171 – The Buckingham Effect

(Click the photo for more info!) The Buckingham Effect Today in the Lounge, Nick speaks with Skip Sroka and London Walder, who both have a little something in common... Julia Buckingham! When Julia was on the show she mentioned one of her designers who went on to start her own firm. Later that day London messaged us to say she WAS that designer! So we knew we had to get London on the show! Skip is a friend and fellow designer of Julia’s who impacted her design career along the way. London is from Wicker Park in Chicago. Her favorite movie is Captain Fantastic. Her favorite childhood memory is from when she was a gymnast. She would travel, stay in hotels, and hang out with her friends before meets and practices. London's favorite retail store to shop in is in anything vintage because the items are unique and not mass produced. "Beer, wine or cocktail, London?" BEER. All things beer, such as IPAs and the experience of going to breweries to try out new and different beers. How London got Started in Interior Design     (Click either photo for more of London's work!) London always had a creative mind and she feels like she’s been interested in interior design forever. As a young child, she would always redesign spaces in her mind. London attended Illinois State University for Interior and Environmental Design. She started out as a liberal arts student and then later applied to the interior design program. She had one internship her junior year doing price checks and organizing which helped her receive a great technical understanding of interior design. She says that school is so different from the real world. In school, you really learn the technical aspects of design such as using computer programs, learning how to finish a space, learning the safety of the materials, and learning how green materials are. Her very first studio design class was residential and then the rest of her classes focused mainly on commercial design. London enjoyed the fact that school focused on becoming a technical designer so that she could then go on to learn about the business side of interior design later. When London graduated in 2010, there were no design positions available for her. She applied for about 200 jobs and then began working retail at Crate and Barrel. During her time there, London learned from all the designers that came into the store with their clients. She had a friend who knew someone in the lighting store and moved on to a job as a customer service rep for the company. This is where she first started learning more about interior design from a business perspective. London worked her way up to later become Showroom Manager. She says it was an awesome experience which she still applies to her business today. London also worked at a furnishing company and then received her first design job (other than small projects and freelance work) with Julia Buckingham. "The Buckingham Effect" London says that working with Julia was an incredible learning experience. She loves Julia’s confidence and how she explains everything to her clients well. London helped to facilitate product development for Julia's line. She also worked as a designer and helped with the office flow. London says it was the perfect first design job. She tells us that Julia runs a tight ship and has high expectations from everyone who works with her. She loves that Julia is the full package for her clients. London worked with Julia for just over a year and also took another lead design position before she felt like she was at a crossroads in her career. The Business Today Today, London is working for herself. She is looking to hire an intern, open up a storefront, and get a team together. She still has a lot of research to do. Right now, London has about 10 clients in progress, a few projects she’s finishing up with, and some in the pipelines.