Meet Paulina Friedel | Designer & Owner at PUNIAF.design

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

Hi Paulina, other than deciding to work for yourself, what was the single most important decision you made that contributed to your success?
It was to “DIG DEEPER”. Evolving my mindset to believe in myself and the real (not monetary) value I can bring to people.

I think it’s very hard, especially for creatives, to be consistently and unapologetically confident in their work.
There is a lot of self-doubt and overthinking, and it can significantly affect and plain sabotage the business side. So it’s a constant little internal exercise to stay proud of your work and not forget how much it has already elevated my clients’ lifes (their words!)
Those reminders, resulting joy and gratitude, turn into the fuel needed to grow and to keep the fears away.
Mindset is everything. But it’s still a work in progress for me 😉

What should our readers know about your business?
Isn’t it funny that “all it took” was a world-wide pandemic to teach us how important our homes are and just how much we rely on our environments to keep us happy? This epiphany inspired me to finally share my passion for construction, landscaping, and overall design and start revamping my Los Angeles friends’ and neighbors’ homes and backyards so that they would never want or need to leave.

And that’s when I found my true purpose!
PUNIAF.design started as free pandemic style design consultations over zoom, and is now a full service design-and-build studio. With an awesome construction team behind me (Paulina, a.k.a. your design fairy godmother) we completely transform the interior and exterior spaces of your home so that you can focus on making memories and celebrating life with family and friends.

For us it’s the magic of construction, it’s the team, it’s the passion, it’s the love for the details and process. Most importantly, it’s the satisfaction after seeing and hearing that what we create gets used and enjoyed by entire families and truly changes their lives. It’s addictive, and contagious.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
First of all let me brag for a second about Potomac Palms – a brand new vacation rental right here in West Adams, that I designed every inch of, and my team created. From full gut to a pristine boutique hotel experience 😉 What a joy to stay there!

Other than all tourist places, I would have them experience my area, local restaurants, Party Beer Co. weekly vegan market on friday evening, then finish off at the speakeasy club close by (no, I’m not telling ;)).

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
All my amazing women! You know who you are, my ladies of West Adams. Women supporting each other.
I know, it’s such a popular phrase, but honestly, I probably wouldn’t be here without that original push, the ongoing cheering, the “omg look at what you’ve accomplished”!
I am forever grateful.

I never had my own mentor, but I appreciate a lot of life and mindset coaches out there, sharing their findings and tools online. I think Cathy Heller’s abundance mindset workshop was something that turned a new switch for me a couple of years ago.

And a big shoutout to my family: husband who should get an Oscar for best supporting actor, Mom, Dad, Sis, Aunt – they all “believed I could, so I did”.

Lastly, seeing my little daughter being proud of me – it will stay with me forever. Plus somehow she thinks that I’m a famous star – I couldn’t disappoint her so I decided not to prove her wrong, but become what she thinks I am instead ;)) (she didn’t specify the level of fame lol)

Website: https://www.puniafdesign.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/puniaf.design/

Potomac Palms: https://air.tl/QM1OUeaz