Builder vs. Designer Showdown: Who’s in Charge? With Gil Berkovich Interiors
When it comes to construction, the question of “who’s in charge?” isn’t always straightforward.
In this episode of the Builder Blueprint Podcast, we sit down with interior designer Gil Berkovich to explore the dynamic between designer and builder—and why collaboration is critical to a successful project.
Through real project experiences, we discuss what happens when plans aren’t followed, how unexpected site conditions impact design, and why clear communication is the foundation of every well-executed build.
The takeaway is simple: great projects aren’t about control—they’re about alignment, trust, and problem-solving.
Transcript
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I was hired by the clients and they paid me to do my job and I did the design and I did all the drawings and all the specifications and then they hired this GC and the GC didn't even bother to look at my drawings. >> Oh, >> and then the execution was obviously not as successful as we planned it to be. >> Well, hello. Uh today on the Builder Blueprint podcast, we are having a special guest. Uh her name is Gil Berkovich with Gil Berkovich Interior. She's also happened to be my wife, uh my
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very best friend, my partner in crime and business. Uh so welcome everybody. >> Hello. >> Gil is here. Uh >> thanks for having me. >> You're very welcome. So for today's episode uh we will try and talk about project management in terms of ownership almost in a way right so who is responsible for the job site is that the builder is that the designer that got the vision for the build is that the builder actually swinging hammer and building the project it's a big topic
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big discussion uh that we'll try and break down set one for good and here we are so Gil welcome Thank you. >> How was your day? How is How is everything in Southern California for you? >> It's fabulous. >> How is home? How is it? >> Everything is is just so great and I'm so thankful for that. >> Amazing. >> Yeah. >> So, before we start, just to tell you a bit about Gil. Uh you know, she's she's having her own practice in interior design. Uh
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graduated Columbia College. Chicago interior architecture. Um, and >> yeah, I earned a BFA. >> BFA and under her belt, uh, she got pretty amazing projects, usually on the higher-end side of things and, uh, we did work together multiple times. So, a lot of our projects are common, some of them are not, but a lot of them are common. So, I think this topic today, uh, is touching us in in so many ways. Uh, and I'm very excited about it. So, >> likewise. >> Cool. Gil, tell me a bit about yourself. Tell
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me about your journey. Uh, from, you know, the moment you kind of decided to be an interior designer to today. So, ever since I remember myself, I knew that this is my passion and um I always loved rearranging furniture and and um thinking about, you know, I used to go into a room as a child thinking about, oh, what what if I could take down this wall or put a new wall instead. And oh, this would be so much better. This could make this space so much better. And so I've always had the passion and um
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luckily enough um when we moved to Chicago, I've had the opportunity to pursue and um go to school and I started in a community college and then I uh transferred to Columbia College Chicago for a BFA in interior architecture. And it was pretty natural to me. It was a no-brainer to me that this is what I want to do and this is my passion and I love it. Sometimes I hate it, but um I love it and I'm grateful to be able to work in what I love to do the most. >> Yeah, that's so beautiful. Um then
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Chicago, you're uh working for some interior design firms. Um tell tell us a bit more about your journey there. So, I've worked for um some residential firms uh in Chicago and um it was a great practice and the last designer I worked for was really awesome and she just kind of like let me fly and let me do my thing. So, I'm really really grateful grateful for that and I I'm in touch with her until today. And um yeah, it was it was it was hard, but it was really re rewarding and really
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important to >> shout out to Anna Knight for partner. >> Shout out to Anna Knight Interiors um from Chicago. She is just awesome, amazing. you or if you're ever listening to the podcast, thank you for, >> you know, helping Gil and in a way helping us kind of >> uh climb up the ladder of >> right, >> you know, professionalism and career. >> I love her. >> And then uh off the races, you go to San Diego, which is a big change in your career. That's where you kind of uh
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pursue your dreams and you become a real successful interior designer. Tell me about that. So when we moved to San Diego after COVID hit and you kind of like decided that we're taking oursel the dog and driving here. >> Sorry. >> Um which I'm not complaining about. >> Um I've decided that it's time to start my own business and I just went for it and here I am. >> Cool. >> Doing my own thing. So um well we can we can talk about your career forever as a side observer and as
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a partner in a way uh I I'm overly impressed with what you got for yourself in such a short period of time and um even me personally you you've added so many so so much value to me and my business as a builder so as a company by uh directing us in a way towards the high-end niche and showing us that everything is really possible and you we can execute every crazy design you had in your brain. You got a couple really interesting ones for sure. Um and what brings me to talk about the relationship
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between an interior designer and a builder more in particular interior designer. So tell me a bit about that. how you know what what what is that what what's that looks like for you as a designer to collaborate with builders and you know just maybe open our eyes to that a little bit >> well first of all we have to right we have to collaborate with builders I'm not a builder I'm not interested in that role so it is a given situation um that we need someone to turn our dreams and our vision into reality. Um,
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and the key is communication. >> Yeah. In my opinion, I'm sure in all of the designers opinion because we need to put the benefit of the project, the benefit of the client in particular and and you know how we want everything to turn out. We need to put that first, >> right? So I guess that leads us to the biggest question uh of today's episode and who is in charge you know it's really confusing I I can tell I can speak for myself that sometimes even I cannot explain to the client who's in charge in
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in in every given moment of the project but you know obviously when the design starts then it's more of you and the architect kind of taking over designing the builder is value engineering and stepping in when when he when his knowledge is needed and his experience is needed but then the project starts and you do have a PM to deal with and you do have you know general contractor deal with multiple different subs who's in charge >> so here as well my um based on my practice and what I've
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learned it's it's a mutual responsibility so first and foremost it is it is my responsibility to create and to serve all the construction drawings or builder set for you. Um, and to make sure you know all the details and you know everything that we're designing and that you have everything you need from me, whether it's the set, all the drawings, all the specifications, the FFN h all the details. It's my responsibility to make sure I give everything to you. And then once you have it,
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you're in charge to make that. You're in charge to execute, but it's also my responsibility to do site visits and to make sure to ensure that everything is being executed as planned. >> You kind of touched that, you know, site visits and and all that. And I'm sure the collaboration between we both know it right the collaboration between interior designer and builder can be sometimes challenging uh in a way that especially when it comes to finishes to the finish line the less 30% of the
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project once everything is roughed in ready to go and to see all of your beautiful finishes get getting installed then you're coming to site and it's not always your wished 100% dream Um, and there's a builder on the other side, right, that is trying to go and manage a business. And yes, you're we're trying to get to 100, but sometimes you need to make decisions on the fly. Uh, how do you manage the energy between stepping too hard and still not giving up on the plan as you want it? Like what is what
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is the balance? What is the line? Because, you know, at the end of the day, it's not an IKEA product. It's not that you're building it. It's a standalone product and it's easy to understand how it's going to look like. It's it's a lot of different variables, >> right? I think this that this is a really good question. I believe so. We always have challenges and oftent times in reality things don't get executed like we envisioned them to, right? So we have the set of plans that we worked so
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hard on and sometimes in reality things needs to shift. Sometimes you you know you open the walls and you discover unexpected beams or support or plumbing or things need to change and then it is my role to step in, communicate with you and see what the solution is because at the end of the day we're problem solvers, right? And it is our responsibility to let the client know that, hey, this is happening right now. And it's a bummer, but we're here with a solution. And we're not we won't stuck. We're moving
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forward. We're talking about solutions and with the right collaboration with which I feel often times this is the case when I'm working with Soho we're brainstorming we have a solution or multiple solutions we're proposing it to the client and we're moving forward to the next step to to the next phase to the next problem. >> Okay. Well well said. Um I think we kind of touched that topic in you know from my above and we can talk about it forever. Uh but do you think that
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interior designers um do understand uh the realities of construction for the most part? >> For the most part. Yeah. Yes. But not always. You know, sometimes we have a vision and and we don't always know how to execute it. We we're not always 100% into like the details of >> what it needs to what it takes to to make that happen. >> Can you give me like a good example of one thing that is like really hard to execute that you come over you came over to your contractor or me or a different
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guy. It doesn't matter. Hopefully me give me a couple of points but doesn't matter. Uh and >> with you it's actually easy. >> Really? Thank you. >> Cuz we're always talking about it. Just worried about my life and >> kind of kind of thing. >> Yeah. >> Uh but you know, tell me, give me like one example or run through one scenario that you thought something is really simple and you planned for it and it was like, "Oh, that's perfect. This is how
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it's going to look like." And then in reality, it just wasn't the case. It was And if you don't have anything on on top of your of your mind, that's okay. I mean I have I >> sometimes it's around supporting heavy stones >> you know making you know I have you know I designed like this beautiful fireplace mental it's floating and it's >> like a super amazing piece of natural stone um but it's extremely heavy. >> Yeah. And then the entire design is
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changing and you need to open up the wall and you need to make sure you have the support needed and you need to make make sure it's safe. And you know it's not all about us coming up with this fabulous idea. Someone need to make sure that piece of stone will hold >> right. >> Yeah. >> The way I see it as well is if you are in an early relationship and the relationship is good and it's close between the uh interior designer and the builder and the builder understands the
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scope from the get-go. It's just easier to plan for it and uh to notify or to explore what because everything you can build everything right you can build spaceships you can build whatever you want you can build stadiums so definitely you can support a heavy stone um I guess >> right it's a matter of time sources costs >> the client need to be needs to be aware the clients needs to be aware to everything it takes to execute those wonderful ideas. But yes, with you guys, we're always
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meeting before construction starts. We're reviewing all the details. And I am here as the designer to hold your hand and to make sure that you have everything you need for me >> or just to watch sunset. >> Anyways, the uh I I got to be that guy, you know? That's that's that's real me. Uh now when when we talk about you know the difficulties in execution and you know you talked about heavy stones but it can be in different you know different part parts of the projects of the project
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sorry um >> what is happening to that lovely GC if he decides to take a decision without consulting you means that the design >> he's going to be in a really big problem. >> I'm going to be really mad. >> Yeah. and frustrated >> and the design will be compromised oftent times. Yeah. I I I really don't want the GC to take any decision without me if it's a design related decision. Um but almost every decision he will take will affect the design. So, >> do you feel like mo most contractors
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do appreciate the interior design part of their project or do you feel like they have some that just underestimating underestimating the uh the design? I think that the more high-end projects this builder is working on, the more he values having a designer by his side or her side. There are some GCs, women >> um and sometimes, you know, there are some GCs that don't really want us to be in their way. Yeah, >> this is also something that needs to be said because I do feel like that
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sometimes and it's unfortunate because it it happened to me before that uh I was hired by the clients and they paid me to do my job and I did the design and I did all the drawings and all the specifications and then they hired this GC and the GC didn't even bother to look at my drawings. Oh, >> and then the execution was obviously not as successful as we planned it to be. >> Well, guys, you know, if you're a GC and you're listening, if you're business uh model is to build yourself around
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high-end designs, you got to make sure that your inter interior designers are happy. But at the same time, think about your portfolio. You know, all the beautiful details they design will show up on your portfolio that goes with you. That's your digital asset. make sure to consult and come up on a solution together. Um let's talk about you know the job sites right you walk a job site and there is an unexpected situation there there's an unforeseen things are not as they plan to be uh on framing side on
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the MEP side doesn't matter what it is then you got to face you got to put down a fire okay let's put it that way right and a design detail >> cannot be executed the way you wished it will it will Now, what what what is like the first thing you do? Do you call the client? Do you call the GC? Do you What's you're talking to your sub? What is it that you do? >> So, my rule of thumb is to make sure I communicate with the builder or with the project manager and we discuss it thoroughly before
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bringing it up to the client. So the client hire they hired us, right? They I I love to keep them out of it. Out of the >> to what level? >> Panicking, you know, there sometimes I get into a panic mode, right? Like, oh my god, >> you >> me that's well that's me and and >> so what do you need? You're an interior designer running a project. The GC is it's not Soho, let's just call it X, >> you know. What do you need from them right now? you know, you got into a
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situation, it's it is the end of the world professionally for you. You're like, "Oh my god, >> this was my most important detail. This was my focal point." And >> exactly. You got there and it's not even close to what you want. >> I I I want that person to first be really honest and straight about the situation. I don't want to hear stories, you know? I don't want to hear, you know, I don't want them to maneuver things around. I I want to hear exactly
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what it is. I want, if possible, to hear about a possible solution. And I also want to have the ability to offer some solutions that I'm coming up with. And maybe this is something that we could do because sometimes I also have good um solutions to certain situations even >> though I don't have the knowledge that your project manager have but >> and then we're coming up to to to like >> what could be the best solution possible given this circumstances. Yeah, I think
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you're you touched it. But honesty, it's not it's not a one-way street. It it's not a one-way road. It is all the way up. Means that I'm facing something. I'm communicating that on, you know, in the most in the most honest way, your way. And we are going to communicate that on the most honest way to our clients and we're going to solve it on the most honest and fair way per our contracts because, you know, that's what we got hired for. You just said it ear earlier and that
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was the design. It was there. It was it was there from day one if you you missed the way got it need to get built and now you're you know we just had >> um well I'm not going to mention names but we had this countertop situation on our last very beautiful project. I don't know if you remember that with the outlets uh that there were to be honest they were cutting the freaking slab wrong for the wrong Oh yeah for the wrong outlet. It was a system 22 outlet, by the way. Beautiful,
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beautiful product. But they cut it for a traditional outlet and we caught it. We caught it. Me and you. We caught it. You know, um we're not hiding. We're not hiding behind behind >> after >> after being after it's been cut. >> Correct. And it is a new product. is a new newer product and the company is a great company doing fabrication for us and it was there but it was like a trio maybe four-way thing right between us the countertop guy the PM everybody kind of missed it maybe even the electrician
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like everybody got missed it a little bit because of was wrong yada yada >> it was also my fault it was everybody's fault it was everybody's fault so what was so now you're facing a really expensive slab and another fabrication and time. Now what? >> And you just need to make it all happen and you need to make sure um that the client is happy and not upset. And circling back to the question, this is how I love to work um and to communicate with my clients. I always prefer
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to speak with them once we have this solution which is the best possible solution and to explain to them also in a very honest and straightful way what have happened and what the solution is. >> Cool. So on on this particular situation by the way for for you to know uh the client just the only thing they got from us is hey we cut wrong we cutting it again we're buying whatever it we need to buy to cut it again and to make it right and the fabricators us and Gil kind of if I remember correctly but we
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somehow split the cost between us and we move forward and just adding to what we just said speed is is also a key if you're trying to scratch your head forever around every single detail without understanding that part of your business is losing some and winning some. You're just in the wrong industry on every project. Allocate 10% to situation that may occur. And the more complex design you're having, allocate more. >> Right? And often times in these situations, people can throw each other under the
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bus. Yeah, >> you know, when it when it comes to, >> you know, need to pay for mistakes, th this it could get tricky. Um, it's complex, but yeah, >> who do you want to be? You know, that that that is the real question. Do you want to maintain and retain the relationship? If you do want to maintain retain the relationship with the sub and designer, you must know that you need to find common ground. If you do not want to maintain that and if you don't care about the relationship then you can use
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a different approach but in our world there is more there is nothing more more important than keeping you happy. >> Mhm. >> You know so that's that's about it. Um yeah, so we kind of talked about you know what great contractor designer relationship looks like and um what is what is the biggest thing that makes a project successful? You just answered that. It is more like uh communication >> and >> it's all about communication >> and honesty um >> and managing expectations.
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>> Gil, what keeps you up at night, you know, when it comes to to work? >> All the things. >> All the things. list top three for me. >> Um, wow, that is a hard question. >> Yeah, it's I told him I told him >> there's so many things that that keeps me up at night. Um, honestly, well, this is all and this is also about me trying to get better about >> taking um overinking about problems or about potential problems. Um, what keeps me up at night? Um, if
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I'm facing a really big stone installation, >> that will keep you up at night. That's good. >> Yes. Um, if I've had an issue with the GC, >> that would keep me up at night. If um, the client is unhappy about something or is not happy about an installation, that would definitely keep me up at night. >> Yeah. Um and on the other like adding to that, what keeps you balanced? Like tell me about your uh life routine like what do you do for fun? What how do you maintain
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a healthy lifestyle that >> helps you go through the tough parts of life or of work? >> What do you do? How how you look really good. So what is what is >> what what what is your what is your secret uh spice? This is uh I don't know how professional that is. >> Oh, you should you know >> I Well, first first and foremost, I have my babies, >> my two girls. They bring the most joy to my life. They're my entire world. >> And this is also a part of me trying to
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stay away from thinking about work when I'm not at work, so I can really be with them. Um, for whoever knows me know that I after I've had our first daughter, >> I immediately went back to work, >> right? >> And I didn't took any leave and it affected me in a way that >> I wasn't present. >> I I I even when I was present, I my head was in a in a work zone. So now after I've had our second daughter, Ari, um I'm I'm I'm really trying to to
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be a good mother for them and that fills me with joy. So it's that and then taking care of myself, work out, eat healthy. >> Nice. and and really trying to keep that balance of work work life balance. >> Good social life, good relationships uh will keep you will keep your longevity for sure. >> And me >> and me. >> You >> my husband. >> You called me rock. >> Um and I think we're also trying to not talk about work all the time, which is also important. We can do a whole
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episode just about that because our first year >> marriage as a we were just a young young two professionals. So we thought it's really like cool talking about it but it just took over. Now we're really we were really trying to switch it. Um >> yeah, we're going back home and we're really trying to talk with our daughters, you know, because that's what they need. They don't need John and Marilyn and >> and David from work and all the sorry the BS they brought with them. They need
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us and our smiles and they do not understand anything else, >> right? >> Um, let me wrap things with our favorite um part of the show which is uh build it or bag it. And I kind of know most of the answers, but I'll run it super quick. We have one more minute left. >> You're going to answer. Yeah. >> Black houses. >> Love it. Love it. Love it. All day long. Our house is not black, but it's a very deep >> uh dark brown and we >> have it. We were living in it for four
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years now and I'm still loving it. I love it every day, all day, all day long. And um I also I'm going to add that it's very east coast Midwest in my opinion more than it is the west coast but I just love it so much. I love our dark house. >> Awesome. Uh I love black houses as well because you love it but I love it as well. Uh micro cement everything. Can I answer? >> Yes. >> No. Just no. >> Okay. That's fair. H I just have this one very particular experience with
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micro cement and since then I just hate micros doesn't matter what what happened it's gonna be the most beautiful micro cement I just had this client well no names again but the entire house was micro micros and there were a nightmare clients there were just a nightmare clients and um since ever since I'm just I just can't stand micros >> I also like there's something in me that feels like I know Here's my thing. If we need to do a concrete floor, then I just want to do the real thing, not
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>> like a porch slab. >> Yeah. I don't want to do a microcement. Yeah. I want to do concrete, but that's a whole different topic. >> I mean, you can find million ways to make your house feel more modern if you're a modern kind of person. >> I just hate to use materials. >> Expensive. >> It's like, wow, that was really expensive. It was like, yeah, >> like out of the door. $45 a square foot. It's just wow. That's not cheap. >> Yeah. I mean, it's a lot of labor.
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>> It's a lot of labor. I'm not big fan as well. Anyways, wet rooms, Gil, >> it really depends. It, you know, if a client is asking me to do a wet room cuz they're into wet rooms, then sure. >> It's just >> Yeah. Open shelving. >> I love open shelving. I >> really I thought you hate them. Oh my god, you've changed so much, Gil, in the past couple days. >> I mean, we always do shelving. I think I love enclosed storage, but I also like
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to be able to have some surfaces throughout the house. And I love to display art and personal um items and personal accessories and, you know, tell the story through a a family's accessories. So, I I like it. Yeah. >> Yeah. I like the story part. I think adds character to whatever. >> Yeah. >> Uh side note, we got a couple of open shelvings in our living room and I'm reorganizing them when I want some culture in and Gil is coming over and she's really mad and she's reorganizing
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them again. So, we got a really big fight around like two big shelves there >> and one day we'll have two more shelves and each one will get I'm just kidding. I'm just kidding. I I and I also like rearranging them every, you know, from time to time. >> Yeah, I got three more here, but I'm I'm going to select just one that I think worth discussing. Two kitchen islands. >> What do you think about two kitchen islands? >> Love. >> Love. So, let's do all white kitchen. Do
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you like all white kitchen? >> I'm No, no, no. >> That's it. >> I'm not doing any more white kitchens. >> TV over fireplace. I I mean >> we have to be realistic, right? >> Yeah. >> If you have two living rooms or a family room and a living room, then >> fine. We don't have to do a TV over the fireplace. But if this is your main gathering space, then if possible, if budget allows, then I would enclose it. I would hide it. Maybe that could be a
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good idea. That's what we did at one of our recent projects. >> Um, yeah, but we need to be realistic. >> Cool. Now, Gil, if you had yourself uh listening to this podcast >> five years ago, give yourself one golden advice. Can be can be anything. Can be something on a spiritual level. Can be something on a professional level. Can be a combination of both. give it to me. >> Things you know now you didn't know five years ago. >> Question that I wasn't prepared to.
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>> Yeah. >> Um stay positive, stay strong, stay calm. Don't let situations get under your skin and just be yourself. And also things get things tend to work out, you know, things tend to fall in their place. So it's all going to work out at the end. >> Mhm. >> It's all going to be fine. >> Amazing. Well, thank you very much. >> Thanks for having me. Um, >> I can go on and on and on and just keep talking forever about design. >> I totally going to like it.
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>> Construction and you know who's in charge. I love that. >> Yeah. Yeah. Podcasting is just a great platform to filter and to talk. It's our >> It's like a therapy. That's That is correct. And it's also very important, you know, because we have big plans for the podcast, but it's really important for us young professionals to share proms, wins, loss, you know, everything we had or planning to do with our audience because I think the industry is kind of small and the end client
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deserves more. And also anyway, we're talking about it so much between us about the relationship and how things work and >> um and I have to say that I think that >> having you know if I'm looking at you the fact that you're married to a designer >> I believe that that gives you a certain perspective that other GCs don't have. >> I believe that you always see the other side. >> I do. Thank you. >> Thank you.