We’ve featured the incredible office space of Far Studio, but today we’re taking the time to get to know the founder–Brittany Hakimfar. The Philadelphia-based interior designer studied interior architecture at the prestigious George Washington University in D.C. before she began her career in New York City working for Mark Cunningham. In 2012 she moved to Los Angeles to work with renowned AD100 designer Waldo Fernandez, before returning to her hometown to begin her own design firm and start a family. The Far Studio aesthetic is instantly recognizable, and we’re excited to learn more about this rising design star.
MY LIGHT-BULB MOMENT:
I always had a love for interior design from a young age, whether it was rearranging furniture in my room or flipping through design magazines. I admired the designers I would read about in magazines and dreamed of designing homes like the ones I saw in print. I initially envisioned being an architect, but when I went to school to study architecture I realized I was much more interested in the interiors of a space and switched to interior architecture. I graduated with a Bachelor in Interior Architecture from George Washington University and immediately began working in NYC and then on to L.A.
I CAN’T START MY DAY UNTIL:
I have my coffee – it’s the first thing I want in the morning before I can fully be ready for the day.
SUCCESS IS:
Continuing to grow and develop and achieve your goals. When I first moved back to the East Coast from L.A. I didn’t know how my aesthetic would be received and if it was a fit for my new environment. I quickly learned that it is all about how you present yourself and how you “sell” yourself. I initially started designing my own homes and the homes of friends and soon developed a wonderful group of clients and followers who appreciated my style and wanted the “Far Studio” vibe. We now have an amazing group of clients that continues to grow and projects across the U.S.
YOU’LL NEVER SEE ME WITHOUT:
My computer– it’s pretty much always with me. I feel like I’m constantly working and always wanting to pop on my computer any chance I get to work on a project!
MY DREAM COLLABORATION:
I would love to collab with a brand for my own furniture line one day. I hope to have the opportunity to put my own spin on the furniture market in the future.
THE ONLY PLACE BETTER THAN PENNSYLVANIA:
L.A. I often miss it and we do go back a lot, but I know that where we are is the best place to raise our kids and build our business. And of course Paris! That is really a special place for me and somewhere I am constantly inspired. We used to go every year for my birthday and hope to continue that tradition now that we are able to travel again.
WHEN I FEEL UNINSPIRED:
I like to travel with my kids – clear my head and not think about work and really see the world through their eyes. There is nothing more magical than getting to explore new places and to get to do that with my husband and kids is the best thing for recentering myself and gaining inspiration. I always come back refreshed and ready and excited to work and design.
ADVICE I WISH I HAD 5 YEARS AGO:
Everything takes time. It took a long time for us to get adjusted to living in Pennsylvania and to take the leap to start Far Studio. For many years we just continued to doubt ourselves and our vision, but when we finally did it, we wished we had done it years before.
And hard work pays off. Starting a new business is hard…especially with your husband. We have spent the last 2.5 years working 7 days a week, countless nights and early mornings, but we don’t regret it one bit because we continue to grow and develop this business that we have built.
IN 5 YEARS, FIND ME:
In Architectural Digest. That is definitely a professional goal and something I really hope to achieve… hopefully sooner than 5 years!
ABOVE ALL ELSE:
Family. No matter how important a job is or how hard I work there is nothing more important than my kids. They come before everything and are the reason I work as hard as I do. I try to show them how important it is to work hard and achieve your goals – but at the end of the day they come first. I’m still working on that work/life balance – but I do try to balance my time to be with them every day and still do my work. Even if that means waking up at 4AM every morning to answer emails.