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

Hi Emily, what role has risk played in your life or career?
When I started my business I had only been out of College for 3 years, I didn’t know enough about running a business or the in and outs of the construction side of Interior Design. But, I knew that it was now or never. In some ways because I was so young I really didn’t have a lot to loose, I didn’t have anyone else I was responsible for or an expensive lifestyle to support. So there wasn’t a lot of risk. I think fear of failure was there but the time was right to go for it.

It is very easy to say you will do something down the road when you know more or have more confidence but, for me the risk is what I thrived on. Everything in life is a risk but betting on yourself shouldn’t be considered a risk.

What should our readers know about your business?
While many interior designers work to create “picture perfect” rooms, Emily is more concerned with setting the stage for her clients’ lives to unfold.

The designer, who began her firm at just 25 years old, specializes in end-to-end luxury home remodels. In the 7 years since, she’s developed a loyal and adoring client base who consider her family.

Her portfolio of beautifully curated homes are laced with traces of Emily’s design influences: subtle animal print from her childhood spent in Florida; the traditional style of the East Coast, melded with the clean, simple palettes from the West, where she spent the early years of her career designing.

But spend any time inside an Emily Gillrie home, and you’ll quickly learn that what makes a Complete Design by Emily Gillrie, well, complete, is not any particular style, but rather her penchant for function and flow.

It all comes from her process.

To master the “function and flow” unique to each family, Emily becomes an understudy to her clients, familiarizing herself with their rhythms and the various roles in which the home plays in their daily life.

The BYU Alum’s love affair with interior design began at an early age through none other than Nancy Meyers’ classic films. While her friends were gushing over the love stories, Emily was falling head over heels for the iconic homes.

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.
Because a huge part of my business is planning Boutique Events for some of my very special clients I have grown to love a detailed itinerary. I am currently planning a trip for 8 of my closes girlfriends to enjoy Greece this summer. My goal is that everyone will fall in love with the country as much as I have while getting to relax and enjoy themselves. Greece is one of my favorite places because of how inspiring the scenery is, how kind the people are and how fun it is.

For the trip, I have found a beautiful catamaran that is going to take us to different islands that have magical charming streets lined with fresh bougainvillea and delicious restaurants serving the freshest fish. We will also have a captain and a cook on board so that we never need to worry about anything except jumping into the ocean, finishing a great book and getting dolled up for dinner. In everything I plan I always like there to be unexpected surprises like for example, everyone will get a gift bag when they board the boat. I have given everyone an expected itinerary but I have some other fun surprise activities to break up the days and keep everyone on their toes.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My shoutout is to my clients, they have all made my job so fun that I have been able to grow, learn and create with them.

Website: https://www.completedesignbyemilygillrie.com/

Instagram: @completedesignbyeg

Image Credits
All Photos are provided by N i c o l e G e r u l a t 415.994.9942 portfolio: nicolephoto.com instagram: @nicolegerulat

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutSocal 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.