We thought it would be fun for our new subscribers if we shared a little bit more about our founder, owner, and Creative Director, Andrea Halkovich. If you know Andrea, you already know about her passion for design that led her to start Sonoma Interiors in 2020. Though she has always dabbled in all things creative, renovating homes with her husband throughout her adult life, she decided to follow this calling by turning it into her full-time profession. We sat down with Andrea to get the "scoop" on what makes Sonoma Interiors successful, and who the woman is behind this rising business. We hope you enjoy this interview!
When was the first time you knew you wanted to start your own business?
AH: I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit. I love to find solutions to problems and the entrepreneur in me often cultivates an idea for a business from those ideas. When I was little I would even come up with jingles to go along with the commercials to my fictitious businesses. In an era before Tik-Tok it served as entertainment for my siblings! I knew I wanted to start my own design business while in the midst of the pandemic. Upon reflecting on how precious life is, it felt like the time was right to branch out on my own. Go big or go home!
What was the first thing you ever designed?
AH: My mom was an artist so she gifted me the freedom to take risks and explore my own style. When I was in high school, she allowed me to decorate my room at the height of my Depeche Mode phase. I opted for a black and white room with touches of red accents. Unable to find wallpaper I liked, I sourced some Ralph Lauren zebra sheets from Macy’s and convinced my mom to help me paste them to the wall. It was totally wild but super cool and unique. I still cannot believe my mom allowed me to do that. I recently passed down her gift of self-expression to my own daughter when she moved to a larger bedroom. I am relieved to say, she stayed away from the bold zebra, opting for a tranquil Bohemian vibe in green hues.
What are your favorite spaces to design?
AH: I love designing kitchens because it is a space that brings me so much joy personally. It is the hub of our busy family. I really value an efficient kitchen and as one who loves to cook, I think the insight into what works well gives me an edge in space planning. I understand the workflow, dig deep into my client’s needs, and accommodate requests to create a highly organized space that is as beautiful as it is functional. I also love designing family spaces. I have lived in a home the size of a postage stamp as well as a sprawling tri-level. I personally understand how to optimize the space we have. Bathrooms are another favorite space to design. Like kitchens, they are often complex spaces (so often dysfunctional to today’s standards) and I am able to apply my analytical side to creatively establish order and function.
What is your favorite thing to cook?
AH: Ah - so many! When time allows, I love to make pork chops with a cherry port reduction, served with a bottle of Merry Edwards pinot, a personal fave. But I also love making my grandmother’s roasted chicken recipe while sipping on a beautiful chardonnay. It makes me feel close to her - the epitome of comfort food for me. But, these dinners are generally reserved for weekends. Right now, with two kids out of the house and one halfway through high school (with a demanding sports schedule), weeknights are generally quick dinners. Just keeping it real. ;)
What sets your designs apart?
AH: I like to make every project unique and personal. I have such a deep respect for various design styles that it is fun to draw out our client’s personal style and bring that vision to fruition, even if it means spanning different design styles. Rules are meant to be broken if you know what the rules are. I enjoy working with clients to bring out their personal style.
What is your secret to incorporating your clients’ unique personalities into your designs?
AH: It isn’t much of a secret, but it is so important to really listen to your clients; catch the little things they say that are important to them and find a way to implement them into the design. We recently completed a bathroom renovation for an ER doctor and his family. He works long hours and often comes home in the middle of the night. Their original layout had the vanity open to the bedroom and he would inadvertently wake his wife up in the middle of the night when he would get ready for bed. We ended up not just defining the bathroom space separate from the bedroom (that was a no-brainer), but offsetting the door and underlighting a floating vanity on a motion-activated switch so the light would not flood across the bed, waking our client. Problem solved, and the resulting bathroom is so sleek and modern - so very them.
Is there a ‘Sonoma style’ and if so, what defines it?
AH: Sonoma Style is down to earth, casual elegance; understated luxury with a mindfulness of preserving the natural beauty surrounding this special place.
If you weren’t an Interior Designer, what would you be?
AH: Nothing! I started my career in marketing technology for a major tech company. I traveled a lot and enjoyed the fast pace but it was not my passion. I finally found the courage to ask myself what I wanted to do if I couldn’t fail. I had been designing & constructing clothing my whole life, but designing interiors provides an even greater sense of accomplishment and joy. I feel a thrill when I find the perfect solution to a design challenge.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
AH: I love traveling with my family, watching my daughter play soccer, cooking, listening to music, family game nights (quite the raucous in our house!) & especially outdoor movie nights.
Where is your favorite place to travel?
AH: I love Europe. Like a typical American, I spend most of my time looking up! We just don’t have super old architecture like that here. I especially love Spain. I have spent hours at the Barcelona Pavilion admiring Mies Van Der Rohe and Lilly Reich's work, pioneers of Modern architecture and design. I am hoping to make it to Italy this summer if we can get our family schedules to align.
What is the farthest you’ve traveled for a project?
AH: Not too far. Although I recently broke into a bank (that was not open to the public; it was their private offices) in Los Angeles to ensure the floors we planned on specifying for an office project were the quality our client deserved and complimented the design. It was a new brand for us to work with and that was the closest installation to us. I felt like a Secret Service agent as I bypassed several tiers of security! Fun fact: my kids are convinced I am a former CIA agent (Mama’s instinct - I always know what they are up to, often before anything goes down.) so this antic did nothing to squash their belief.
What is the last book you read?
AH: Art’s Principles: 50 years of hard-learned lessons in building a world-class professional services firm by Arthur Gensler. Such a gem for anyone setting out to launch their own service-based business or growing it. This book really provides a helpful roadmap to success; providing real-life examples of what works and doesn’t work while defining the building blocks to build your foundation upon. I think for most of us in this industry, the question of scale haunts us sooner than later and it is so easy to fall into the trap of trying to keep up with the fabulous design businesses we drool over on Instagram. I found this book helpful in understanding how to stay your course and identifying the when and how.
We hope you enjoyed this interview! Many thanks to Andrea for opening up and sharing a little more about herself. We will be asking more questions in the future, digging deeper into how she approaches her projects, finds inspiration, and guides clients to creating beautiful spaces in which to live and work.
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