WHERE ARE THEY NOW? | Three years after the collapse of Homepolish
by Sa Bal
Be it a startup or a large corporation, employees and stakeholders put in a lot of hard work, time, and effort to help the company grow. However, when the company doesn’t reciprocate their efforts in the same way, it can be quite disheartening. This happened to numerous interior designers working at Homepolish, a New York-based interior design client/designer matching service. In 2019, the CEO Noa Santos held a Zoom call with all the employees, and abruptly announced that the company was shutting down due to lack of funding. None of the Homepolish designers had a clue that the company was shutting down, and this unfortunate and sudden Zoom call put them out of a job.
Following this, many of the designers chose to work independently, while others chose to join various interior design firms. However, a handful of those designers chose to forge a new path: in 2019, they joined heads and built a collaborative, with the aim to provide independent designers with freelance work, while also empowering and representing them. Today, that designer run grass roots organization is known as Interior Collab.
Interior Collab is a member-based interior design collective that believes in eliminating the middleman, and helping clients connect directly with competent and talented interior designers. Not only does Interior Collab have a growing network of talented interior designers, but it also continues adding more clients and vendors to its portfolio, fostering strong partnerships with them. One notable mention is JD Staron, a renowned maker of bespoke rugs. Interior Collab created a capsule collection of high custom rugs with JD Staron in 2022.
The journey of these interior designers is nothing short of inspirational. In this article, we cover the stories of four of these designers, Gala Magrina, Claire Hung, Julia Blanchard, and Crystal Sinclair. We sat down with each of them and listened to their stories.
Claire Hung, Claire Hung Design
A cozy corner table by Claire Hung Design. Photography by Henry Hung
Claire is a successful multi-disciplinary designer living and working in Brooklyn, New York. She holds a BA in Architecture from UC Berkeley, has spent over a decade in the Architecture & Interiors business, and owned a successful 6-figure boutique wellness studio in E. Williamsburg, Brooklyn. She holds a minored in Landscape Design, studied Scandinavian Design in Copenhagen, Denmark, and interned for the Royal Parks of England where she designed a sustainable restaurant concept for Richmond Park. She currently works with brands, businesses, and individuals designing Interiors, Branding & Websites.
Claire Hung Design is a full-service and e-service multi-disciplinary design studio focused on the curation of physical and digital spaces through sensitive inquiry into the human experience. Our work extends to both businesses and individuals, whether through Interior Architecture & Design or Branding & Web Design.
Founded by designer & entrepreneur Claire Hung, CHD endeavors to explore creative process, vision, and execution of modern art, design and living through our projects with our clients and the artisans & creatives we collaborate with.
Q: When did you work with Homepolish, and for how long?
CH: I started my contract with Homepolish in January 2017, right until the Zoom call that ended everything.
Did you work as a designer before you started with Homepolish?
CH: Yes, I have worked in the industry since graduating with a degree in Architecture in 2003. During the 2008 recession, I branched out into the fitness industry part-time to make ends meet, and in 2016 I switched to being a full-time interior designer again.
How would you describe your experience working with Homepolish?
CH: Since I was looking for a way to get back to interior design, Homepolish provided me with the perfect opportunity and avenue to do so. It was the perfect way to get back to being a full-time designer while being self-employed as well. It brought in lots of wonderful clients and great projects, which I enjoyed working on. It even resulted in long-standing relationships with those clients for other projects.
How did the collapse of Homepolish affect your business?
CH: Because I was on a contract where 100% of my business was going through Homepolish, the collapse hit my business very hard. 50% of my projects were brought in by me and not Homepolish. Those clients were very unhappy that I had put them in that position when they had come to me directly. I was able to salvage the relationships and the projects but lost a lot of money that had been paid to Homepolish but was never paid out to me.
How did the collapse of Homepolish affect your desire to work with/alongside similar organizations that act somewhat as a matchmaker between client and designer?
CH: I am no longer interested in a profit-driven organization acting as a matchmaker. For me, the attraction of a designer to a client and the process of seeking one out is somewhat of a magical process. That magic is about mutual respect for what a designer does for one's life and space. If we agree on this because of the process undertaken to connect, then we will be good collaborators.
I let my work and the good vibes I try to spread throughout the entire process reverberate into the universe, attracting like-minded folks who appreciate what I can offer them.
How did you hear about Interior Collab?
CH: Actually, I am the co-founder of Interior Collab. I have always enjoyed building a community and, as such, felt that designers could benefit from supporting one another while creating a legitimate digital space for people to find talented and experienced design professionals.
How would you describe your experience as a member of Interior Collab?
CH: The comradery and willingness to share the contacts of one's trusted vendors, or to discuss the intimate details of how we each run our business, provides a lot of support. As a solopreneur, it can be quite isolating and difficult at times to wear all of the hats and have a good perspective on things. Hearing how others work or what project issues they struggle with have helped greatly transform my business and how I approach the various parts of the design and construction process.
What aspect of Interior Collab do you find the most beneficial/meaningful for you and your business/career?
CH: For me, the community is the most beneficial and meaningful part of Interior Collab. Second to that is having my work on the website to further allow people to find me and connect about a collaboration.
Do you have short- and long-term goals/visions for your business and/or career as a designer that you would like to share with us?
CH: Yes, many goals, but I tend to keep them to myself, as I prefer to also allow things to unfold on my business path. Much like a design project, one can both lead and respond to the environment they're in during the creative process.
Is there anything else about your journey that you would like to share?
CH: I am grateful for my experiences thus far - even the tough ones, like the collapse of Homepolish. I've learned what I am capable of overcoming and how flexible I can become to allow for the process to unravel.
Julia Blanchard, Blanchard Design LLC
Julia grew up surrounded by that elegant Parisian aesthetic of simplicity, elegance, and functionality and it has carried through to her work and aesthetic today. She graduated from the School of Visual Arts and went on to work for small and medium design firms focused on residential interior design.
In 2016 she opened her own firm. She loves working with clients to help them bring style, elegance, and functionality to their space.
Julia knows that great style starts with confidence and that comes from building trust with her clients. Whether it's a quick room upgrade or a whole house renovation, you’ll work together to transform your space to reflect your style.
A woods retreat by Blanchard Design. Photography by Sean Litchfield
When did you work with Homepolish, and for how long?
JB: I worked at Homepolish from May 2017, up until the dreaded zoom call in 2019.
Did you work as a designer before you started with Homepolish?
JB: Prior to Homepolish, I had been working in the city for senior interior designers since 2007. Plus, I started my own design studio in 2016, so yeah.
How would you describe your experience working with Homepolish?
JB: My experience with Homepolish was turbulent from the start. Things changed daily; there never seemed to be a contact/point person. The information was constantly changing and contractors weren’t fixed as well. It was painful to get answers in a timely fashion. I felt under supported. Getting consultations from the site was my livelihood at the time.
I remember getting a notification that a potential lead would open up, and if I wasn't on the site within minutes, it was gone. It was constantly stressful to get projects, so at times it caused panic. Almost like at an auction, you didn't know what you were signing up for, but you couldn't afford to miss out on the opportunity, so you would just accept things blindly.
The leads were misleading, you would read one thing and then go to the home/client/space, and it would not align with the pitch Homepolish gave you. I was invited into the office when they got a new CEO. He was lovely and kind - he didn’t stay for long - but the office dynamic was miserable. Gorgeous office for Noah and meetings, and the rest was all beautiful and over the top, but the staff all looked miserable, young, overworked, and unhappy.
There was never a clear point person or someone who took ownership; it was almost like we were to fend for ourselves and we could make a request etc., but it went into the void. Nearly all of the Homepolish workers seemed annoyed at project logistics, which are normal in this line of work, but they didn't seem to have the designer or client's best interests in mind.
And overall, it was very financially impossible; there was no way to make a living with the percentages and projects we were getting. Also, I felt like some designers were favored and given bigger, better projects- it felt like a lot of favoritism.
How did the collapse of Homepolish affect your business?
JB: Thank God, my clients chose to continue to work with me after Homepolish went bankrupt, and it gave me the push I needed to go on my own with no help or support and succeed. In hindsight, it was holding me back.
How did the collapse of Homepolish affect your desire to work with/alongside similar organizations that act somewhat as a matchmaker between client and designer?
JB: I’m highly apprehensive to enter into a similar arrangement ever again, unless there are clear and significant benefits that I can derive from it.
How did you hear about Interior Collab?
JB: I heard about it from Claire, who initiated the idea and decided to rope me in as well. After the fall of Homepolish, there was such a community that came together to support each other - no one else would understand what we had just endured - it was like 1-2 years of promising you the world, just to leave you in the mud.
How would you describe your experience as a member of Interior Collab?
JB: It's given me a community in a field where there can be a lot of division and competition. It is so refreshing to be a part of like-minded people who truly understand my day-to-day life without any sense of rivalry and instead so much support!
What aspect of Interior Collab do you find the most beneficial/meaningful for you and your business/career?
JB: The best thing about Interior Collab is that it provides you with a solid network of interior designers, architects, vendors, contractors, and the who’s who in our industry. Plus, it also gives you a soundboard, referrals for other vendors/contractors, and much more.
Do you have short- and long-term goals/visions for your business and/or career as a designer that you would like to share with us?
JB: I want to be featured in Architectural Digest at 100: A Century of Style. Plus, I also want to go bicoastal with work in NYC, LA, and Paris.
Is there anything else about your journey that you would like to share?
JB: My journey has had its ups and downs, but I’m not one to back down from a challenge. Granted, Homepolish wasn’t one of the best places to work for me, but the pressure I faced there also pushed me to do some of my best work. Pleasant or not, it is an integral part of my journey, and I am happy that I moved on and made something of myself, while also finding a supportive and nurturing community like Interior Collab.
Gala Magriñá, Gala Magriñá Design
A Bedroom Sanctuary by Gala Magriñá Design. Photography by Joseph Kramm
Raised in New York City and Barcelona, Gala Magriñá is a multidisciplinary, multicultural force to be reckoned with. While her interest in design and interiors can be traced all the way back to her Hawaiian themed childhood bedroom, her career was ultimately shaped by her education as an NYU film student, her role as one of Diesel USA’s first employees, and as the founder of M Crown Productions, an award-winning production design agency that focused on events, pop-ups, exhibition and retail displays.
Building on this success, in 2017, Gala launched Gala Magriñá Design, a commercial interior design agency based in New York City with worldwide production and installation capabilities. Eventually, an education in holistic design and mindful practices solidified the move from events and temporary spaces to interior design and refined the focus of the agency.
“In terms of my process, I am guided by our clients’ desires and needs, the story we want to tell, my intuition and the inspiration I have collected from my travels and every day life. Mix in the incredible eye of my team, a collective OCD we all have when it comes to the details, and you have standout interiors delivered on time and on budget.”
When did you work with Homepolish, and for how long?
GM: I started with Homepolish in 2017, so about 2 years.
Did you work as a designer before you started with Homepolish?
GM: Yes, certainly. My entire career has been about interior design.
How would you describe your experience working with Homepolish?
GM: I thought it was a great idea; this concept of almost being like an agent for designers, and I am really grateful for all the wonderful jobs we got through them, which helped us build a portfolio. It all started to go downhill when we started bringing in additional profits; they began to force designers to purchase through them - I didn't like that, as they were taking away product profits from designers, which wasn't part of our original agreement. Additionally, my in-house procurement team could do a better and quicker job than Homepolish’s.
How did the collapse of Homepolish affect your business?
GM: I was one of the few designers able to collect all that was owed to us before the collapse, so I am grateful for that. It took a while after the collapse to begin getting clients on my own, which was a little scary.
How did the collapse of Homepolish affect your desire to work with/alongside similar organizations that act somewhat as a matchmaker between client and designer?
GM: Yes. I decided I never wanted to do that again unless the roles were VERY defined and couldn’t be modified. I've always thought the idea of an interior designer agent the same way an actor has one was brilliant, but so far, I haven't seen it executed well.
How did you hear about Interior Collab?
GM: I was one of the founders as a group of us all affected by the collapse came together one evening in September to talk about our experiences and support one another. It's incredible that after such a horrible experience from it, we were able to create something really beautiful.
How would you describe your experience as a member of Interior Collab?
GM: As a founder, I am extremely proud of what we have created organically and ethically. It all feels very warm, supportive, and fuzzy! And I have gotten a bunch of clients leads from it. So for me, it's been a win-win in so many ways.
What aspect of Interior Collab do you find the most beneficial/meaningful for you and your business/career?
GM: The authentic community we have been able to create is where we openly share and support one another. I have gotten so many projects because of referrals from other Designers, and I think that's pretty amazing!
Do you have short- and long-term goals/visions for your business and/or career as a designer that you would like to share with us?
GM: My biggest goal is to bring global awareness that our spaces matter and impact our well-being and inspire people to tend to their spaces.
Is there anything else about your journey that you would like to share?
GM: No, I believe that’s all. Thank you for taking the time to listen to my story.
Crystal Sinclair, Crystal Sinclair Design (CSD)
Crystal Sinclair Designs (CSD) is a small innovative husband/wife full service interior design firm based in New York. They specialize in creative residential and hospitality projects across the country. CSD's signature style varies project to project but is always warm, livable, and unique. Most describe their work as bold, eclectic, fun, and welcoming - they are not afraid of color. Crystal Sinclair Designs has been featured in Architectural Digest, Elle Decor, Domino, Interior Design, and House Beautiful, just to name a few.
A moody bathroom by Crystal Sinclair Design. Photography by Sean Litchfield
Crystal Sinclair was born and raised in Texas where she started her design career more than 15 years ago. Crystal's laid-back Southern roots allow her to have an approachable and friendly yet professional relationship with all her clients.
Ben Sinclair was born and raised in Connecticut and joined CSD in 2021. Ben studied and worked as a mechanical engineer for almost a decade. He's wonderful with and executing the smaller details. Being an engineer, Ben brings another creative force to the firm.
Through the spaces they design, Crystal and Ben strive to reflect the dwellers' personality with the ultimate goal of making them, as well as their family and friends, feel welcome and at ease in the newly designed space. We want each and every one we work with to love walking into their home, their home bringing a joyful smile to their face time and time again. "A home should not only look pretty, we want there to be an emotional connection between the client and the finished space. As a former artist, I definitely take a creative and artistic approach to a space." Crystal says. "It's not about rules and numbers, it's about emotions and proportions."
Casual and relaxed in the way they collaborate with clients, they take their work very seriously and passionately. Crystal Sinclair Designs has developed a central belief with design: go the extra mile, have fun, push boundaries, get creative, and create something unexpected! They strongly believe in layering, creating depth and a story. Each space has its own boundaries and needs. "It's about honing in a listening to a space, learning what it wants," Crystal explains. Crystal and Ben believe it's their job as designers to find the harmony each client and space needs - and in doing so, create a home that the owners love and are proud to call home.
CSD is currently working on projects in Texas and New York. Crystal and Been live in Tuxedo Park, NY with their four year old daughter, their dog, Trinity, and their fish, Mr. Blu.
When did you work with Homepolish, and for how long?
CS: I believe I started working for Homepolish in 2016 and was with them until the doors shut down.
Did you work as a designer before you started with Homepolish?
CS: Yes, I have been an interior designer since 2005.
How would you describe your experience working with Homepolish?
CS: It was great; It allowed me to work on my own with clients, one on one. Although I hate saying this, but without Homepolish, I wouldn't be where I am today. Transitioning from a firm to working for yourself is difficult, especially in a new big city!
How did the collapse of Homepolish affect your business?
CS: We lost money, and the closing of Homepolish created a LOT of stress for that particular summer. Many phone calls - but the clients I was working with had no problem transitioning to working with me directly, once they understood what had happened.
How did the collapse of Homepolish affect your desire to work with/alongside similar organizations that act somewhat as a matchmaker between client and designer?
CS: Yes, I'm weary of the expert for this exact reason.
How did you hear about Interior Collab?
CS: I think I was around and in the calls when it initially became a thought! I think it's genius.
How would you describe your experience as a member of Interior Collab?
CS: I appreciate the soundboard - where we can pick other designers' brains for ideas or recommendations.
What aspect of Interior Collab do you find the most beneficial/meaningful for you and your business/career?
CS: Overall, Interior Collab has been pretty fantastic, with its strong network of talented and hardworking individuals, as well as the contractors and vendors you can connect to. Did I mention its soundboard is great? Well, it is!
Do you have short- and long-term goals/visions for your business and/or career as a designer that you would like to share with us?
CS: Not really, just going with the flow. I have a goal to be in print; Architectural Digest at 100: A Century of Style would be a dream - but I think all designers share this dream!
Following the careers of these amazing interior designers, it is clear to see that they are more than thriving and enjoying the benefits of being members of a collaborative that exists only to raise each other up and offer camaraderie, support, and opportunity.
The creation of Interior Collab gave them a flicker of hope that they were not alone. If they stand together, they could weather any storms that came their way. Interior collab allows interior designers to exchange contacts with vendors and fabricators, have trusted colleagues to turn to when they need some insight, and even refer each other work when opportunities come their way when they are unable to accept said project for whatever reason. Interior collab gives the interior designer community much-needed comfort and helps them excel in their careers as individuals and as well as a community.