When Nalini Tandon was a business student at Purdue University, she focused on marketing. “While my friends all majored in finance and accounting, I knew I was meant to do something more creative,” Nalini recalls. She hoped to work for an ad agency, but was offered a retail buyer position after graduation. “I was tasked with creating a home decor department… I loved it! I went on to various other positions, including product development and furniture design.”
A native of Detroit, Nalini moved around for a good part of her life, mostly living and working in the Midwest and the Northeast. After spending the first part of her career in marketing and product development in corporate America, she realized her dream of owning a business, and found her true passion in interior decorating. “I truly love working with people and helping them bring their vision to life,” Nalini said. “I combined this with the joy of decorating, and a perfect match was made.”
In 2010, Nalini and her husband moved from New Jersey to Potomac Falls, VA, to be closer to family and friends. She’s also now the busy mom of two young boys who “love to wrestle, play football, and generally tear up our home.” Nalini jokes that since she can’t have anything nice at her house, she loves decorating everyone else’s.
Nalini believes the most unique part of her business is that she really gets to know her clients. “It isn’t just about painting a wall or selecting furniture, but rather more about getting to know who they are and how to best make their home a reflection of them,” Nalini says. “I like to create a very personal experience for each client. I am very mindful of how much they want to invest, how they live and what makes them feel good. I can adapt to all types of styles and budgets because I have access to a very wide variety of suppliers. People often ask me ‘What is your decorating style?’ The answer is that I don’t really have one. I design to fit the client.”
Whether you’re thinking of a small project to perk up a room, or a whole-house redo, Nalini’s best advice is not to be too intimidated to call an interior decorator. “A lot of times, people think a decorator will be too expensive or too fancy for them,” says Nalini. “But decorators can not only save you time, they can also save you from decorating mistakes that may ultimately cost you more money. Take it one room at a time, develop a design plan, and execute that plan as time and budget allows you to. Rushing to ‘get it done’ can leave you feeling unhappy with the finished room(s).”
All initial consultations with Interiors by Nalini are complimentary, and she makes house calls. “I come to the client and show them the design plans in their home so they can see how things look in their space,” Nalini says. “I can do paint consultations, and I offer everything from floor covering to furniture and custom window treatments.”
To learn more, visit www.nalini. decoratingden.com, or contact Nalini at Nalinidecden@gmail.com or 703-345-8285.
