ERIK R. GALIANA
FLORIDA OFFICE
“Do what you love, love what you do.” Erik R. Galiana is someone who loves what he does. He humbly admits that his career started with a single house-warming party he threw over 20 years ago after moving back to NYC. Acquiring three jobs that very night, he decided to go back to school at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale to hone his skills and to learn the few things that didn't already come naturally. Today he works with a host of clients including celebrities, sports figures, real estate developers and a variety of other clients who repeatedly seek him out home after home.
Although, the majority of his private clients continue to be in NYC and South Florida, his work has also taken him to such locales as Chicago, Park City, Utah, Southern California, even as far as Panama and Cape Town, South Africa. Erik describes his own style as "warm modern with an eclectic twist", but his motto is "my job isn't to give you the home that I want you to have, it's to help you design the dream home that you desire and keep you from making mistakes in the process."
Erik always surrounds himself with proven and experienced teams, ensuring that multiple jobs can stay both on deadline and budget. He jokes that he must be the only one he knows, who actually tries to get his clients to spend less rather than more. Often his favorite ideas are ones that don’t have to cost very much, but give "a lot of bang for the buck."
JOANNA TESINY
Partner / Senior Designer
New York City Office
Joanna Tesiny is a talented designer, having earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Interior Design from The Art Institute Philadelphia. Her eye for color, space, and texture is second to none resulting in unique and inspiring designs. Her talents have been honed and developed through years of practice and working across the globe from the US, to Europe, Asia and Africa on various different projects including hotels, spas, restaurants.
Having been trained with real world experience by the principals at, DiGuiseppe Architects, a top architectural firm early on in her career, Joanna mastered producing full-scale interior architectural plans and is able to offer her clients a full service design, eliminating the need to hire an architect. She has the rare ability to manage and produce every facet of a project, no matter the size or scope, affording greater transparency and significant cost savings to her clients.
Company Bio
Upon becoming partner in 2014, Joanna and Erik have been designing together for 10 years and their harmonious union shows through their seamless and care-free approach to each project. Joanna and Erik are the perfect combination of technical and organizational expertise coupled with superior artistic and design talent, allowing this team to produce beautiful designs on-time and on-budget to their valued clients.
Understanding how to design a property to sell is a specific expertise that Interiors by Erik R. Galiana has perfected over the years. Real estate giants including Africa-Isreal, HFZ Capital, The Related Group, Ugo Columbo & Lionstone Development, The Moinian Group, Stonehenge, The Trump Organization and K Group Holdings have all sought Erik out to create model residences helping them to better sell and lease their properties.
“Fresh off a flight from N.Y. at 9:30 p.m. on a Friday night, Erik studied his canvas and went to work. "Paint the walls this color, take this down, move that around, put the piano in the other room, leave these rooms the way they are." Wow, by 2:00 a.m. Erik had definitely left an impression. He spent practically the rest of the weekend at our home to finish his concept, and all at a very fair projected budget. In fact, as the project evolved and we became more excited about the outcome, the hardest part was for us to not exceed the budget that Erik was determined to stick with. He kept reminding us "you are selling the house aren't you?"
After Erik left back to NY and the remodeling progressed, we communicated frequently by e-mail, text and phone, about everything from art, window treatments, furniture choices and too many other things to list. A particular talent he has that we've come to appreciate is his uncanny memory of room and wall dimensions. I can't say how many times we've texted him about a piece of furniture or an art work in a particular place and he would respond, "that wall is only sixty-four inches, it's too small for that painting." Unbelievable, who remembers things like that?
It's been only thirty days and the 3,200 sq.ft. project is nearing completion. When friends and family enter our home they are just blown away by the new look. Actually, so are we. In fact, after looking around at some other properties we have decided to stay put for a while. This house is just too beautiful to leave.”