Owning a business is never easy, and owning a business that has been growing for 15 years is a feat worth celebrating. To kick-off our new brand's look, we asked Melissa Salamoff to reminisce on the firm's accomplishments and to look ahead at the great opportunities on the horizon.
Q: What was your journey like to owning your own firm and what were some of the factors that led you to being your own boss?
Melissa: I had never imagined I would be running my own interior design firm. In 2010 at the height of the recession, I was working at a large architectural firm as a senior designer. A multifamily developer I’d worked for at my previous firm had asked me if I could do some consulting for him in my free time to help finish up a large development downtown.I asked him for a few days to respond to make sure it would work. At the time, I had a 6-year-old daughter and a two-year-old son. Outside of work and family, free time was hard to come by. Literally, two hours later, I got called into a meeting with HR with bad news. They informed me that I was being laid off. They had held on to me as long as possible, being the second to the last designer, but times were tough. All the departments were being cut to the bare minimum. I left the meeting with very mixed emotions, but I have to say with more excitement about where my future would go versus worry. I knew my next step was to call my developer contact back and get started on my journey.
Q: How has the industry evolved since you started, and how has the firm adapted to these changes?
Melissa: Faster turnaround and more services with super competitive fees- Due to the continuing evolution of technology we have learned to constantly be experimenting, testing, and trying new methods- not being intimidated by technology, but using it to our advantage to help deliver the best design and service we can to our clients.
Q: What are you constantly on the lookout for?
Melissa: As a designer, I’m constantly pulling inspiration from the world around me to bring bespoke, sensory-rich, meaningful design that resonates with the people who experience the spaces we design. The resources to find inspiration are infinite and all around us. I look at nature, fashion, textiles, art, architecture, technology, history, industrial design. The other key thing that I look out for is advances in technology to support us so we can do the thing we do best, which is to create impactful design solutions.
Q: What are some of the most pivotal moments or projects in your journey that shaped the identity of Syndicate?
Melissa: My first design job out of college was working for Disney Imagineering in Burbank. That is where I happily got thrust into a large retail project in Tokyo. The project team list was quite large, very specialized, and multifaceted. I quickly got a first-hand experience with the great power of collaboration and teamwork; I realized what a great gift it is to work together for a single vision with the valuable perspectives, special skills, various knowledge, and strengths of my project peers. This experience really made an impression on me and affected how I wanted to design all projects moving forward. When I started my journey of forming my company back in 2010, I decided to use my last name. Fast forward about 10 years into my company's success, I knew it was time to rebrand. We had been growing at a steady rate and felt that we needed a name to reflect who we were and what values we wanted to be at the forefront. After creating list after list of possible names, Design Syndicate stood out as a name that not only represented our mission of design through collaboration but also had the weight that I felt represented our design chops and experience.
Q: What do you think has been the key to building lasting relationships with your clients over the years?
Melissa: Easy.. Solid Communication, building trust by providing the best client services we can, and a passion for design.
Q: Looking ahead, what are your hopes and aspirations moving into the New Year and beyond?
Melissa: My career started in hospitality. So further building our hospitality studio and working on hotel projects as well as our continued work in multifamily and the goals of continuing to push the narrative and design exciting projects.
Q: What does the evolution of the firm name say about the forward momentum of the business? From Design Syndicate to simply Syndicate?
Melissa: The definition of Syndicate is a group of individuals or organizations pursuing a common interest. We believe in partnerships and that through collaboration with our partners, the project can be its best. The name evokes confidence and a passion for doing something that we love to do and we are equipped to deliver. Part of our success is due to building these partnerships. Over the years we have built a great network with creators, fabricators, suppliers, engineers, and architects where we found a common thread both as individuals and companies with the same ethos and directive. We create amazing, successful projects by tapping into special resources and talents with companies that also believe in collaboration, communication, and thinking outside of the box to achieve the unique goals of our clients.
We at Syndicate are very excited about the release of our new brand while celebrating the same great ethos and product that our clients have come to expect over the years. We are ecstatic that you are along for the journey with us.
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