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

Hi Gianpiero, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
Well, it was never my intention to start out on my own, it happened quite organically. I have been quite fortunate in my career having worked with some incredible talents, including Kelly Wearstler & Martin Brudnizki, but at the start of 2020 I seemingly had a few leads asking me work directly with them so I took the leap of faith and branched out on my own. Who would have predicted Covid, but thankfully it didn’t sink me entirely, though I had to sidestep away from my background in hospitality (no one was considering to develop hotels & restaurants anymore) and found work doing residential projects. One project led to another and so far so good. We currently have a number of residential projects in the pipeline, and also have returned back to hospitality with a couple restaurants in Vegas and hotel projects with the Kimpton Hotels.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Well, there are many interior design studios in Los Angeles and the US in general, though I am confident in the product and service we offer and am very mindful of what sets us apart. A quick look through our portfolio, you will see that as a studio, we don’t have a “signature” style as it were, but instead are flexible and adaptable to our clients needs. This stems from our work in defining narratives for our spaces, really listening to our clients needs and figuring our how best their spaces can work for them.
As a studio, the road has not been easy. Many clients do not want to risk working with a younger or “untested” studio, even with the nearly 20 years experience employed at other firms, since the studio itself is new often clients are apprehensive to work with us. But we persevere and are happy to start small, often with a smaller scope of work, or reduced fee, whatever we need to get our foot in the door. For us so far, getting our foot in the door is half the battle, and it’s really been a bit of a numbers game. You have to keep trying, contacting and reaching out to people for new work, but that is the nature of any business, to keep going and not give up.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Oh wow, well firstly I have to mention that I’m vegetarian and my wife is vegan, so our choices will be a little in favor of this. As a transplant myself, I’m often showing people around town and am keen to show off my city, West Hollywood, as well as Los Angeles itself. But starting in Weho, I would recommend breakfast/brunch at the Butchers Daughter, Dinner at Gracias Madre and drinks anywhere nearby. People often frown over the Abbey, but it’s a hoot! I’ve always had a good time there. Though if you’re after a really special and intimate affair, I’d head to either Sunset Towers or Chateau Marmont. They’re close enough that you could even go to both in one evening. Outside of West Hollywood, I would have to recommend a trip to Santa Monica Pier, and go on the roller coaster. It’s a tiny little ride, but it’s so much fun you have to do it. Also, whilst your there, go play some arcade games, surely everyone has time for air hockey. Whilst in Santa Monica, go visit the Georgian Hotel (which was recently beautifully renovated) or perhaps the Proper Hotel Santa Monica for rooftop drinks. Finally a personal favorite of mine is the Getty Museum, which I adore. I love everything about that place, from the little monorail ride up, to the beautiful views from the terrace and that’s before admiring the art.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Yes, of course. Our projects have all come to us through word of mouth, so I’m incredibly grateful to my dear friends and community for considering me for new work. Top of the list, is my dear friend Tom Parker from Fettle Design, we go back close to 20 years, he has a much more established and successful interior design studio than ours, and is kind enough to constantly put our names forward. Additionally, the team at Kimpton are brilliant, thanks to Rebecca McBride and Ave Bradley. For our residential work, it all started with Nicholas & Caroline Kraft and their home in Laurel Canyon, many thanks to them. Finally, the first project for our studio and the first people to believe in us and take a chance, I have to thank Nikki Lee & Riawna Capri of Nine Zero One hair salon.

Website: https://www.gg-id.com

Instagram: gg_i.d

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gianpiero-gaglione-a785559a/

Image Credits
Pablo Enriquez
Maxime Lemoine

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