Today we’d like to introduce you to Chloe May.
Hi Chloe, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
When I was a kid, I was naturally observant and curious. I paid attention to everything around me like a little detective, especially the environments I was in. I’d walk into a space and immediately feel something, and I’d wonder why. Why did some make me feel comfortable or inspired while others left me feeling stiff or out of place? It wasn’t until I discovered interior design that I was able to answer those questions.
I started Hisako Design while working as a television producer in Los Angeles. It was a career I had worked hard to build, but eventually it just wasn’t fulfilling me anymore. So I started asking myself what path I would choose if I were starting from scratch, if degrees and traditional experience didn’t matter, if I could just follow my childlike curiosity. I kept coming back to design, every time. So I decided to give it a real shot.
The business is named after my great-grandmother, Hisako, who I was also named after. She was a gifted Ikebana artist and a maker in every sense of the word, endlessly creative, deeply skilled, someone who brought beauty into everything around her. I think a lot of my appreciation for aesthetics and craftsmanship comes from her, so naming the company after her felt really meaningful.
I taught myself the basics: color theory, composition, space planning. I checked out stacks of books from the library, visited museums and house tours around Los Angeles, took an architecture history class at UCLA on week nights, and spent my weekends at estate sales and flea markets learning about materials, craftsmanship, and sourcing.
I’ve always loved vintage objects and thrifting, long before I ever thought of it as part of a career. I can spend hours at a flea market without noticing time pass. There’s something about finding a piece that has already lived a life and imagining what it could become again in a new space. I love learning the history behind objects, talking to the people who collect and sell them, and giving things a second life. Looking back, it makes sense that sourcing became such a natural part of what I do.
For a few years, I kept my business on the side while working in television. Then at the beginning of 2026, I decided to go all in. It was a huge leap. I had no idea what I was doing at the time, but I wanted to take a risk on something I cared about deeply and reconnect with that sense of imagination and creativity I had as a kid. I’m so glad I did.
Today I work as an interior stylist and the founder of Hisako Design. I do everything from design concept to floor plan, sourcing and styling, for both residential and commercial spaces. I help people get out of decision paralysis when it comes to designing their space, or simply layering in more personality and character through intentional, story-driven pieces. I specialize in eclectic interiors that mix eras, styles, and materials in a way that feels collected over time. No two projects ever look the same. I love bringing in pieces with history and character, objects that spark curiosity and tell a story. More than anything my work is about how a space makes people feel. Our environments shape our mood, our ability to relax, and our sense of belonging, and I think most people feel that without ever being able to name it. My job is to help them name it, and then actually make it happen in their space.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has definitely been bumpy! Starting from scratch in an industry you’re self-taught in is humbling in ways I didn’t fully anticipate. There’s so much to know: design history, drafting, materials, how to actually run a business. And when clients are trusting you with their homes or commercial spaces, you feel that weight. In the beginning I put a lot of pressure on myself to be “perfect,” to already have an impressive roster of clients and a polished resume before I felt like I had the right to believe in myself. I had to remind myself that I was still learning and that was okay.
Working for yourself is hard in a specific way because you become your own harshest critic. You decide your own worth, and for someone like me who tends toward perfectionism, allowing myself to make mistakes and grow through them took real effort. Setting prices was its own challenge. Figuring out what my time and skills were worth is something I think anyone starting a business can relate to.
The first few months I never really knew when the next client would come. But I kept going. I had to trust that the work I was putting in would eventually find the right people, and that they would find me. It took a lot of patience, a lot of adapting, and honestly a healthy dose of delusional optimism, which I’ve come to think is actually a necessary ingredient when you’re building something from nothing.
As you know, we’re big fans of Hisako Design. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
What sets Hisako Design apart is how personal my approach is. Before I think about a single piece of furniture or a color palette, I want to understand the person I’m working with. How do they live? How do they want to feel when they walk through their front door? A lot of people come to me stuck in decision paralysis, not because they have bad taste, but because they don’t yet have the language or the confidence to trust it. That’s my favorite thing to help with.
I put my clients in the driver’s seat. I’m just there to support them, translate their vision, and get them excited about what’s possible. There’s a real psychological side to interior design that doesn’t get talked about enough. Our spaces have a direct impact on how we decompress, how safe we feel, how we show up in our lives. I take that seriously, and I genuinely love the process of figuring that out with someone.
I’m drawn to spaces that feel personal, layered, and lived-in. The kind of room where everything has a story and nothing looks like it was bought all at once. I work with modest budgets, I get creative, I thrift, I source, and I genuinely love the hunt. Finding a piece with history and character and knowing exactly where it belongs in someone’s home is one of my favorite things about this work.
On the practical side, I work with clients both virtually and in-person in Austin, TX. Every project includes a full design vision: moodboard, color palette, materials direction, and specific product links so clients can shop directly without having to figure anything out on their own. My goal is to make the process feel like an exciting collaboration, rather than a stressful to-do list.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
So many things. Spending time in nature, moving my body, being with people I love. I’m a chronic hobbyist. In my late twenties, I’ve taught myself how to skateboard, surf, crochet, use nunchucks, two-step, do a handstand. If there’s something to learn I want to try it, which I think goes back to that same natural curiosity I’ve had since I was a kid. I play guitar and ukulele, I sing, and I genuinely believe in the importance of just frolicking. Doing fun things with good people is pretty much my love language!
Pricing:
- 30 Min Virtual Consultation: $150
- Room Refresh Design Package: $500
- Full Room Design Package: $750
- Sourcing Hourly Work: $75/hr (2 hour minimum)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hisakodesign.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hisakodesign/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Hisako-Design-100093021161628/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@hisakodesign
