QA with Tullio Orlandi, Interior Design Entrepreneur

QA with Tullio Orlandi, Interior Design Entrepreneur QA with Tullio Orlandi, Interior Design Entrepreneur Image Source: Tullio Orlandi DesignTULLIO  Orlandi is a young entrepreneur at the head of  an independent interior design company, Tullio Orlandi Design, based in Limerick, Ireland. The primary focus for Tullio Orlandi is the planning and furnishing of interiors across commercial and residential projects.He brings an imaginative, energetic approach to the design and dressing of any project, based on the client’s needs, whether the client is  the management of  high-grade hotels such as The Savoy in his native Limerick…Image Source: Tullio Orlandi design…or  the owners of households such as this brownstone residence  in Brooklyn, which he worked on while working with the  acclaimed  Manhattan-based commercial and residential interior design specialists Lily Z Design.Image Source:  lily z design / Tullio Orlandi design“Nothing comes easy… you have to work your ass off, and the rest will follow.”Tullio is a believer in hard graft. He comes from a business family, his parents Luigi and Una having run Limerick city’s  famous Luigi’s Traditional Fish Chips restaurant  (a favourite haunt of the late Limerick-born screen legend Richard Harris on his many visits to the city) for more than 30 years. Tullio knew that if he wanted to fulfil his passion for design, he would have to work for it, and so after graduation with an Honours BA degree in Interior Furniture Design, moved to the US to follow his dream.The hard work paid off, and within six months of being hired by Lily Z Design he had been promoted to senior designer at the firm. During his time working in Manhattan and Brooklyn, Tullio was blessed with a diverse and challenging working environment, where he was encouraged to develop his personal style.It’s a quirky yet understated style that is a distinctive signature in his work, and is evident across his completed projects. The man’s design voice, and how he uses it to inform the specific design requirements of his clients, can be sampled her e, on his website.Now a fully-fledged entrepreneur with his own interior design company, Tullio aims to bring the distinctive, bold, boundary-pushing design energy of New York City to his  own commercial and residential clients in Ireland and further afield.Tullio  took some time out of his  busy schedule to talk to AGENT about the story of his career in interior design so far, his own entrepreneurial and business goals, and his advice for those who aspire to a life and career in business. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 10 Questions for  Tullio Orlandi (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 1. How did you first get into business, and what are  your business goals?I run an interior design firm based in  Limerick, Ireland, with a focus on creating unique, exciting commercial and residential spaces. I started out by studying Interior Furniture Design at Dublin  Institute  of Technology and graduated with a BA in Interior Design. After finishing my deg ree I made the move to New York City, where I found my passion for creating unique, bold and over-the-top designs. When I moved back to Ireland, I wanted to push the boundaries with design and bring my NYC experience to Limerick. My goals for starting my own interior design  business  was, firstly, to do something I enjoy; and  secondly, to bring my passion for design to local  businesses  and home owners, and help them get the best from their  design goals.2. What age were you when you realised you wanted to run your own business?I only really decided to start my own business when I returned from New York City. I worked so closely with my boss over there that I thought to myself, “I could totally do that!”  So I was 26 years old. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 3. Who is your business inspiration?I would have to say my parents. They run a restaurant in Limerick and taught  me  everything  I know about hard work and pushing  yourself to the max to  achieve  t he goals you want. They have always drilled into me that nothing comes easy, and you have to  work your ass off and the rest will follow. I still apply that in  every  new project I take on. I always give it 150%. Other then my cliché answer of my parents, I would have to say another interior designer  â€" Abigail  Ahern. How she built her name and brand is so amazing to me. It just shows that putting the work in can build you into a household name.4. What has been your biggest challenge in business, and how did you surmount it?The biggest challenge for me was overcoming the fact that you’re not always right. I think  especially  in design, people tend to  think they’re right all the time, when in fact  sometimes  your clients  might have better  ideas than  you. It just means that you have to understand their  views and develop them. Listening and learning from the people around you is key to  achieving  the perfect end result. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({} ); 5. Work-Life balance: is it possible? How do you achieve it?NO!  It’s not possible!  Okay… that’s an  exaggeration! It can be a challenge for me to switch off, but when I know I  have a deadline and the work  has to be done I put  everything  on hold so I can  give 100% to my client. But saying all that, Ive  learnt that you do need to take a day or so to  switch  off and relax your brain,  because when you’re  tired, you’re not  as productive.6. What is the first thing you do every day?Check Instagram (@tullioorlandi), then emails, then shower… followed by emails 24/7! (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 7. What screen saver picture is currently on your phone?Its the same image  Ive  had for the past two years, A black and white image that says ITS OK. It kind  of applies to  everything  in my  life. Take a minute and realise that ITS OK.8. What is the most important app on your mobile phone, and why?Instagram. I’m kind of  obsessed. I put a lot of work into curating my page with my work, and  I love  seeing people take inspiration  from it, and I love  getting my own inspiration from other interior designers from around the globe. (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); 9. What item do you never leave the house without,  and why?My phone. Im sure  everyone  says that, but it’s true. My life is in that piece of metal and  glass. But it keeps me connected to everything and  everyone.10. What advice would you give your younger self starting out in business?One thing I would tell my younger self is, stay focused on what’s important, set yourself goals and work towards them, and do not  get offended when you’re wrong. Embrace it and learn from it.image source: tullio orlandi design