Starting your own company takes guts, passion and a strong vision. Luckily for Redesign Interiors, our Founder and Head Designer has all three in spades.
After completing her degree in 2010, Paige Waplington wasted no time pursuing her dream of owning her own business. In fact, her first business was founded during the last year of her degree, alongside two friends from Durban University of Technology, but this venture was not to be and they all went their separate ways.
By the very next year, Paige opened the proverbial doors of Redesign Interiors – while getting married and having her first child, all in 2011. A busy year indeed.
“I always knew that I was going to be a business owner,” says Paige, “so it just made sense to start my own thing straight away.”
Since then, Redesign Interiors has gone from strength to strength, and is now an established player in the interior design industry. And while 2011 was probably the busiest time in Paige’s life, things are only slightly less hectic, thanks to her all-consuming drive to create inspiring spaces that resonate with each and every client.
“A big part of my day is chatting to clients about their design aspirations,” says Paige. This is a crucial first step for any project, as Redesign Interiors has a strong focus on gaining meaningful insights into its clients. Once she has gotten a sense of the client’s personal likes, dislikes and style, she compiles images and “very sketchy sketches” for her amazing team to use to make magic.
“Normally one image or idea sparks the design,” admits Paige, “and then it just grows from there.”
Of course, between the creative aspects of her job, Paige has to dedicate a fair amount of time to the ins and outs of running a business. As she says herself, “unfortunately that doesn’t happen on its own.” But the wheels are always turning; when taking on a new creative project, Paige carries on with her daily routine, thinking about the project in the back of her mind. “Then out of the blue something will just spark and the creativity flows and an idea will emerge,” she says. “It’s exciting!”
For Paige, her favourite parts of any project’s lifecycle are the beginning and the end. “Meeting the client and figuring out what direction to take is fun,” Paige said, “and then presenting them with the finished product in real life is so rewarding.” And it’s not just Paige who loves the final reveal – her clients are always blown away by the transformation of their space.
When she’s not out and about on-site visits, procurements or admin, you’ll find Paige at her desk, surrounded by photos of (and artwork by) her kids, some peaceful indoor plants, a plate of energy crystals and a view to her beautiful garden. The calming energy of her home office allows her to explore out-the-box ideas and creativity, while the presence of her kids keeps her motivated and inspired to give her absolute all to each and every project.
