A native of Toronto, Canada, Hema Persad was a practicing attorney for several years before following her heart and pursuing a career in fashion. In 2014, she moved to Los Angeles to chase her goal, and spent the following 7 years dressing A-list celebrities, styling ad campaigns and editorials, and working with some of the top fashion talent in the world. Completely self-taught, Hema’s interior design career began in 2021 when one of her styling clients asked for help decorating their home. Because of her eye for design and ability to execute her creative vision, that first project snowballed into several more. Hema now designs residential and commercial spaces around the country. As the business continued to grow rapidly, it became clear that it needed its own identity apart from Hema. In 2022 Sagrada Studio was born out of her belief that there is no more sacred (“sagrada”) space on earth than where we live and create. The Sagrada Studio mission is to honor these sacred spaces by helping clients find their own version of timeless, always with an eye towards culture, luxury, and comfort. Learn more about Hema in today’s Designer Friday.
Bold artwork adorns rich, dark walls, complemented by unique floral arrangements that beautifully accent this midcentury modern dining set.
Andrew Joseph: What inspired you to become a designer?
Hema Persad: I wasn’t really inspired to become a designer, it just happened. I started my career as an attorney, and then pivoted into celebrity styling after several years of just being unhappy with my career. I moved to Los Angeles and immediately got caught up in the world of red carpet fashion and it was great for a time. I did quickly realize that styling didn’t have longevity for me, but I kept going because I wasn’t sure what else to do. Then the pandemic hit, and no one was getting dressed to go anywhere anymore. I also happened to have a baby in 2020 so it was a good time to take a step back. I was considering going back into law when one of my styling clients asked for help decorating her new apartment. I guess she thought I had good taste and could execute, so I said why not? I always loved fixing up my own homes but had never thought about it as a career. After that first job, the requests kept coming. I straddled styling and interiors for a year before I took a chance and dove into design full time. To me, the interior design industry had a lot more growth potential than fashion/styling did, so I started Sagrada Studio.
AJ: How do you approach a new design project?
HP: First I get to know the client, and then we start with moodboards. Inevitably, clients will send me inspiration images that don’t tell their full story. They hold themselves back for whatever reason, like they might show me something with a blue accent wall when really they want an immersive and unique space full of moody blues. Through that moodboard process, I’m able to get to the heart of what they really want and might be too afraid to go for without a professional’s stamp of approval. Once we have moodboards set, my team moves into sourcing and 3D renders. We use high-quality renders as they help clients make decisions. They don’t have to work too hard to visualize the outcome, so this makes my job much easier.
This tropical-inspired lounge brings the outdoors in with its lush wallpaper and vibrant greenery. The luxurious feel is enhanced by the statement chandelier and marble flooring.
AJ: What is the most important element in a successful interior design?
HP: Proportion. Good proportions of everything – furniture, window treatments, rugs etc. is how you know whether a designer has done the space or not. Regular people get proportions all wrong – they might measure and decide that something will fit, but just because it fits doesn’t mean it’s the right proportion for the space. This is an element that good interior designers understand, on an intuitive level.
AJ: What is your favorite aspect of your job?
HP: I really enjoy the creative process and putting it all together at the end. I also really enjoy the overall challenges and experience of running my own business. It’s really cool to put your energy into something and watch it grow, or in the case of our designs come to life. I am not a fan of the messy execution part of design – there are so many third parties we deal with and so many things out of our control. But the beginning where we dream and scheme, and then the end result where we’ve brought it to life is really what I enjoy most.
AJ: What is your favorite design trend from the past?
HP: ROOMS! I really miss rooms – in America, there’s this trend toward big open plans with no room definition and I find it irritating. I don’t like when you walk into a house and can see the entire thing from the front door. I like more Victorian and Georgian-style layouts where there are separate rooms for different activities and the house reveals itself slowly as you walk through it.
AJ: What is your favorite design element to incorporate into your projects?
HP: Natural light. I will add a window if necessary – I just think that unless you’re doing a speakeasy, or a bar or a space that requires no natural light, you need to find the natural light and work around it. Skylights are my favorite.
Hema designed this studio space to balance beauty and focus. The marble backsplash and curated shelf decor add elegance without being distracting.
AJ: How do you stay organized while working on multiple projects?
HP: Systems and people! We have a task manager that our team uses internally, a client portal where we keep our clients in the loop on their projects, and we use Google Drive for storage of documents and files. I don’t like ten million spreadsheets and emails – things get lost that way and that’s not really a system. As far as the people aspect goes, we have a small but mighty team and everyone knows what their responsibilities are. I have weekly and sometimes daily check-ins with everyone as well as one or two all-hands meetings per week. This is how we all stay informed of what is going on with the business. It all comes down to effective communication and the tools that you’re using to achieve that.
AJ: What is your favorite type of space to design?
HP: I like them all but I think bathrooms are the most transformative, even more so than kitchens. A wonderful bathroom experience can really change the quality of a person’s life, and I think there’s so much design opportunity there with respect to finishes – tile, plaster, windows, wallpaper, fixtures – you name it. I love getting creative with bathroom design.
AJ: What is the most important skill for a successful designer?
HP: Communication. I think people think it’s drawings or something technical, but honestly, that will only get you so far. If you are a good communicator in all aspects, you’ll succeed. It all boils down to how you communicate with clients, your team, contractors, vendors, tradespeople, and even with the general public through your marketing. You can have ideas but if you can’t communicate them properly, your career as a designer will be more difficult.
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