+ WHY CELEBS ARE RUSHING TO DO BUSINESS WITH US
An interior design expert and upwardly mobile professional, Adegboyega Adekoya runs one of Nigeria’s most unique design
schools called, The Finish Academy where students are trained in the art
of interior design. His clientele cuts across different strata of the society.
He gave City People’s Kelechi
Okorie an insight into how he runs his business.
What does design mean to you?
For me, design is a tangible expression of life and the vibrancy
of it. Only the living care about culture, style, habits, routine and so on so
whatever anyone does to enhance or magnify their lifestyle or living in so much
that everyone can see, feel or even perceive is to me, design.
When it comes to people’s spaces, at what point would you suggest
professional intervention?
I know a client needs help when there are so many great but
scattered ideas so much that some don’t even fit at all. Some clients we have
had legit thought they had it all figured out conceptually, got started and
before getting midway they just run to us. It’s really our job to make sure
that our clients’ thoughts are coordinated to make for functionality as much as
for aesthetics from paper to actual finish.
How long have you been an Interior Designer?
Unofficially, I started 8 years ago but we launched fully into the
practice as a company in 2016 and since then we’ve had no reason
to look back.
How would you say the industry gets it right or wrong at the
moment in Nigeria?
We’re really still trying
to find our feet in Nigeria, a lot of people are becoming aware
of our trade and it’s almost the same in many other countries. A lot of practitioners
like me are just running businesses on their own terms most times without legal
protection, but we would make greater impact if there was some industry
regulation which of course starts with recognising the Interior design
profession as an actual Industry and not just part of the larger real estate
sector.
What triggered the birth of The Finish Academy and what are its
unique offerings?
The motto of the academy is raising design intelligent
professionals. From my survey, I found out that many people who say they are
into our business, respectfully speaking are either not thorough with their job
or are not smart with it. We thought that as a company we can share so much in
knowledge from our experiences over the years, so we decided to let young people
who are passionate as we are about creating amazing spaces get a chance at
learning thoroughly the theoretical and more importantly the practical aspects
of the trade and then giving them almost all of our tricks to survival in the
business.
What class of interior designers is it targeted at?
From complete novices to architects who desire to delve into the
business of interior design; our major requirement is passion. The Finish
Academy has the basic program which caters for people who have had no
experience at all with handling interior design projects; this helps them to
understand what we do, why we do it and how it gets done. Our goal for the
basic course is that students can start their own little practice with even the
basic knowledge. We also have the intermediate program which allows those who
have had some experience for example artisans who have over the years worked
with interior designers as well as people who have interned, to deepen their
knowledge with more practical techniques and business hacks. Also, those who
opt for the intermediate classes would learn a lot about the financials and
legal aspects of the trade. The goal is to help them get to that level when
they’re comfortable and confident getting the big clients and making big
profit. Lastly we have the advanced program and that’s just strict tool and
technique training for those who want to be proficient in the various software
used in interior design, of course those who are eligible to be in the program
are those who have previous knowledge in town planning, architecture,
engineering and so on. Our students who have passed the basic and intermediate
courses are also eligible to join the program as they would have gathered
enough exposure to accommodate all that would be taught in the advanced
program.
What edge does a four walled school have to offer in a world of
where information is easily?
Being in a four walled environment first of all pulls you away
from your comfort zone. In interior design, you have to be up, about and doing,
it’s not a particularly chilled profession and we’re not going to portray it
that way. We feel the need to expose the students to real life cases and
projects and you can’t possibly have that experience in the comfort of your bed
at home. So yes it is very important for students to get away from home and
come to class on project site or class the lecture room.
What can students expect to learn?
Simply all that we know and we know a lot. We know that after
their time in the Academy and they leave to start their practice,
they’re going to have the zeal and zest that we exhibit here at The
Finish Limited.
How would you describe the relevance of this academy to the
interior design space today?
It’s a fresh inject of intelligent designers into the industry who
would form a league of superior talents that would be the most sort after.
What’s the big picture looking like for the academy?
In the near future I see in The Finish Academy the
biggest and the best interior design school in the whole of Nigeria and
indeed West Africa, with a larger space and full accreditation as
a diploma awarding institution.
2 Comments
I'm delighted to be associated with your Academy. Having gone through the literature and business scope embedded in your vision and mission perspectives, I'm of the opinion that The Sky is your limit.
ReplyDeleteI wish you and your budding Academy a lasting competitive edge.
My name is Adedeji Nasir Adekoya... [email protected]
ReplyDelete