if we have someone in town for the weekend we usually like to do a Friday night dinner nearby in the valley, so we’ll go to Soy y Luna in Tarzana. IYKYK. It isn’t fancy but it’s a valley must for me. Then Saturday we love a good hike, so we’ll head to Malibu to Los Liones trail for the ocean view then go to The Sunset restaurant for a seafood brunch. Next we’ll swing by Malibu Café or Rosenthal for some afternoon drinks before heading home and ordering Sugar Fish. Sunday, we would head to Griffith Park for the essential LA view and hit up LAMILL or Grand Central for brunch, then make our way through Hollywood and hopefully find the Kogi truck or any solid taco stand. Then we’ll head over to the Westside where we’ll grab a drink at Calabra Rooftop before ending the weekend at Elephante. If its the right weekend, i’ll definitely be pushing for the Rose Bowl or Long Beach Flea Market instead of a hike on Sunday. Its tough to squeeze it all in, but a hike, beach, brunch, and rooftop from downtown to the westside offers a quick tour of the diversity of LA which is the best part of living here!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
This list is LONG, but I would have to say my parents. They have never not supported any idea I’ve had. My mom has always been my creative inspiration, a role model of strength and not taking the easy way out, my editor in chief, and my emotional support. That woman is owed hundreds of thousands in therapy fees! My dad is an entrepreneur so he gave me a little more ‘don’t play by the rules’ support and was always encouraging me to take the risk and reminding me that failure is inevitable so you might as well try. He had a really good balance of pushing me without making me feel pressured.
Overall, they both always reminded me to take one little step at a time and instilled strength and courage in me that I am forever grateful for. My dad’s exact words are ‘ya eat an elephant one bite at a time’ which makes me laugh and also stuck with me because the thought of eating an elephant is odd, and daunting.

Website: https://www.danniharperdesign.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danniharperdesign/

Other: Pinterest https://pin.it/3jSXhnG

Image Credits
Madeline Tolle