When interior architecture alumna Karina Perlaza MA ’19 accepted her first interior design job, she never thought it would lead to her being a part of a Netflix reality series. If you’ve been binge-watching one of Netflix’s newest hit shows, “Designing Miami,” you have gotten a look at the world of interior design by following the designers of SIRE Design in South Florida, one of whom is Perlaza. The show provides a “behind-the-scenes” look at what it takes to become a professional in the interior design field.
FIU News recently met with Perlaza to hear about her experience on the show, and how her time at FIU ties into her interior design career;
How has FIU helped you get to where you are today in your career?
FIU fostered many new perspectives – the importance of communication within a team, the importance of networking, the necessity to succeed in hand sketching and graphic skills, the importance of communicating my ideas clearly through a presentation. There are many skills that fall under the umbrella of “FIU taught me” – all being separate from actual design – which eventually turned into “FIU helped me” without noticing the verb change. My education provided the fundamentals for me to find and establish myself, and my voice, within a team. The knowledge of how to approach design from a variety of mediums are skills I am forever grateful to have learned at FIU.
What path did you take to attain your current career?
After graduation, I began the experience of applying and interviewing for entry-level positions in the industry. I knew I wanted to begin my career in a small firm in order to gain the most experience. However, I quickly realized most small design studios in Miami did not resonate with my personal design aesthetic. This said, Sire Design was my third application/interview, out of what ended up being 3 applications/interviews in total, and to say I came across the opportunity by luck is an understatement. I entered the team as a junior interior designer out of college and within three years have grown into the studio’s design director. I believe that my confidence in my skills and a bit of luck have geared me in a great direction.
What’s been the coolest thing about your job so far?
The obvious answer would be Netflix! In actuality, the coolest thing about my job is the networking/socializing/traveling that is tagged along to it. I do believe I am lucky to have found a studio where the principal wants, and invites, their team to go to events and build those connections. These events turn into a lot of fun once you start becoming friends with other designers/vendors in the industry as well as a great way to bond with the internal team to create a comfortable work environment.
Tell us more about your feature on Netflix. How did that opportunity come about?
In short, I was at the right place at the right time. My boss had done TV work early on in her career and stayed connected with a producer through social media. Years later as they were catching up, the producer found it interesting that both she and her husband owned their respective design studios – something atypical in any industry. Many meetings with the production company and various networks and streaming platforms later, Netflix offered to take on the show and the rest is history.
I was able to participate in the show due to the overall premise. The show was going to follow both their personal and professional lives and, thankfully, they are the type of people to highlight their teams and the significance their teams are to the success of their business. That’s where I come in.
How does your job connect back to your coursework?
Although we have a phrase in the studio, “We do 10% design and 90% problem solving,” the design process I was taught at FIU is a process I have continued to use throughout my career. The freedom of conceptualization and the strategy behind space planning has always been a part of the process I thoroughly enjoyed. I never imagined the number of presentations and and amount of mediating I would do in my career, this stemming from the skills acquired while constantly presenting projects and taking my ideas from my mind to fruition.
Were there any classes or professors that influenced where you are today?
What’s unique about the experience of the program, you move up with both your classmates and the professors. As you enter the graduate phase, the team of professors changes along with the classes they teach, allowing for a unique relationship to grow between classmates and faculty. I believe all of the faculty had input into how I am shaped as a designer as they each brought their own perspective into different aspects of design.
What advice do you have for students interested in a career in interior design?
If you are not fulfilled in your day-to-day, don’t settle. You spend much of your day with your colleagues within your work environment – a positive environment is a space you should not underappreciate, it’s a huge factor in overall success and well-being. This goes for any industry.
With regard to design, you must be passionate about it. You spend countless hours thinking about it, talking about it and looking at it. Have intention behind your decisions, stand by them and trust your gut. There will be people who will try to dilute your design or discredit your creativity, but you are the designer, stand your ground.