Meet Dalia Gottlieb Silver | Interior Designer | Residential & Commercial

We had the good fortune of connecting with Dalia Gottlieb Silver and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Dalia, how did you come up with the idea for your business?
About 10 years ago, my husband and I moved from Manhattan to Los Angeles, At the time, I was a tax accountant working in the financial services industry. While I enjoyed the intellectual challenge that my job provided, there was a huge creative part of me that felt unfulfilled. If we hadn’t moved, I would have stayed at that job for a long time. I had an amazing boss and the company treated their employees really well, but they didn’t allow for remote working, so when we moved, I had to leave my position.

Moving to Los Angeles was like a portal to another life. The pace of life here was totally different. The accounting industry had an entirely different focus. I was pregnant and almost due with my first child. We purchased our first home, a 1920’s home that needed some updating, and started renovations.

Thinking I would go back to accounting, I took a few months to be home with my daughter before looking for a job. I thought I was going to go back to a regular office job and it would be the only opportunity to take a longer leave when having a baby. When I started looking for accounting positions, I saw that I was going to have to retrain in a different industry or go back to public accounting. After having my daughter, it was really hard to contemplate either of these options. I loved her so much, and if I was going to spend the day away from her, I wanted to do something that I enjoyed, rather than something that I was good at, but didn’t really like.

Luckily, this all happened as we were doing construction on our home because I realized that I loved interior design. I loved the space planning puzzle, the textures, the finishes. The decision overload that people experience in designing a home was something that energized me instead of overwhelmed me. I found that my background in accounting only helped, because I can work well with budgets and pay close attention to detail.

I was fortunate that I was able to go back to school and retrain and study to do something that I loved. And I am incredibly grateful for that.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
In running my own design firm, I wear many different hats. Interior designer, business owner, project manager, book keeper, photographer, stylist, social media manager. The list goes on. My personal life provides its own plethora of hats for me to wear, as well.

My clients sit at the center of each project that I work on and they, too, have a multitude of demands on their time and roles in their lives. Life is complex and our homes are the nucleus. Our homes need to be able to serve each part of our lives. My goal as a designer is to always help a client create a home that is beautiful, functional, flexible, and suits the needs of all the hats that they wear.

Here is where my various backgrounds harmonize to help my clients achieve their visions for their home. In my toolbox I have the methodical approach of an accountant and the inspiration of a creative. A focus on form, functionality and aesthetics are at the core of every design, guided by the client’s taste and lifestyle needs. These factors impact every choice, from finishes to fabrics, lighting, and color selections.

The spaces that we inhabit drastically impact how we feel, whether we are cognizant of that or not. I’m here as a guide to support my clients in creating spaces that feel good, function well, and serve the many different needs of their lives.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
First up, the Getty Museum and Gardens. The art, the architecture, and the beautiful garden can leave you wandering there all day.

For a shopping day, the Century City Mall is my go to. They have a great variety of stores and the design of the mall constantly draws me back.

For a great meal, Next Door has delicious food and cocktails and a fun vibe.

A hike in Santa Monica or Malibu is a must when visiting.

I admit that this may not as fun for everyone, but when my sister comes to visit, we always pop into some of our favorite showrooms, like Arteriors.

If you’re with little kids, which I always am, Knott’s Berry Farm, the SlooMoo Slime Museum, and the Santa Monica Pier are always a hit.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I had a very steady and stable career path in accounting. What was needed to succeed was pretty clear and laid out. It was really daunting to contemplate walking away from that just as my personal life demanded stability from me. We owned a home and had a kid. I had real responsibilities.

When I was deciding if I wanted to stick with accounting or pursue a different, less laid out path, I was only met with support by my family. My husband, my parents, my in laws, my siblings, and my sister in law were all my personal cheering squad. They saw that I wasn’t making this decision lightly and they all encouraged me to pursue interior design. Without their support, I don’t know if I would have had the courage to make the change.

Website: https://www.gottliebsilverstudio.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gottliebsilverstudio/?hl=en

Image Credits
Images of me by Ben Anik: Main photo of me in white kitchen
Other images of me taken by Alison Silver
Interior shots photographed by me