"American Dreamers"-Robin Wilson, Founder & CEO, Robin Wilson Home
Monday, January 21, 2008SUSIE GHARIB: From managing contractors to completing construction projects on time and on budget, New York-based Robin Wilson Home has been a leader in the residential project planning business. Since launching in 2000, Wilson has built her design business into a powerhouse with a long list of famous clients, including President Bill Clinton. She designed his offices in Harlem. As Erika Miller reports, Wilson is always looking for new ways to build her business.
ERIKA MILLER, NIGHTLY BUSINESS REPORT CORRESPONDENT: This is the first time Adam Gurwitz has seen his apartment since designer Robin Wilson worked her magic. It seems hard to believe that this polished and sophisticated living room was a raw and dusty space just two weeks before. The bedroom used to look like this. It's now warm and inviting, ready to move in. Wilson's challenge was to create a home that is elegant, yet practical.
ROBIN WILSON, FOUNDER & CEO, ROBIN WILSON HOME: I think this ambiance for a bachelor is fantastic. It's got great color, it's got simple design, but yet it is sophisticated.
MILLER: Wilson has built a reputation for doing major interior overhauls, at breakneck speed and on budget. She also specializes in using environmentally responsible materials. That's part of the reason Gurwitz hired her.
ADAM GURWITZ, CLIENT: Eco-friendly products are an increasingly prominent part of business life and everyday life. And, to the extent that I could furnish my apartment comfortably and do it in a minimally impactive way, that's very important.
MILLER: Wilson started her New York based firm -- Robin Wilson Home -- seven years ago, doing residential design and project management. Three years ago, she branched out into more lucrative commercial projects, like this office she remodeled for a Manhattan attorney. While Wilson won't talk about her celebrity clients, it's reported that she renovated Bill Clinton's Harlem office in just eight days. Her eye for design is entirely self-taught, though she does have a master's in real estate finance. But she believes that as an African-American business woman, her talents are often underestimated.
WILSON: That can also be a very good because you can impress people a little more easily. I think as an entrepreneur, as a woman, I think sometimes there's a certain level of she's just a decorator or she doesn't understand construction. But what people forget is I'm fourth-generation real estate. I grew up around my grandfather and great-grandfather actually building homes.
MILLER: She also believes that, as a woman of color, it has been tougher to get financing for her firm. She advises aspiring minority entrepreneurs not to focus on barriers, but instead on their own strengths.
WILSON: The motto I live with is the quote, what would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail? So give it your all and go 100 percent.
MILLER: Wilson gets many clients through word of mouth. Gurwitz, for example, was referred by real estate broker Bruce Ehrmann.
BRUCE EHRMANN, AGENT, STRIBLING MARKETING/REALTY: There is a core of calm, committed -- that is to say socially committed - energy, calm committed energy at the core of her work that's also aesthetically pleasing. To combine all those things and make it work is very interesting and difficult and she's one of the few people who can do it.
MILLER: Others, like architect Vince Cangelosi praise Wilson's efficiency.
VINCE CANGELOSI, ARCHITECT, CREATIVE DESIGN: I really admire her ability to stick to a schedule and to insure that those around her get done what needs to be done on time. It's something that being in the business we all struggle with.
MILLER: Wilson says one way she keeps things running smoothly is by visiting designer showrooms regularly. That helps her stay on top of new trends and product lines, so decisions can be made quickly. Wilson hopes to expand her business into new areas.
WILSON: I also, however, want to do more commercial work for developers who are doing hotels and office buildings. I think that's where people can, on a public scale, see what kind of work you do so by that, I mean, more marquis projects.
MILLER: She also has a budding line of eco-friendly home goods, sold on her website. They include this pignot noir store candle used in Adam Gurwitz' new home.
Robin Wilson is working to expand her line of home d‚cor made from recycled products. She hopes to eventually sell her collection through a national retailer. Erika Miller, NIGHTLY BUSINESS REPORT, New York.
