Meet Maria Videla-Juniel: Interior Designer and Business Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Maria Videla-Juniel and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Maria, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking
I wouldn’t be an interior designer if I hadn’t taken some pretty big risks in my life. I’ve always been a risk taker, mostly using my gut feelings as a guide and not overthinking decisions… I would say I’ve been pretty impulsive at the moment of big changes but once I commit to something, I have never looked back so there’s only a path to move forward. I had an established career in Corporate Marketing when I decided not to pursue an MBA but instead enroll in the UCLA Extension Interior Design School. At the time, it felt I was abandoning a 12 year very successful career but now I realize that it was exactly what I needed as a foundation for my new interior design career and being in business for myself. The project management and financial background that marketing gave me, I still use every single day now for our design projects. 

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I love owning a boutique high end interior design firm. The scale of the business is perfect for my personal goals as it allows me to focus on raising my children and sharing life experiences with them that are only very temporary as they grow so quickly. My background in marketing has resulted in an approach that is very client centric and we build long lasting relationships that span several homes and geographical locations for our clients. Every project is tailored to our clients lifestyle so it becomes a very personal experience but we use consistent methods to organize our projects so we can make them as smooth as possible.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
So lucky to live in LA where there’s no shortage of day and weekend trips within an hour or two away. One of my favorite routes with out of town visitors is the Sunset Boulevard one. We start in Hollywood and there’s so many interesting stops on the way to the ocean as we pass through West Hollywood with it’s quaint cafes, Beverly Hills famous buildings and Pacific Palisades with a shopping center that looks right out of a movie. Malibu beaches and brunch at Gladstones is another one we have done for many years as well as the architectural significant houses that are open to the public if my visitors are into architecture and the history of LA Buildings.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My grandfather was a great example of how you can achieve business success through a clear vision, hard work and perseverance. He grew up the oldest of 9 children and had to start working very young to help support his family. He didn’t have a priviledged education or opportunities handed to him so he had to resort to a strong work ethic. He became a very successful business entrepreneur in Argentina, a country where the economy has been very challenging for as long as I can remember for the private sector.

Website: theartofroomdesign.com
Instagram: theartofroomdesign
Facebook: theartofroomdesign

Image Credits
Peter Valli Christensen (Beach Style Home) Lindsay Salazar (Mountain Home)