To fans of HGTV, Orlando Soria is best known as Emily Henderson‘s assistant on the home-makeover series Secrets from a Stylist. But Soria’s design portfolio and talent don’t stop there. The Los Angeles–based interior designer and visual artist is also founder and author of the lighthearted design and lifestyle blog Hommemaker, as well as the West Coast creative director for Homepolish, a website that connects homeowners with professional interior designers in their region. The lucky winner of our sweepstakes with Trulia will welcome Soria into their home for a personal design consultation (and, we’re betting, lots of laughs). Here, Soria chats with Rue Living about clients, consultations, and having fun with it all.
Images courtesy of Orlando Soria
Rue La La: What are some of the most common hang-ups you encounter when consulting or working with clients for the first time?
Orlando Soria: Most often it’s that people don’t know what things are going to cost. For example, rugs and drapery tend to be very expensive, as is quality art. Most clients experience sticker shock with those items because they are pricey investment pieces you’re meant to buy and keep for years, and their prices reflect that.
RLL: Where do clients often go wrong on their own with their interior design?
OS: An issue I see a lot is people choosing items they love without thinking about how they work together. So they’ll paint a wall bright red and then buy maroon chairs and bring in some chrome accents and while all those things might be fine on their own, together they look garbled and chaotic. When designing a space it’s important to think about what story you want to tell, how you want the room to make you feel, and to use furnishings, wall treatments, et cetera, as a means to producing that feeling/story.
RLL: You must see a wide variety of homes and tastes between all of your clients. How do you pull together a unique vision for each?
OS: I don’t like to do anything too themey or fake, so I can find things to love about all styles. The trick is to mix it up enough that it looks unique and natural, tailored to the people who live there. You do this by making sure you’re incorporating the client’s art, books, and other items they’ve collected over the years. What inspires me ultimately is to create a space that the client will be happy in, where they see colors, objects, and furnishings that have positive connotations for them. This is why design is so pyschological. You have to really dig deep to find out which furnishings are really going to make people happy, and which things they’re going to hate because they remind them of their grandma or something dated.
RLL: At its core, what are the key elements of successful interior design?
OS: Composition. I come from an art background so I think about everything in terms of color, light, and balance. It’s important to balance a room with color, finishes, and textures. For example, if you have a large, dark sofa on one side of the room, it helps to add something dark/heavy across from it so it doesn’t feel like the room is being sucked into a black hole.
RLL: What do you typically discuss with a new client in your first consultation or meeting?
OS: I like to get a sense of who they are and what their style is by asking them about their job, movies they like, their favorite kinds of clothes, where they have lived, and where they like to vacation. There are a lot of other indicators besides interior-design tastes that can tell you what people like. Being able to make connections between personal interests, fashion, and everyday activities and home furnishings is what makes a good designer.
RLL: What are your favorite interior design aesthetics?
OS: I’m a big fan of things that are modern and earthy at the same time. My design hero is a New York designer named Robert Stilin. His designs are simple and clean, yet still so warm and welcoming. They feel fresh and new without being hard, cold, and sterile. That’s the line I like to walk. Just modern and fresh enough, yet still comfortable, visually interesting, and inviting.
RLL: Describe your role as creative director for Homepolish L.A.
OS: My job is essentially the combination of everything I love to do: interior design, writing, marketing, team leading, making design more accessible, and promoting young, innovative designers. I do a lot of exciting design collaborations with wonderful brands and media outlets like goop and HelloGiggles, and fun collaborators like writer Kelly Oxford and fashion blogger Rumi Neely. It’s a great job and somehow everything I did before – from being on a TV show to doing graphic design and publicity – prepared me for it.
RLL: Tell us about a project you did for a client that you’re particularly proud of.
OS: I love a project I did with a wonderful family in La Habra Heights, which is a lovely little city about 30 minutes from downtown Los Angeles. Their home is a beautiful Spanish Revival and I had so much fun decorating it with furnishings that both complemented the architecture and reflected the young, hip styles of the homeowners.
RLL: Do you have any signature “moves” when it comes to interior design?
OS: I tend to make my own art and use it to fill spaces I don’t know what to do with. Or put benches in random places that feel empty or weird. Normally, if a space feels empty or awkward, a bench with a great art piece above it can solve the problem.
RLL: What’s your favorite room in a house to design and decorate?
OS: I love decorating guest bedrooms because you can be a little more adventurous with your design. Since no one has to sleep in there every night you can be bolder with color and art, which makes them a really fun opportunity to showcase your design perspective.
RLL: Have you ever done any staging? What are the biggest differences between staging and designing a home that someone intends to live in?
OS: I have not done any staging, but I have advised on it a lot. Basically, the idea with staging is both to give people ideas and inspiration and to show them how they might possibly lay out the space. They need to be aspirational, in a sense, because you want people to want the space, to buy the house. So in a way it’s not that much different than a regular design job. Ultimately, you’re just trying to make the space look as natural and inviting as possible.
RLL: What’s Hommemaker all about?
OS: Hommemaker is a space for me to be creative just for me. No clients, no company, just share ideas about things I’m making, spaces I’m designing, what I’m thinking about and seeing it. I love doing it and it’s so satisfying to get feedback from readers. I kind of just treat it like a big art project and do whatever I want with it. That people read it is amazing and humbling.
RLL: Your writing style on Hommemaker is very playful. Do you try to work a sense of humor into your relationships with clients?
OS: I tend to joke around with clients and am naturally a playful person. It’s just my personality. I think it’s because I was shy my whole life, so I learned to joke as a way of making myself and others feel comfortable. Thus far all of my clients have been fun and great, so I can joke and laugh with them while also making sure we get everything done and that their home looks how they want it to look.
Want Orlando Soria to come to your home? Enter the sweepstakes in our New Home Know-How: Essentials for Staging & Decorating Boutique, opening Saturday, May 17, at 3PM ET.
Discover selling strategies, search neighborhoods, or contact a real estate professional at Trulia.com.
By Lindsay Lambert, Editor
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The Rue La La & Trulia Sweepstakes
Official Rules
NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE DOES NOT IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.
Please read these rules (the “Official Rules”) before entering the Sweepstakes. By entering and participating in the Sweepstakes, you agree to be bound by these Official Rules and represent that you satisfy all of the eligibility requirements set forth below.
Sweepstakes may only be entered in or from the 48 contiguous United States and the District of Columbia and entries originating from any other jurisdiction are not eligible for entry. This Sweepstakes is governed exclusively by the laws of the United States. You are not authorized to participate in the Sweepstakes if you are not located within the 48 contiguous United States or the District of Columbia.
1. Eligibility. Participation in The Rue La La & Trulia Sweepstakes. (“Sweepstakes”) is open only to legal residents of the 48 contiguous United States & DC who are aged 18 or older. Sweepstakes is void elsewhere and where prohibited, taxed or restricted by law. Employees, officers and directors of Retail Convergence.com, LP (“Sponsor”) and Trulia, Inc. (“Trulia”) and each of their respective parent and related companies, affiliates, subsidiaries, divisions, partners, advertising and promotion agencies, and any manufacturers or distributors of Sweepstakes materials (collectively, all of the foregoing, the “Released Parties”), and their immediate family members (parents, children, siblings, spouse) or members of the same household (whether related or not) of such employees/officers/directors are not eligible to enter. You are not authorized to participate in the Sweepstakes if you are not located within the 48 contiguous United States or the District of Columbia. All federal, state and local laws and regulations apply.
2. How to Enter. To enter the Sweepstakes, you must log into the Rue La La website at www.ruelala.com using your account information, read and agree to the Official Rules, and click the “Enter Now” button.
All entrants must have a valid email address. Limit one (1) entry per person/email address during the Sweepstakes Period, as defined below. No automated entry devices and/or programs permitted. All entries become the sole and exclusive property of Sponsor and receipt of entries will not be acknowledged or returned. Sponsor is not responsible for lost, late, illegible, stolen, incomplete, invalid, unintelligible, misdirected, technically corrupted or garbled entries, which will be disqualified, or for problems of any kind whether mechanical, human or electronic. Only fully completed entries are eligible. Proof of submission will not be deemed to be proof of receipt by Sponsor.
3. Start/End Dates. Sweepstakes begins at 3:00:01 pm Eastern Time (“ET”) on May 17, 2014 and ends at 2:59:59 pm ET on May 25, 2014 (the “Sweepstakes Period”).
4. Random Drawing/Odds. One (1) winner (the “Winner”) will be selected in a random drawing on or about May 26, 2014 from all eligible entries received during the Sweepstakes Period. Odds of winning depend on the number of eligible entries received for the drawing. All random drawings will be conducted by Sponsor. By entering the Sweepstakes, each entrant fully and unconditionally agrees to be bound by these Official Rules and the decisions of the Sponsor, which will be final and binding in all matters relating to the Sweepstakes.
5. Prize: The Winner shall receive a one thousand dollar ($1,000.00) Rue La La account credit (the “Account Credit”), subject to the application and expiration terms detailed below, and a personal consultation with a Trulia insider subject to the terms and conditions listed below (the “Consultation Terms and Conditions”). Approximate retail value (the “ARV”) of the prizes is four thousand nine hundred and fifty dollars ($4,950.00). Actual value may vary based on airfare fluctuations to fly consultant to Winner’s hometown. Winner will not receive the difference between the actual and approximate retail value.
Application and Expiration of Account Credit – Winner must be a Rue La La Member. Rue La La will credit the Winner’s Rue La La account in the amount of the applicable Rue La La credit. Account Credits are not valid for prior purchases or balances. The Winner’s Account Credit must be used within thirty (30) calendar days after the Account Credit is deposited into the Winner’s Rue La La account (the “Account Credit Period”). Upon expiration of the applicable Account Credit Period, any unused Account Credit will automatically expire. Account Credit is not valid for prior purchases or balances, is not transferable, not exchangeable, not redeemable for cash, and is void where prohibited by law. Account Credit is subject to the complete Terms and Conditions located at www.RueLaLa.com/common/terms#promocardterms.
Consultation Terms and Conditions – Trulia will fly the Trulia insider to Winner’s hometown for a personal consultation with Winner. The consultation will not exceed ten hours total and will occur within two consecutive days. Winner must schedule the consultation through Trulia and complete the consultation prior to December 31, 2014, or Winner forfeits the consultation portion of the Prize in its entirety. Neither Sponsor nor Trulia will make no substitutions, exchanges or other compensation in the event of the cancellation of the consultation by Winner. Exact dates of consultation are subject to availability.
Additional prize award details may be provided to the Winners at the time of the prize notification. Prizes are non-transferable. No substitutions or cash redemptions. If in the case of unavailability of any prize, Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value. The Winner will be issued a tax form 1099 for the approximate retail value of the prized awarded by Sponsor and Trulia. All federal, state and local taxes and unspecified expenses associated with the receipt or use of the prize are the sole responsibility of the Winner.
The Winner acknowledges that the Sponsor, Released Parties and all other businesses affiliated with this Sweepstakes and their agents do not make, nor are in any manner responsible for any warranty, representations, expressed or implied, in fact or in law, relative to the quality, conditions, fitness or merchantability of any aspect of the prize being offered.
AN ENTRANT is not a winner of any prize, even if the sweepstakes SHOULD so indicate, unless and until entrant’s eligibility, and sweepstakes winner has been verified and entrant has been notified that verification is complete. Sponsor will not accept screen shots or other evidence of winning in lieu of its validation process.
6. Notification. Winner will be notified by email on or about May 26, 2014 and may be required to sign and return, where legal, an Affidavit of Eligibility and Release and W9 within five (5) days of prize notification. If any Winner cannot be contacted within five (5) calendar days of first notification attempt, if any prize or prize notification is returned as undeliverable, if a Winner rejects his/her prize, or in the event of noncompliance with these Official Rules, the prize will be forfeited and an alternate Winner will be selected from among all remaining eligible entries, time permitting. Upon prize forfeiture, no compensation will be given.
7. License/Usage. By entering the Sweepstakes, each entrant fully and unconditionally agrees to be bound by these Official Rules, which will be final and binding in all matters relating to the Sweepstakes. By entering, each entrant agrees to the use of his/her name, address (city and state), photograph, picture, portrait, voice, likenesses, biographical information, and/or statements for purposes of advertising, trade, or promotion in any media (now known or hereafter known) throughout the world in perpetuity, without further compensation, notification or permission, unless prohibited by law. Nothing contained herein shall be deemed to obligate Sponsor to make use of any of the rights granted herein and each Winner waives any right to inspect or approve any such use of any and every nature and kind. If any Winner is deemed a minor in his/her jurisdiction of residence, then such prize will be awarded to such Winner’s parent or legal guardian.
8. Release. By participating, each entrant and Winner agrees to release, indemnify and hold harmless Sponsor and the Released Parties from any and all liability, for loss, harm, damage, injury, cost or expense whatsoever including without limitation, property damage, personal injury and/or death which may occur in connection with, preparation for, travel to, or participation in Sweepstakes, or possession, acceptance and/or use or misuse of prize or participation in any Sweepstakes-related activity and claims based on publicity rights, defamation, invasion of privacy, breach of contract and/or merchandise delivery. Neither Sponsor nor any Released Parties are responsible for any damages, taxes, or expenses that Winners might incur as a result of this Sweepstakes or receipt of prize. Entrants who do not comply with these Official Rules, or attempt to interfere with this Sweepstakes in any way, may be disqualified.
9. Additional Terms. In case of dispute as to identity of entrant, entry will be declared made by the authorized account holder of the email address submitted at time of entry. “Authorized Account Holder” is defined as the natural person who is assigned an email address by an Internet access provider, online service provider, or other organization (e.g., business, educational, institution, etc.) responsible for assigning email addresses or the domain associated with the submitted email address. Any attempted form of entry other than as set forth above is prohibited; no automatic, programmed, robotic or similar means of entry are permitted. Neither Sponsor nor Released Parties are responsible for errors in content or misprinting, technical, hardware, software, telephone or other communications malfunctions, errors or failures of any kind, lost or unavailable network connections, web-site, Internet, or ISP availability, unauthorized human intervention, traffic congestion, incomplete or inaccurate capture of entry information (regardless of cause) or failed, incomplete, garbled, jumbled or delayed computer transmissions which may limit one’s ability to enter the Sweepstakes, including any injury or damage to participant’s or any other person’s computer relating to or resulting from participating in this Sweepstakes or downloading any materials in this Sweepstakes. Sponsor reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to cancel, terminate, modify, extend or suspend this Sweepstakes (in its sole discretion) for any reason, including but not limited to, should virus, bugs, non-authorized human intervention, fraud or other causes beyond its control corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness or proper conduct of the Sweepstakes. In case of termination, Sponsor will select the Winners from all eligible entries received prior to and/or after (if appropriate) the action taken by Sponsor. Sponsor reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to disqualify any individual it finds, in its sole discretion, to be tampering with the entry process or the operation of the Sweepstakes or website. Sponsor may prohibit an entrant from participating in the Sweepstakes or winning a prize if, in its sole discretion, it determines that said entrant is attempting to undermine the legitimate operation of the Sweepstakes by cheating, hacking, deception, or other unfair playing practices (including the use of automated quick entry programs) or intending to annoy, abuse, threaten or harass any other entrants or Sponsor representatives. There is no purchase or sales presentation required to participate. A purchase does not increase odds of winning. Sponsor is not responsible if Sweepstakes cannot take place or if any prize cannot be awarded due to travel cancellations, delays or interruptions due to acts of God, acts of war, natural disasters, weather or acts of terrorism or for any other reason outside Sponsor’s reasonable control. Sponsor reserves the right not to award a prize after three attempts to notify or verify a Winner were not successful. No more than the stated number of prizes will be awarded.
CAUTION: ANY ATTEMPT BY AN ENTRANT TO DELIBERATELY DAMAGE ANY WEB-SITE OR UNDERMINE THE LEGITIMATE OPERATION OF THE SWEEPSTAKES MAY BE A VIOLATION OF CRIMINAL AND CIVIL LAWS AND SHOULD SUCH AN ATTEMPT BE MADE, THE SPONSOR RESERVES THE RIGHT TO SEEK DAMAGES FROM ANY SUCH PERSON TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.
10. Limitation of Liability; Disclaimer of Warranties. IN NO EVENT WILL THE RELEASED PARTIES BE RESPONSIBLE OR LIABLE FOR ANY DAMAGES OR LOSSES OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, CONSEQUENTIAL OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF YOUR ACCESS TO AND USE OF THE SERVICE AND/OR THE SWEEPSTAKES, DOWNLOADING FROM AND/OR PRINTING MATERIAL DOWNLOADED FROM ANY WEBSITES ASSOCIATED WITH THE SWEEPSTAKES. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE RELEASED PARTIES’ TOTAL LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ALL DAMAGES, LOSSES, OR CAUSES OF ACTION EXCEED $10.00. WITHOUT LIMITING THE FOREGOING, THIS SWEEPSTAKES AND ALL PRIZES ARE PROVIDED “AS IS” WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. SOME JURISDICTIONS MAY NOT ALLOW THE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSION OF LIABILITY FOR INCIDENTAL OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OR EXCLUSION OF IMPLIED WARRANTIES SO SOME OF THE ABOVE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. CHECK YOUR LOCAL LAWS FOR ANY RESTRICTIONS OR LIMITATIONS REGARDING THESE LIMITATIONS OR EXCLUSIONS.
11. Disputes; Governing Law. The parties waive all rights to trial in any action or proceeding instituted in connection with these Official Rules, including, without limitation, the Sweepstakes. Any controversy or claim arising out of or relating to these Official Rules and/or the Sweepstakes shall be settled by binding arbitration in accordance with the commercial arbitration rules of the American Arbitration Association. Any such controversy or claim shall be arbitrated on an individual basis, and shall not be consolidated in any arbitration with any claim or controversy of any other party. The arbitration shall be conducted in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, City of Boston.
THESE OFFICIAL RULES AND THE INTERPRETATION OF ITS TERMS SHALL BE GOVERNED BY AND CONSTRUED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE LAWS OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS WITHOUT REGARD TO ITS CONFLICTS OF LAWS RULES. For any matters which are not subject to arbitration as set forth in these Official Rules and/or in connection with the entering of any judgment on an arbitration award in connection with these Official Rules and/or the Sweepstakes, the parties irrevocably submit and consent to the exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the state and federal courts located in or closest to the County of Suffolk in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The parties agree not to raise the defense of forum non conveniens.
12. Use of Data. Sponsor will be collecting personal data about entrants online, in accordance with its privacy policy. Entrants understand and agree that by entering the Sweepstakes, their email address will be shared with Trulia for marketing purposes and agree to receive email communications from Trulia Please review the Sponsor’s privacy policy at http://www.ruelala.com/common/privacy and Trulia privacy policy located at http://www.trulia/privacy. By participating in the Sweepstakes, each entrant hereby agrees to Sponsor’s collection and usage of their personal information and acknowledges that they have read and accepted Sponsor’s privacy policy.
13. List of Winners. To obtain a copy of the winner list, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope by June 30, 2014 to: Retail Convergence.com, LP, 20 Channel Center, Boston, MA 02210, Attn: Marketing Department: Winner Confirmation Request – The Rue La La & Trulia Sweepstakes.
14. Sponsor. Retail Convergence.com, LP, 20 Channel Center, Boston, MA 02210.
