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

Hi Galina, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Hi LA!  I’m an Interior Designer and went out on my own about 5 years ago after working underneath some amazing designers. Eventually I was ready to work with my own clients and was matched with an amazing client through a design agency. I just finished my second home with him late last year. Really, all it takes is for one good client to believe in you, and for me the referrals came from there.  Nothing speaks to your work as much as being hired a second time by the same client.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My early years as a designer were spent learning everything I could from some major LA powerhouses in the industry. Them summer in moved to Los Angeles, I took a beginners AutoCAD class at community college and literally bought the book “AutoCAD for dummies” lol (now Im a pro and love CAD).  I have made lots of mistakes and learned hard from them, and have learned so much about being a solution-oriented person.  In this industry, timelines get screwed up, contractors swap out quality tile for crappier versions (true story) and pieces come chipped or broken after months of waiting.  You literally have to be client-forward and solution-ready or you’ll always feel pissed off.

I’m most proud of my ability to read people and quickly gain a really good sense of their personal style and needs.
Note: I think the most photographable space ive designed is a musician Clients entryway that involves a thousand-pound carved Indonesian wooden swing. Its delicious and while you can sit on this swing, its also just pure eye candy (pictured below).

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would stick to the east side of Los Angeles if I had guests in town. There’s so much going on here, I prefer to whisk them right up from LAX and head to Los Feliz for a late breakfast at Loupiotte Kitchen. As I’m obsessed with architecture + design, I would take my guests on an architectural tour of the east side of LA, starting with a few Lloyd Wright commissions in the Los Feliz Hills like the famous “Ennis House” (Bladerunner anyone?), the Neutra VDL house in Silverlake, and then head to Angelino Heights (don’t forget to look for the MJ “Thriller house”). From there, carry on to Pasadena to see Frank Lloyd Wright’s La Miniatura -and the countless sprawling Craftsmans such as the Gamble House (“Back to the Future” house). Dinner at Mazal Lincoln Heights on your way back is an absolute must.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
There is no doubt that my career and the way that I approach the design process has been shaped by the mentorship of other designers. I’d like to note two designers who I’ve worked with in the past who have been incredibly influential. First is Linda Allen, who taught me everything I needed to know about detailed drawings (and who herself is an absolute AutoCAD whiz!), the beauty of well-done maximalism, and owning a business as a woman. I worked with her in the years that she was developing the Live Anywhere Collection (an outdoor, battery-powered decorative lighting line) and had the pleasure of watching her come up against obstacles again and again, and not give up. I also want to mention Kevin Corn, who taught me more than he probably realizes about how to approach clients and vendors with confidence and grace. He has a way of speaking to people that de-escalates hectic situations and creates an atmosphere of solution-oriented discourse, and I have a deep respect for him and the work he does.

Website: https://www.galinarenee.com/

Instagram: @galinaholechek

Other: https://www.pinterest.com/galinaholechek/

Image Credits
Main image – adjusting curtain in living room -Credit: Angeline Woo / EL OJO. Second image – myself in mirror image of clients space – Credit: Sasha Tivetsky Third Image – Office close up on eames chair – Credit: Jess Isaac Photography Fourth Image – Carved swing in entryway – Credit: Jess Isaac Photography Fifth Image – Bookshelf with myself blurred in background – Credit: Angeline Woo / EL OJO. Last image – Myself on chair in Clients “writing room” – Credit: Angeline Woo / EL OJO.

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.