Today Ted speaks with Esther Bolvin. The Montreal native currently resides in Arizona where she runs her own interior design firm.

Before becoming an interior designer, Esther spent many years as an opera singer. Today, her philosophy toward her work combines her love of music and design as she believes that the key to success in her craft is a matter of trusting one’s instincts and tapping into one’s emotions.

Going further, Esther explains that her standard for successful design is when it evokes a feeling out of anyone who enters the space. Like a musical composition, she constantly strives to mix and match different elements to create something new and bold while maintaining a sense of harmony.

Further informing Esther’s sense of aesthetics is her passion for travel and immersing herself within different cultures. She speaks on how she developed an instinct for nailing appropriate design choices no matter the geography and climate surrounding the home, nor the unique tastes and desires of each individual client.

Topics Discussed

• [02:07] Moving from Montreal to Arizona and a passion for opera
• [09:19] Getting into design
• [14:04] Infusing your design with “drama”
• [19:53] Gauging the success of a design
• [28:51] How Esther has never disappointed a client
• [30:44] Discussing color
• [35:34] How Esther’s travels inspire her
• [48:08] Esther’s work outside Arizona and how she adapts to styles in different locations
• [53:31] Designing a returning client’s new home in a new location
• [57:08] Adapting to the various needs of different clients

Connect with Guest

• Website

Key Quotes from Episode

• Believe in yourself. The most important thing in being a successful designer is to trust your instincts.
• My design is successful if someone walks into the room and feels an emotion.
• When I discuss my design, it’s never, ‘This is what we’re going to do.” It’s a conversation. It’s not just about me. When I do a design for somebody, it’s about them, as well.