Interior designer Eilyn Jimenez is the Creative Director and Founder of Miami-based Sire Design. Known for innovative interiors, attention to detail, and commitment to her clients, Eilyn ensures her “visualizations are not trend-led but synonymous with timelessness and longevity.” She has an array of gorgeous projects under her belt, including custom homes, high-rise condominiums, private estates, retail spaces, and luxury yachts. (Is there anything she can’t do??)

However, Eilyn didn’t start off with immediate success. She first promoted her interior design services on Groupon, charging $99 for a two-hour consultation. Gradually, her client list grew through word-of-mouth. Sire Design’s first project brought in roughly $2,000, but the female-led firm now takes on projects with revenues up to $1,000,000. Talk about a success story! Take #5MinutesWith the designer to learn more:

MY LIGHTBULB MOMENT:
I always thought I wanted to become a lawyer, with the end goal of becoming a judge, however, at a very young age I found myself wanting to design my room and was constantly rearranging my furniture. I was always drawn to more mature aesthetics, not your typical pink princess room. Once I graduated high school at 16 (I was homeschooled), I went to college and decided to study business, since I knew this was something that would help me in the future. By my second year in the business program, I became friends with the son of the dean of the architecture program and was curious to see what architecture was all about. That’s when I immediately fell in love with design and switched career paths. While studying architecture I was always drawn to how the interiors of spaces were being used and began creating design concepts for the interiors of my architecture projects, even though interior design was not part of my assignments. My professors always called me out for designing the interiors, telling me that it wasn’t necessary. I have always thought that the way a space is used internally has a huge impact on the overall architecture, but my professors disagreed. That’s when I knew I had a unique connection with interior design and decided to merge it with my architecture career. Ultimately, I focus mainly on interior design, while incorporating my knowledge of architecture, and to this day that knowledge has been a huge tool while working on projects. 

I CAN’T START MY DAY UNTIL:
I have a cup of Cuban coffee with my husband, look over my calendar for the day, and have read through my emails. 

SUCCESS IS:
The happiness of our clients and our team, while fostering a studio environment that is positive and encouraging—to be doing great work with great people, day in and day out. 

YOU’LL NEVER SEE ME WITHOUT:
My cell phone, earphones, and my mini perfume bottle. 

DREAM COLLABORATION:
Something with Kelly Wearstler, Nate Berkus, or Vincent Van Duysen, or an exclusive collection with Restoration Hardware. 

THE ONLY PLACE BETTER THAN MIAMI:
It’s tough to beat Miami, but if I had to go anywhere else it would be Chicago or Africa. 

WHEN I FEEL UNINSPIRED

There is so much to be inspired by day-to-day, however there are key elements that constantly drive my inspiration. 

First is my clients’ lifestyles and dream vision. Their likes and their goals for using their spaces are the first inspirations we draw from. We expand on their ideas, taking them to a whole new level. My second source of inspiration is traveling. Seeing different styles of design and architecture around the world is hugely inspiring. I’m currently working on a project inspired by my trips to Spain and Africa, and the designs are unlike anything typically seen in Miami.

The third is Pinterest, which we’ve nicknamed, “the rabbit hole”—this is where we compile images to show clients inspirations and concepts that will define a project. Concept-development and storytelling are the bases for the aesthetics of every project. I’m very drawn to Dutch, Australian and Swedish design, so I pull a lot of inspiration from interior designers and architects that I admire from those areas.

Finally, revisiting projects from the 20’s, 30’s, and 40’s inspires me. Just like fashion does, we revert back to design from previous eras. I like sourcing books and magazines that show work completed in those eras and take note of the materials, trends and aesthetics used. 

ADVICE I WISH I HAD 5 YEARS AGO:
Follow your passion. 
Be patient. 
Keep your feet on the ground.
Work hard.
Continue to evolve. 

If you keep these at the top of your to-do’s, everything else will fall into place. Just wait and see what the next five years hold for you!

IN 5 YEARS, FIND ME:
Doing great work with great people, with new projects both near and far.

ABOVE ALL ELSE: 
I think Maya Angelou said it best: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” I’d like to be remembered for how I made people feel when they walk into a space we designed years later.