A Day in the Life: Emily Eby

University of Westminster’s MA Interior Design graduate, Emily Eby, is the brain behind one of London’s most accessible and affordable online interior design services, NUA Design.

Inspired by “new beginnings,” the Tier 1 graduate entrepreneur on the Creative Enterprise Centre (CEC) Venture Accelerator programme who launched her startup business in January 2019, is bringing a fresh and creative approach to home décor by collaborating with the country’s next wave of design talent.

In this week’s feature interview, the 29-year-old explains how she is using her newfound platform to help movers and home-buyers decorate beautifully on a budget.

Without further ado, let’s tap into a day in the life of Emily Eby.

My alarm goes off at…

6:30am. Sometimes I attend early morning yoga class between 6:45 and 8am, depending on when they start. My day is usually a combination between working from home and coming in to the University for Westminster to use the space at the CEC.

What are you responsible for within your role?

We’re currently running our initial test projects and doing a lot of one-to-one attention with our clients and customers.

I have a list of interested designers who want to partner with us. When I need feedback from a designer’s perspective about our services or the platform, I’ll schedule a meeting with them. Once we get to the point where we have a good enough stream of projects coming in, then we’ll actually hire out different designers but at the moment I’m doing all of the work on my own.

Why did you launch NUA Design?

Whilst studying in London, I networked with a lot of people who were moving in or to London or purchasing their first home. Most people found the process of decorating and budgeting quite overwhelming and didn’t even know where to start nor about the products that were available.

This enabled me to come up with the idea for people who didn’t have high-end budget yet still appreciated style and good design but within their own timeframe and budget. We are creating a new space for those consumers.

The story behind the brand is really all about new beginnings. We are working with emerging interior designers who are in need of their first break, and we’re bring together movers to help people who are new to a place or someone who has their first home and are starting the beginning of that journey.

How has the start-up journey been since?

Very exciting! It’s been amazing to see in the last four months how much we’ve been able to do. We are getting to the point where we’ll be managing and completing projects and be in the position to be marketing and scaling, so that we can bring in a full team of designers and help them to launch their career in interior design.

How has the CEC helped you throughout your startup journey?

The CEC has been incredibly helpful prepping and embarking on my entrepreneurial journey. I don’t have a business background so I have relied heavily on the CEC Skills Labs workshops, training and mentorship to learn the ins and outs of what it takes to start a business.

What advice would you give to budding entrepreneurs?

Try to do as much as you can without thinking about funding. There’s a lot you can do on your own for free.

What time do you clock off work?

Every day is different. Last week, I clocked out at 10:30pm. Once a week, I try to attend networking or gallery events to keep up with what’s current in the interior design industry and the art scene. Most days, I go to bed around midnight.

The best part of my job is…

The autonomy. Currently it’s just me and I don’t have a team; therefore, I am in a position to help build, nurture and grow NUA Design into whatever I see fit.

What is the worst part of your job?

Sometimes, only having myself can be difficult because I’m limited to my own knowledge, skillset and expertise.

If I wasn’t the founder of NUA Design, I would be…

A student again. I’d love to go back to school and learn something completely new. Either that or do something still related to textiles but making artwork pieces out of textiles for the interiors.

Do you have a business idea you want to develop? Click here to start your student enterprise journey today.