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A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design  Business Podcast

1191: BEST OF SHOW: Park & Oak Interior Design: From the Park Bench to Luxury Design Firm in 3 Years

A Well-Designed Business® | Interior Design Business Podcast

LuAnn Nigara

Arts, Design, Business

4.9810 Ratings

🗓️ 12 May 2026

⏱️ 73 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Welcome to the show! We have Christina Samatas and Renee DiSanto, the founders of Park and Oak Interior Design Studio, located in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, with us today. These ladies work on new construction, renovation, and furnishing projects across the US, and you may even know them from their Instagram, with 130 000 followers. The way that they handle themselves and speak about their firm really conveys the confidence that they have in what they’re doing. And the success they’ve had in their first three years in business is not at all typical. In today’s episode, Renee and Christina pull back the curtain and boldly share with us their experiences and the lessons they have learned over the last three years. Listen in today, to find out what they have to share. Christina Samatas and Renee DiSanto founded the Park & Oak interior design studio in 2015. They are known for creating homes that are visually stunning, yet functional and comfortable. Their work, rooted in the art of timeless style, is driven by the belief that design can be used to create feelings of comfort and happiness. It combines the best of their individual aesthetics for a unique look. Christina and Renee have a creative energy that is engaging to work with. Using beautiful and unexpected sources of inspiration, they work collaboratively with clients to create spaces that thoughtfully honor the spirit and traditions of their owner. Tune in now for more! Show Highlights: Renee and Christina talk about what each of them brought to the table when they started out, and about what attracted them to each other, as business partners. Some of the one-year and five-year goals that they established when first starting out. Renee and Christina’s approach to the individual roles that they have in the business. Renee describes the really special way that she and Christina work together. From a park bench to a studio. The first person that they hired was a bookkeeper. What kept them powering through in the beginning, when they were sacrificing a lot and there were many challenges to face. Struggling with balancing family life and business. It took some time to bring their really awesome team together. In year two, they experienced a turning point in the business. They use a finite system to prevent problems and execute their projects efficiently. Learning from their mistakes and gaining the courage to stand up for themselves. Creating the right systems, in order to protect themselves. There’s really a lot going on behind the scenes too. How they find the time to keep their systems in order and their projects running smoothly. Renee is behind their really impressive Instagram following. Links: Park And Oak Facebook: Park And Oak Design Twitter: Park And Oak Instagram: Park And Oak Design Pinterest: Park And Oak

Transcript

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0:00.0

Welcome to a well-designed business. My name is Luann Nygaara, and I'm so glad you found this podcast.

0:15.8

Together with my husband, Vince, and our partner, Bill, we have grown our company Window Works from the ground up.

0:21.5

So I know and I understand the challenges you face in running your interior design business.

0:27.9

I also know that your talent alone isn't enough to ensure your success. So on this podcast,

0:34.1

we talk about strategies and practical steps to help you grow your business.

0:39.3

But make no mistake about it, we have our share of fun here too, mixed in with those aha

0:44.3

moments that I love so much. This isn't fluff. Nobody has time for that. Whether you are a new

0:50.3

interior designer or a season designer, I am here to help you create and to manage the kind

0:56.1

of interior design firm that you dream of. It's straight talk and its action. Are you ready?

1:01.8

Let's get started. Hi, welcome to a well-designed business. Before we get into today's episode,

1:09.3

I want to let you know that we're doing something a little different over the next several months. We're bringing back the most

1:14.2

downloaded, the most talked about episodes from the last nine years of a well-designed business.

1:20.0

These are the episodes that built businesses that sparked aha moments that turned you

1:26.0

into an action taker.

1:27.9

Now, if you're wondering why we're revisiting these episodes and what's changing with the show

1:32.6

overall, well, I walk you through the full vision in our April 25th, 2025 episode titled

1:39.7

The Big Shift, what's changing on a well-designed business and why.

1:45.8

That episode is linked for you in the show notes. Now, a quick heads up. These episodes are airing as they originally did.

1:52.6

That means the music might sound familiar or it might be vintage. That means the event dates

1:57.5

will definitely be out of date that I talk about, and it also means that

2:01.5

any offers that are mentioned may or may not be valid still. But the insights still golden.

2:08.6

So whether it's your first time hearing this episode or your fifth time hearing it,

...

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