An Interview With Candice Georgiadis
It starts with the basics: a clean slate with great lighting. Deep clean and start with the space’s bare bones, then decide on light. Whether it is a beautiful lamp, a moody candle, or natural sunlight, lighting is essential for a joyful space.
As part of my series on the “5 Things You Can Do To Help Your Living Space Spark More Joy”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Paola Zamudio.
Founded in 2014, npz studio+ began as a New York-based interior design firm and evolved into an award-winning creative agency, engaging in branding, art direction, graphic design, social media, and event planning with clients across the United States. Owned by Paola Zamudio, npz studio+ is well-known for the creative direction and interior design work behind the world-renowned project, Bell Works. Paola is a leader and rule-breaker in the historically hierarchical design industry, where she is on a mission to coach like-minded creatives.
Thank you so much for joining us in this series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to learn a bit more about you. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
I’m Paola Zamudio, a designer and entrepreneur. I own a creative agency, npz studio+. From a young age, I was surrounded by creative processes. Growing up with my mom in Colombia, I spent a lot of time watching her design, create, and educate other people in her design studio. It was my first source of inspiration and what drove my interest in entrepreneurship!
From that point on, I had a curious mind and artistic soul that has brought me to travel the world and try different mediums to express my creativity. I have called NYC my home now for over 10 years, and here I surround myself with art, design, and culture. I have always loved the simple, but luxurious things in life. This has all helped shape my persona and business. I have always been inclined to create beautiful spaces that bring people together. That is what npz studio+ is about now.
Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started this career?
Since the beginning of my career, I put myself into situations that would immerse myself into the design world. I would attend special events, award ceremonies, and industry happenings just to observe. Even though I was admiring from the outside, I would just go to places with design involvement to see what exactly it was that these successful leaders in design are doing, and how they are doing it, because I wanted to do it one day. As I sat at these events curious and excited to learn, I always thought to myself, ‘If I got paid, that would be a plus.’ My passion was so strong, but I would do it for free. Looking retrospectively, I started manifesting something that was a dream into my reality.
Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Thinking I had to know it all! You’re always told, “fake it until you make it.” But for me, I learned that the best thing to do is learn along the way! I make mistakes, laugh, and move on. It is all a part of the process! With this mentality, I ended up taking each experience as a lesson, and they ended up being the most beautiful “mistakes” because they shaped who I am today.
What are some of the most interesting or exciting projects you are working on now? How do you think that might help people?
Bell Works has been my milestone project as a designer and as a person. I helped bring a vision to life, what better result than that?! The project is ever-developing, and has proven the importance of human-centric design. More than just the design, I have created a community where people make serendipitous connections daily. Whether those connections are minute or life-changing for the person, I feel empowered knowing that my craft was a catalyst for these interactions. The inclusivity and diversity is beautiful to see.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
A quote that I live by is: “ego is not your amigo.” When you have ego, you lose the sense of reality and start thinking with a different mentality. You have to always remember where you started and be grateful for the journey. If you want to continue growing, creating, and thriving you have to be open to various ideas and perspectives to learn from and flourish. Every moment, project, team member, and experience I have had helps me stay grounded. Despite the awards and features I receive; I am still that same dreamer (Paola) at the end of the day.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
My mom. From when I was young, she pushed me to be my best, educate myself, stay curious, and always encouraged creativity. It put me on the path to success, kept me highly motivated and never satisfied. She continues to push me to be the best version of myself professionally, personally, and mentally.
Thank you for that. Here is the main question of our discussion. What are your “5 Things You Can Do To Help Your Living Space Spark More Joy” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
- It starts with the basics: a clean slate with great lighting. Deep clean and start with the space’s bare bones, then decide on light. Whether it is a beautiful lamp, a moody candle, or natural sunlight, lighting is essential for a joyful space.
- Color! Bringing colors that speak to you. For me, I love warm colors — perhaps it’s my Latin roots! Everything in your space should give you a feeling. Start with your core colors to settle on a palette, and layer from there. Trust your gut!
- Think of the materials that you like to surround yourself with and establish them throughout your spaces. I love contrasting materials. For example, my go-to solid is concrete, then adding a cozy element like tweed and a warm wood to bring an organic feel.
- Next up are plants for both health and aesthetic reasons. They bring freshness and good energy to any space. Their air-cleaning and mood-boosting properties are just the start! My tried and true are Bird of Paradise and Fiddle Leaf Fig!
- The final touches should be meaningful objects! Think about the pieces that you collect from travels, books that interest you and images that inspire you. Only you can curate your space to reflect what you like.
If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
As a commercial designer, I do my best to only create spaces with the goal of making people feel good. If I could start a movement, it would be to design for mental health and inclusivity. We spend so much time at work, why not make it comfortable for our bodies and minds? I believe that today’s transparent generation entering the workforce will be a movement alone, so as a Trend Forecaster myself, I believe that the design industry should understand the importance of mental health and inclusivity and shift their design perspectives to reflect this. Your health is your wealth!
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might see this, especially if we tag them 🙂
This year has been an awakening for me on many levels, one of them is spirituality. It has become very important for me to focus on my life, in addition to my career. Someone who has helped me from afar is Deepak Chopra. His podcasts and talks have helped me shift my perspective and attitude towards all aspects of my life, as well as adding meditation as a daily routine in my household (yes, my two dogs join me every morning). I would love to have breakfast with him to talk about synchrodestiny and share how he has helped align my mind, body, and soul.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
IG: @npz_studio www.instagram.com/npz_studio/
LI: www.linkedin.com/company/npz-studio/
Thank you for these fantastic insights. We greatly appreciate the time you spent on this.
Paola Zamudio of npz studio+: 5 Things You Can Do To Help Your Living Space Spark More Joy was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.