Design isn’t a skill I learned in a corporate boardroom; it is a language passed down to me by a lineage of brilliant matriarchs. Growing up in Armenia, standard interior design resources simply didn't exist, but my mother, my aunts, and my grandmothers shared a relentless, out-of-the-box drive to achieve the beauty they desired. They didn't just decorate; they cultivated energy. They hunted down unique artifacts across borders and poured fierce intention into every corner, turning spaces and family meals into an artistic, immersive experiences. They taught me that an inspiring room isn't bought—it's crafted. When we moved to USA into a bare-bones apartment, my mother handed me a tiny budget and that exact same creative mandate. I learned to drape fabric on walls and make my own art to completely shift the mood of the room. Because of the women who raised me, I understood from a very young age that our environments deeply affect how we feel even it we may not be aware of that. And that a home is a living storyteller built from personality, grit, and imagination.

For twenty years, I channeled that relentless creative drive into a successful career as an Executive Creative Director in pharmaceutical advertising. But as I continued to obsessively design my own home and turn mundane family dinners into highly curated, themed experiences, a truth became impossible to ignore: life is simply too short to relegate your deepest, soul-feeding passion to a side project. I realized I needed to give my true calling the exact same importance I was giving to my executive career. So, I walked away from the agency world to build Studio Shakarian.

Today, I do for others what the women in my family taught me to do from the beginning: craft intentional, deeply personal environments, turning houses into homes and dinners into unforgettable experiences.