When Hema Persad began converting her unfinished Burbank, California, garage into a home office, she was working as a stylist for celebrities like Kate Hudson and Madonna. She imagined hosting glamorous fittings in the 500-square-foot unit, so she maximized it for oversized mirrors and racks of couture clothing. But as the project was completed, Hema’s interior design hobby went viral. She was suddenly overwhelmed with requests, so she decided to leave fashion and become a full-time decorator.
Fortunately, the new studio functions just as well for designing homes as it (briefly) did for dressing the stars. With a neutral backdrop that’s ideal for comparing samples and extensive shelving where Hema can experiment with styling vintage treasures, it seems like the space was always intended for this purpose. “Everything I’ve ever needed for this next step [in my career] has already been there, so I definitely feel that it’s a meant-to-be thing,” she muses.