Le Dimora A Formula for Good Interior Designs

Emily Dickinson, a poet and New England mystic, once stated, "Where thou art, that is home." When naming their brand, ‘Le Dimora’ – meaning ‘the home’ in Italian, one can easily conclude that founders Maria Barry and Cindy Cerenzie knew exactly what they were doing when they launched in 2007. What began as two friendly neighbors from Santaluz soon developed into one of the most sought after interior design firms in Southern California.

Their genuinely warm approach with their clientele, coupled with their combined industry acumen and design savvy, is the basis for their brand. With 11 staff members — boasting seven interior designers, and a newly expanded 11,000 square foot showroom, one might wonder how it is possible that LeDimora has flourished given the current market status. Simple, one mathematic equation: Maria Barry plus Cindy Cerenzie.

Barry has over 27 years of experience in interior design, having partnered with a number of builders, developers and architects throughout the San Diego region – not to mention a number of projects both nationally and internationally as well. With an unerring eye for detail and sense of style, Barry’s designs – while project and client specific – demonstrates the marriage of casual elegance and timelessness; a union that highlights both natural lighting and an indoor-outdoor flow in the home. In fact, recent projects have included new developments within Rancho Santa Fe and surrounding communities.

Cerenzie, on the other hand, holds a strong background in engineering; as such, it explains the cohesiveness to the team’s success. As managing operator at Le Dimora, Cerenzie organizes, manages and provides a streamline effect to the many design projects, while overseeing the showroom in Fairbanks as well.

Barry and Cerenzie recently spoke with Fine Magazine about their growing business, passion for design and how it all began.

FINE Magazine: When did your passion for designing and decorating develop?

Barry: I have been an interior designer for 27 years. I wanted to be in the design field for as long as I can remember. As a child, I don’t think I had any other dreams. My dad always pushed me to go into medicine. I love working with people, but I’d much rather create something beautiful.

FINE: Cindy, unlike Maria, your background is not design-based. How do think your experience has added to the success of Le Dimora?

Cerenzie: Engineering school helps a person to develop certain skills that have been invaluable to develop and build a small business, such as time management, logical thinking, planning and organizational skills and attention to detail, to name a few. That technical background gave me the visibility to create the infrastructure that built Le Dimora from the ground up. I’ve been told that a large percentage of company CEO’s have engineering degrees.

FINE: Why do you think that Le Dimora has flourished during these challenging economic times – even expanding your showroom?

Barry: We expanded our showroom last year. I think we have the right formula for success. We have a fantastic location; proximity to our clients is so important. We have a great mix of styles, options, services and price points. But in my opinion, our most important attribute is our customer service. Our clients love coming into the store. The "experience is everything."

FINE: How did your partnership and business collaboration begin?

Cerenzie: Maria and I moved into a new housing development at the same time and met shortly after. When Maria’s interior design business started booming she asked me to help her out. I started doing all of the office work for her and we recognized we were a really good team. A small shopping area was being constructed about a mile from our home; we leased a 1,500 square foot space and opened Le Dimora in late 2005. Initially, the bulk of our business was working with local builders to fully furnish large specification homes that were marketed and sold with all of the furniture in them. Over the last few years, we have really built up our residential clientele with seven talented designers on staff as well as a window treatment specialist.

FINE: Why do you think your business formula for Le Dimora has been so successful?

Cerenzie: I think having an engineer and designer, left brain/right brain, working together has been a big part of our success. We each have strengths that complement each other very well and bring the best out in Le Dimora. She knows she can count on me and trusts my decisions and I know the same about her. That, along with a lot of time and energy and a great staff, is the basis for our success. Our designers and office staff are second to none. We have been really particular about the people we’ve brought in to work with us, the chemistry is really important and the key to a great work environment. All of the designers have a keen eye for scale, color and style of the home, and they all work with one another to bring a collaboration of ideas to every job.

FINE: After you have worked with a client and see their vision combined with your talents in design, what is it like seeing the finished project for the first time?

Barry: The feeling I get when a project is completed is so overwhelming. It’s a fabulous feeling to see what I have created with my clients. It is especially rewarding when we deliver a whole room or a whole house at one time. When we walk out, the furniture is placed, the pictures and artwork are hung, the plants are delivered and the accessorizing is the icing on the cake!

Fine LeDimora online at: ledimora.com

Written By Machel Penn Shull