 If you've been wanting to get those insights, definitely you are in the right hands. And joining us live in studio with us is Pauline Mwangi. She's the CEO and founder of Beautiful Homes, dubbed Homes by Paula, or Paula, or Paula, I believe. Good morning to you, Pauline. Good morning. Yeah, welcome to Why in the Morning. Thank you. All right, so briefly tell us how you professionally like got into this space and how, for how's been the journey? I started my business back in 2018 as a household seller. And over the years, we have evolved. After COVID-20 in October, that's when I shifted to much of interior. I identified, I thought I started getting attached to interior decor pieces. Every time I was selling through pillow covers initially, and I would find clients asking me, do you have maybe an abstract? An abstract is just an item that you can decorate with a TV stand, a gypsum. Then I think out of that, I developed an interest and I was like, I think I would focus more on interior so that I can give my clients much more of the, yes, of the household. All right, so that's how you basic. Now professionally, like starting, did you like pursue a course that got you into it and it came out of passion? Yes, initially I was just doing it in a new style. I would go to YouTube, I find some tips and then I would give my clients. But last year, I did a masterclass in interior design and stylists. Okay, so you have a certificate from the School of YouTube or University of YouTube? You find in Kenya, I could not see YouTube, not YouTube. I did it with a certain lady. She's an interior designer here in this country. So I did a course, I took a masterclass for a month, which was theory, they were practical, so I got the real touch of everything. So I feel right now I'm a professional. I can advise, if professionally I can give you advice. Expertise advice. Yes, I would say I'm an expert. You're an expert. Good, now that you're an expert, like just take us through that world. How does someone get into it and figure out the level you are to where you're giving expertise advice? Does it entail partnerships, networking with the really existing businesses on the market? Is there maybe an association or an organization for interior decor designs? Just take us through a brief overview of how that happens. I think the first thing is passion. Because interior is not something you just run to. You have to give professional advice to your client. So first thing is passion. Passion will drive you towards even the market. The market, I think Kenya is a growing economy, especially for real estate. Right now there are not very many people who are embracing interior, but those people who understand, you're able to convince them. So there is market into the real estate that are growing day by day. Also networking. You get to a place, you talk about your business, you tell people what you do. And online market, online. Personally, I have a page, maybe. Yeah, you can mention it, the page. I have a page, Beautiful Homes by Paula. But initially we were running it as Paula Homes style. But we moved to interior beautiful homes by Paula because I felt like I did the cause. And now we are moving from the style. A style can be anything. And now we are moving to just beautiful homes because that's what I did. I want homes to be beautiful. So every time I tell someone, go to my page, check out. You see what I've been doing, my pieces what I've been doing. You see, someone will be interested and they will feel confident. That is, this is the right person I can give this work. So online is one place where you can get your client. And passion, you have to be driven by passion because passion will help you identify. Whenever I find something, I'm interested. I can tell this piece is going to fit here because I am passionate about the whole idea of interior. But I will say I'm more of a stylist than a designer as of now. Like you style homes now? Yes, I do the furnishing much, although I can do the design part because I've done it. But right now, I think this is the first time I'm working on my first project. It's not yet done. But when it's done, I will definitely post it on my Instagram page. But now my interior stylist shows much on my page than my design here. All right. Now, you mentioned you do furnishing and styling. For example now, furnishing, right? If somebody or a client approaches you, before you tell us also how do clients get to you. When you enter somebody's home, are you able to notice that this is a wrong item, plus in the wrong place? Like how do you actually come up with that reality and I'll tell the person you need to lose this table, you need to lose this home dining chair and you need to replace it with this or we can twist it to a little bit stand here and that's so that we can have this style because you mentioned your style. How do you do that? In or when you do the class, there's a topic we do called mood boards. Or mood boards. Yeah, mood board. When I look at a space, I'm able to draw the space. I'm able to tell you if I get into a space, I will be able to tell you whether it's busy, whether this seat you might find you have a very nice seat, but it doesn't fit the space because maybe it's bulky, maybe the color, maybe the space is small. So when you do, that's why we advise people before when you're done with your plaster and you're supposed to engage an interior designer, it saves you much because an interior designer comes with a plan. They would draw a mood board. I come to this space, I observe, I would draw, I would be able to tell you we are going to place this type of a seat. I will actually come with a little, not necessarily, some of these seats you find online, they might not fit what is in the Kenyan market, but we look for something that's closed that can fit your space. So when I draw a mood board, I will include everything in that space. I will do the seats, I will do whether there is a gypsum, whether they are windscoting, whether there is the table that's supposed to be there, the flowers, the TV stand, I will include everything that is needed in this lighthouse and I also include your color scheme. So like for me, what I studied is a mid-century concept whereby we insist on beige colors, neutral colors. Like, have you ever felt every time you walk in a room that has beige color, you feel warm? I feel you are welcomed. A beige color means they're not shouting colors, like yellow or neutral. Let's call them neutral colors. Beige is one, cream, every time... What's the difference now? Beige cream, I'm confused now. Beige cream is just an off-white, maybe. Beige is dull, but every time you walk in a space, you feel warm colors, they are called warm colors. You feel like you're being hugged, like there is some peace in that space. Just get into a house that has yellow all over. There is some dizziness. I know I have yellow. It's more like a confident color though. So like, dressing a person in a space is very different. Very different, very different. Spaces are supposed to feel warm. Actually, we advise clients on colors, because you find yourself, you want a blue, but in the next one year, you don't want that color anymore. You want to change to pink. So there is a way we blend those colors. You want pink. We'll blend it in your space, but in a way to not disrupt the warmth in that house. So in a new year, in a new year's time, you don't need to change all the sofas because they are pink. You don't need to do the walls again because they are pink. We will do colors in a way. Changing is even budget-friendly for you when you want to change to another color. Right. Does this happen to people who get into Airbnbs? Of course, it's not your house. You're there temporarily. You're getting into this house. It's so colorful. Maybe the walls are red, pink. Or they call them studio apartments where they're camera-friendly and light-friendly because of lighting and bouncing. Now, how can someone navigate through that, for example? And then also, for a client who already has a structure, you said you bring a structure to the client. Like you have a plant. You take it to the client. Now, for a client who has their own plant, how do you margin and then get to execute finally and then bring out the amazing product finally? That's why I say we listen to you first. What do you want? You listen to the client first. Yes, what do you want? So you give me your ideas. Probably you have that wood board. Probably you know how to make it. I'll have a look at it. Then I will incorporate your ideas into mine. Then we can exchange notes. Because you find most of these times, when you give a client, they'll give you maybe those. You say someone has painted red. They have that design in their mind. That's what they love at the moment. Then you show them the concept, the mid-century concept, where I've done my beige colors, my neutral colors, and I've incorporated the pink in the design. Most of them, they buy the design. That doesn't have the pink walls. That has the beige walls and we draw pieces. We say in our concept, we say it's a 60, 30, 10. 60? 30, 10. 60, 30, 10. Where by 60, you're supposed to do neutrals in your house. Neutral colors. That means from the furniture to the walls, to the paintings and everything. For the dirty, it's now the pop of color. Your color, orange that you want, that's where we draw it. And we normally draw it on the pillow covers, on the carpet. Probably we get a carpet that has orange shading in it, not really orange. Yes, that's the rug. Basically, we draw both. In places, we are able to change when that orange gets to a point, you don't want to see it anymore. So it comes with a cost, you know? Yes, the mood boards. Of course, you do the consultation, which we charge. I look for you personally, how much do you charge for consultation? For me, I charge 5,000. That is just like listening, having a talk one-on-one. Me coming to the site. Are you visiting the site? Yes. And not the client coming to your office? No. I'm not helping them when they come to my office. So your consultation is done on the site? It's on the ground, field. Yes, you go to the field, you check out the space, you advise the client. Then if they agree to proceed, now you do the mood board for them. Oh, they still have to pay even if they're not agreed to proceed. Of course, you have to try to pay for the consultation. But I'm sure you can negotiate. Do you get people who are like, hey, a quick one for Lin, can I blah, blah, blah, blah? Within a short time, you realize you already gave them the consultation without the payment. That was me before I did the master class. That was you before or more? Sick or more, per se. Kenyans can really use you. Not, I'm just saying this. Before pick your character development. You visit some one site. If you don't clearly tell them that they are supposed to pay for the consultation, you visit them. And what happens is, whenever you get to the site, you see you can't tell someone now pay for the consultation. So what happens is, they will use you. You give them the concept. Maybe that, you have to come and back check, two more JV2, one B2. Yeah. Then when you are done, they are done with you. They disappear. So the consultation need to get serious clients who are willing to work with you because you can imagine you fuel your car to a play. When you go somewhere, you do the consultation, you advise them. You leave them using your concept and they have not paid you anything. Because that's what most people do. I used to do that a lot. I have never visited sites, but clients would call me and I would say, hey, peace to Tabeka. What do you think about this color? Then they would go and buy somewhere else. That's it. Most people. It got you exhausted and you said, I must come. Do you now have some sort of a red card? Do you send, when somebody says, hi, Pauline, I want you to come and tell me ABCD. Do you send them a red card? Do you have a whole package that you send them? You're like, for this consultation, I charge 5,000. To execute, I charge blah, blah, blah. And then finally, you have some sort of a red card? Yes, I said to them, if you're used to their clients who only want consultation and then they'll feel your design is expensive, or maybe they will not match your budget. So when you do consultation, for them you charge them consultation, which is different now from someone who wants the whole process executed or someone now who want the design drawn to them. You give the design and then you leave them to execute them. They execute it with another professional or with themselves. Yes, with themselves. So it's different charges? It's different charges for each category, different charges. All right. All right, I want you to now paint for us a picture of how do you set up a deco designed for an office setup, a different form, a home setup? Like what are the striking lines in between for an office setup and a home setup? Not basically, like I said, it depends with the client. Like I said, what I do, the mid concept, I will always apply the pages, whether it's in an office, whether it's at home for office, one thing especially for office, we look at the light. An office must have a lot of light because every time you're getting when you're working in a space that is full of light, there is energy. And you easily don't get disrupted because your energy will not feel. Is there like natural light from the window or from the light? We always insist on an office, natural is best. So you should have like several windows, even for aeration. Yes, even for homes, I think light is one of the things to consider natural light. But if there is no natural light, there is a way we do the lighting. For it to match the room and for it to give the warmth. Remember, it's the warmth that you feel when you work in a space. Because energy, the energy that we transform, the energy that we have in and as a result of where we are, you've never gotten into a space and you're not scared to your disease. You feel exhausted, some others, others, you're like, yes, I like this place. You can't even explain, but you're just up in a space. Is it more mental? Is it like it's a mental thing, like you enter to a place, you see some certain people and you're like, my day is done. And then you enter some, a certain space, you're like, you want to say hi to everyone. Yes, I think it's more mental. Colors, colors interfere with the way we perceive things. When you're like, you're walking towards space and you just find calmness and your... The energy is inviting. The energy, that is the right word. The energy is inviting. This is where you belong now. And even your home, for personally, I discovered I really get bored when my space is not appealing and I don't want to go home. You've never experienced such. You don't, it's your house, but nowadays, in Akubo. I'd really like to see people through your house. You know, after we are done with the show, you'll maybe take us and maybe show us a photo. But I'm also interested to know even personally, as a professional, what are some of the things you mentioned that you're so careful on how your house or that home feels? Like for you, what are some of the red flags? Like you enter this house, you're like, nope. You need to move that. Is it like more of an OCD? Obsessive, compulsive disorder? Because I feel like the way you put it, it's more serious now. You're like, nope, that table, kick it out. That chair, take it out. For you, like what are some of the things that you find it's a no? Like this one, no. Colors, I'll take colors again. Because if I get into a space, the rug is in blue or it's in yellow. The seats are in blue. The curtains are in another poppin' color. Apokatensasa. Apokatensapu. Another curtain. Already my mind is like, this space is a panna. To not far to change. We are supposed to change the curtains. Like my teacher always said, curtains are supposed to be neutral as well. Well, they're supposed to be neutral. Yes. Is it to match the floor or the room they chairs? Come up again. To match the floor, color, the carpet or the chairs? No, the curtains are supposed to, mainly to match, to at least match the chairs. The chairs. Rugs are supposed to match the tropical colors. The floors. The covers. Or the covers. Because mostly you'll not find a plain color rug. You'll find they have patches of blue, black, yellow, yes. So maybe you'll have yellow. So your rug will have yellow in it. Not fully yellow. And then your dropy low covers will have the patches of yellow in them. So you see, they are matching. Color coordination or color blocking. So you'll find not too much yellow. So haiku, interfere with your mind. It's not disturbing with your mind. That space is relaxed. Also where they are so, you enter into a space, such a huge table, and the room is small. You, I know you find, in Kenyan some you find that a lot, because most people love. Among the table is long and then the chairs are. Yeah. So for that, mostly we advise. So that's lack of knowledge of interior design. You'd say that. Of course, because Kenyan, it's right now is when you're embracing the whole thing. We had just discovered. So we have a few experts like you. Not as many as. OK. Not as many. I would go in there for you. Because there is no school that you can go and do interior design. Sure, there are no universities that are offering home decor and interior design courses. No, I've never heard of one. OK. Yeah, that's certified by the government. I've not heard of one. Most of them, they are just you walking. It's a master class that is really, really helpful because you're learning from outside also. And we are trying to impress that culture in here. OK. Now aside from what you offer, you do something else and I'd love you to also talk about it, apart from home decor and styling. What are some of the other things that you're selling? I train people. I do classes on imports. OK. Meaning? Like, so many people don't know how to import. So many people are coined. You get to Facebook. Someone tells you they can import for you. Yeah, like goods. Yeah, from China. From China or Japan. From not all those countries. Do you sell so many things from Japan? I think it's much of China nowadays. Everything that we are consuming, 90%. We don't talk about China. We don't talk about China. So people are coined. You will be able to buy a supplier. You turn again, they will pay for you. This is where now the problem is because you lose your money. So people don't know. You can get your goods. You can ship for yourself. Alibaba has that option. So they incur the cost of shipping? Shipment as well? Yes, that's your cost. OK. It will always be your cost. So these people will tell you that I will ship for you. Send me money. There are scammers. There are scammers. They will steal from you. Of course, you will not see any good. OK. Most of them, they are some who are honest. They will do for you. But why pay someone to import for you when you can do it for yourself? OK. You see. So there are those loopholes that people don't know. And I train on how to engage suppliers, how to pay for yourself. You don't need anyone to pay for you. How to track your goods, how to find an agent. Right. Yeah. Because those are the things. That's why people don't know how you can find an agent to ship for your goods. So that's a niche thing. So how do you identify these clients to come and train with you and convince them that I'm offering this? And believe me, I've done this for so and so. And it worked trust in my service as well. I have wide range of clients who I've worked with before. Actually, they are the poor. I sell two items. They are the same people now who come back for the training. So far, the one who I've trained, those are the ones who I've worked with before. And you see those ones, with that, I'm able to. They also refer. Like the classes I'm having this week, most of them are referred. I just come here and tell you. Because people see I import. Personally, I import the core accessories. Oh, you import them from China? Yes, I import from China. So they know I do import. So now if I tell you, now I'll teach you how to do it. You also want to come and learn and do it yourself. Yes. So it gives you the credit and that confidence to appeal to anyone? Yes. OK. Now for someone who's thinking that maybe they'll just consult someone online. And they trust them and give them a call. And they call them. They say, it'll be $200,000. I'll come and do for you interior design. Now, how do you differentiate between a real interior designer professional one and someone who is just scumming people around? Because like you mentioned, that course that you studied, there are a few institutions that offer it. That means there's an urgent. It's like a market gap that needs to be filled or satisfied. For someone who is watching at home and they want to reach out to an interior designer professionally, how can they differentiate between a scummer and a real one? How can they go about it until they get the exact professional one who will not scum them of their money? Another, the consultation will define everything. Because you see you work on stages. I do the consultation. I do the mood board. The mood board now will eliminate the person who knows the concept and the person who doesn't know the concept. Because if you've not been in school, you cannot be able to draw a mood board. It's a design that I have to draw it myself. And you see, I will have to incorporate what you want and what I'm going to. Because you are coming for me to get advice. So I will incorporate what you want and what I have in mind. So most of the mood board will eliminate someone. Because if I don't have a design for you, I would do know that I can execute even the design. So it's the design that will impress you to trust the consultant. Someone might not have really worked on a project, but they have really nice design that they have done. Because the only thing is when I have the design, execution is not a problem. If you approve my design, you just need to get fundings and they will do the other work with the supervision. All right. So the point is the mood board. The mood board. Yes. All right, fantastic. Now, I also like to know, as we bring it to a close, what is the satisfying factor for you with a client? Like when you hear a client say these words, you know you did an excellent job. I get a lot of, like I said, more what I've done is stylish. When I advise clients on the pieces, most of them tell me, I got them and they are nice. I get a lot of good reviews all the time. All the times they tell, it was nice. For me, quality is something that really matters a lot. I just don't sell an item. People who know you will tell me, I just don't sell an item. I sell quality decah. So you'll find clients will always give me review, feedback. I get that a lot. Even my Instagram has those reviews. So I think that keep me pushing and yes. All right, now in terms of clientele, like how is your relationship with your clients? How do you maintain that trust or that constant feedback or that constant relationship? They want, they come back. They're still coming. You did it last year with them. They love the service, they refer you. Like how do you maintain to keep that relationship so professional and pure? Customer-client. My relationship mainly, we maintain it by bringing new products because clients want good, for my return clients, how am I able to maintain them? I always try to be unique, kind of. I don't mean like I'm unique. Like you're changing to another personality. I might bring something new, a surprise. Something new. Mostly I try to change as time goes by. And also if you're my client, I will always give you discount. Okay, discount. Discount is something. So that's like some sort of incentive to them. I will always, if you come back, because I have, most of my clients, I've maintained clients since back then when I was selling households, I moved with them to the car. They are still buying, they are still buying from me. Yeah, yeah. So most of them I give them discount-free deliveries and also trying to give, to give them more. Right. To bring them much more than what you say. I can't bring a product that I had last year and tell them now you see, I want you to buy this. So I have to bring more, better product because every day Chinese are making new things. New things. New inventions. New inventions. They are modifying. Otherwise, something you bought last year has been modified to something more better. So I try as much as I can to bring new items in the market. Which cost me at times, though. How much, let's say, what is the biggest cost you've ever incurred on a product? I can't total. Money wise, let me not talk about it. You can just roughly say the figure. Not much, maybe a hundred. The problem is- 100,000. Yes, the problem is you bring in a new product. Now trying to sell it now before it gets to the end. Cost you time. Before you sell it, another product has come. Introducing a new product is still a challenge in the market. Yes, you might get dead stock out of something new you are trying to introduce. I have some. It happens to all businesses, I believe. But at times the risk might be bigger. Which I discourage now when I'm doing the import class. Those are the things I touch on for the people who are venturing into the business. I don't just teach you how to import. I teach you how to find, to look for goods. Not just goods. Not something in your mind. How to identify them. How to study the market. Those are the things I teach on my class. I just don't tell you, this is how you do. I take you through the process of importing. I will give you some tips. I just flow at times. I just find myself flowing. Even giving tips that I'm not supposed to give. For free. Okay, my third last question. What are some of the trends in interior design? Or home and deco? And then you will also tell us, of course in business there are challenges. Those times, the good times, hey, I have a return. I've recorded a huge amount of profit as well. What are some of the trying times that you've had in your business? So you can start with, what are some of the trends in interior decor? Trends. Yeah, on the market or in the business in general. Trends are deco, it's much of their design. They find that nowadays everything keeps on changing. You have this type of seat. There is a time they'll just toss it. Right now there's nobody who wants to just toss it. There is a new design. Like, they call it the challenge of the trend. Yes, you have to keep on being updated with hot scumming. The decor pieces, that's a trend. Squeezy, we don't put teddy bears on the TV stand. Right. I'm also going to try to say, leave it down there. There are Corino design, like down there, there's TV, there's radio, we don't do that. We don't do that. Nowadays, you have to have the pieces in your living room. They are very affordable. People always think that the decor pieces, they range, the price range, with Apataya Miyatano, all they have to 20,000. Up to even 100. Even to up to 100, depending. So I think the trend is the accessories, nowadays you don't. If you have a house with a teddy bear, it's up. What is a teddy bear? You said that's a red flag, like. Red flag. You guys, if you have a teddy bear in your house right now, you should be moving close to your TV. Yeah, you teddy bears in my house. Get rid of it very fast. It's in media, TV stands, TV stands. What about in bed? There are those baby girls who have teddy bears around their bed, they're giving them names. That's a baby girl. Oh, that's a baby girl. That's a baby girl. Baby girl. Oh, baby girl. That's a bedroom. That's a bedroom. Yes. It's different from sitting room. Also in the bedroom you'll find, nowadays we just don't do the pillows. Right. You have to do, there's so many things you do in a bed nowadays. Exactly. The pillows, you do a volume. Yeah. Not the pillows. Even the color of the pillows marching with the. You have to blend colors. Even the bed sheets. Not really. Sana-Sana eats the space. The space. Yes. Are they blending with the space? Is the rug blending with the space? The volume, the kitambo you see, we only had a bed pillows. The mattress. Not two pillows. Your bed also has to look nice. It's a volume pillow. It's a design. You have to do the rug. I've seen it in hotels. You know, you enter the biggest hotel, you're like, is this a bed or is this a studio bed? Yes, you have to do the lampshades. Exactly. Mirrors. But anyway. It looks like a romantic setup for a romantic story. But that's how you say it's supposed to be. Now, talk of this shortly, in one minute, because we are exiting. Talk about shortly, what is your lowest moment in business and then where can people access you for your services and the consultations and everything? So, just one low moment, shortly. What was the most trying times in your business? The most trying times is when, I think when you don't have money to bring in stock and there is demand. Supply demand. Supply demand. Because deco is for few, but for few who understand it, they buy. So you don't have capital, people asking for goods. Which is a common problem for every businessman or entrepreneur. It happens to me also. Okay, fantastic. Tell us now where people can buy your services, plug in on you, find you, call your number, that's your camera. You can find me on Facebook, Paula Homestyle. We are supposed to change to Beautiful Homes by Paula. And Instagram, it's Beautiful Homes by Paula. Our email is Interior by Paula. And you can call us via 0702 844 520. We are located at Silver Road, Kone Shopping Mall, Shop 11E, that is in Odion, near Odion. When you're around there, you can call us. Right, fantastic. And thank you so much for coming through and talking about that amazing world of interior design. Thank you for having me. You're welcome, good luck, all the best. Thank you so much. All right, we have been talking to Pauline Moanghi. She's the CEO and founder of Beautiful Homes by Paula, or Paula, like she had mentioned. And definitely grasp some two, three hacks here and there that can help you. If you want to start consultations, you've already given out her number, you can check her out, give them a call, email, et cetera, and get her some amazing services. We take a very short break. We come back with the rest of the programming on that hashtag, why in the morning? Stick around.