PERLA LICHI The Décor Diva Debuts Luxury Interiors TV Show
After graduation from The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale and working for a few local design firms, Perla Lichi established her own design practice—Perla Lichi Design—in 1990. Since then, she has designed hundreds of residential and commercial projects around South Florida, around the USA, and around the world. She is a specialist in art history, color theory, lighting design, and space planning. Her rich portfolio displays expertise in every interior genre, enabling her to create a unique design for each client.
Today Perla Lichi Design is a full-service interior design firm headquartered in Pompano Beach, Florida. Perla and her team are skilled at whole house turnkey design projects, from concept to installation. A global, multi-cultural designer, Perla welcomes inquiries about all types of interior design projects—new construction or remodeling of single-family homes, condominiums, or townhomes; or specialty projects such as creating interiors for the Castle of Wellington, Florida. Another recent project was transforming the former Parkland, Florida town hall into a residence for a very large family with diverse design preferences. She is also a master designer of Synagogues and Chabads. Perla Lichi Design provides a thoughtful, experienced approach to each project, always ensuring they are tailored to meet each client’s unique preferences. Perla has received numerous awards and honors during her forty-year career in professional interior design.
Perla has also received hundreds of awards and accolades, raised two sons, and published seven coffee table books that highlight her hundreds of design projects, across the USA and worldwide in South Africa, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Russia, Mexico, Brazil, and beyond. She has designed for stars and royalty as well as your next-door neighbor. The charismatic designer has been featured in many magazines and appeared on radio and television shows and podcasts throughout Florida , the US, and internationally.
Perla’s bold fashion statements, joy of living, genuine love of people, passion for design, and desire to share her passion are hallmarks of a woman who has enjoyed a remarkable 40-year career and the rewards of a life well-lived. Perla welcomes inquiries and referrals, and the opportunity to share her philosophy with more people.
Perla is launching her new TV show “Perla Lichi The Décor Diva” in June and it will be released by the “Dining Empire, in partnership with For Us By Us Network “ on YouTubeTV, Verizon, Peacock, Comcast and many other major cable stations, with an estimated audience reach of more than 436 million homes.
Can you believe it’s been four decades since you began interior design? What has been the most rewarding?
Yes, I cannot believe four decades have flown by. The most rewarding thing for me has been knowing that I have created a particular signature style, and that people can go to any one of the homes I have designed and know that Perla Lichi was here. Maybe it is the way I put things together. Maybe it is the styling. Or whatever it is that I do. But people do recognize that signature style. And whether the home is modern or classic—my signature style is recognized around the world.
“I don’t believe in trends. I believe in people. Explain.
It is not that I don’t believe in trends. What I mean when I say I believe in people is that people follow certain looks based on their own souls and their own personalities. There are many personalities in this world. Happy people will be more attracted to happy colors. A more muted person will be attracted to more muted colors. Based on their nationality, their personality, their experiences, their background, each person will be attracted to a different style. You must design for that one person or couple, and that one space. Just because there is a trend out there does not mean that everyone should follow that trend. I am aware of what my clients will like simply by getting to know them. The trends may be out there, but as an interior designer, I prefer to set the trends.
What sets you and your team of designers apart?
What sets the Perla Lichi team apart from the rest is the fact that we do not do a cookie cutter design. We believe each design must have its own identity. You must understand your client. You must understand each space. You must customize each space just like you would customize an outfit for the person’s unique physique. That’s what we are talking about here. We are into the person and that is how we know how to design for them. It all ties together with what we are talking about here. No cookie cutting here!
Can you share a fun design that really took your creativity to the next level?
If I had to choose, I would have to say my own house. The only person who told me how to design was me. And with me as the client, and knowing my own personality intimately, I designed an unrestrained, custom interior. I tried everything there is to try. As a result, my house represents complete and over-the-top maximalism. I have always said, “Some say less is more. I say more is better.” The result in my home is maximalism at its best!
What will people notice when working with you?
My clients do not get bored. We make the journey as enjoyable as we enjoy the final destination. We like to enjoy the actual process because everything matters. For instance, take the selection process. We want our clients to be involved. To be part of it. Because at the end of the day it is their home. We do not want to surprise them. We like to think out of the box and do not want to do the same things over and over again. With different challenges we are always coming up with new ideas. We may break some of the so-called rules and often make our own rules. We keep people wondering, “What are they going to do next?” We enjoy that. And people look forward to that.
Your new TV show “Perla Lichi The Décor Diva” is now in production and soon to be released. What can we find?
The Décor Diva show is something that will make people re-think interior design shows. There are a lot of design shows out there, and they are basic and okay. They give you some things to look at. Our show presents innovative design filled with unique ideas so that you start thinking more creatively. Our show is filled with example after example of taking any problem and showing a great solution. The best projects, in fact, are those with major challenges. I want people to understand that we love homes with big problems. Why? They present us with an opportunity to create the best-designed home. You have no choice but to come up with more and better ideas. This problem-solving theme makes our show unique.
The show will be packed full of interior design tips and ideas as Perla tours some of her recent projects. The first episode begins in her Pompano Beach design studio, collaborating with her staff on a specific design solution. The episode features homes in Broward and Palm Beach counties. Perla touches on how to deal with low ceilings in older homes, furniture placement in open floor plans, using mirrors effectively, how to camouflage air vents, creating feature walls, client’s own art placement, and more. The tips and information come to life as Perla explains how she solved real problems in real clients’ homes.
Can you share a teaser for the first episode?
I will give you an example from the first episode. People always have issues with air conditioning vents and returns. And you always find them in the middle of a wall where they kill the wall. I like to make lemonade out of these lemons. We produce ideas after ideas of how to camouflage them. This has been an issue in interior design for as long as I can remember, and it is a typical design problem that needs a non-typical solution.
The show is an offshoot of her weekly syndicated newspaper column “The Décor Diva” that gave pithy answers to readers’ interior design questions in The Palm Beach Post, The Naples Daily News, The San Juan Star, and more, in the early ‘90s. The show, which is in the Lifestyle, Design and Travel genre, will have world-wide filming locations since Lichi loves to travel and has designed luxury homes on many continents.
“Perla Lichi The Décor Diva” is more than a design show…finish the sentence.
The Décor Diva is more than a design show. It is entertaining; it is funny. And at the same time, the show presents idea after idea from a seasoned professional interior designer. There was a lot of laughter at the preview. And there was also a lot of indication that the interior design ideas were new to the audience. “She really knows her stuff,” “Why didn’t I think of that?” “Seriously, that’s awesome.” “She had me in stiches.” This is a design show full of surprises, full of action, full of humor. It is a design show full of knowledge, highly informative. Full of action. Full of ideas.
Once you watch the first episode you will want to watch all ten episodes in this first series. People will want to watch more because they will be wondering: “What’s the next featured project?” “Where is it located?” “What design challenges will be solved?” “How does Perla solve them?” Our show is all about being entertained while getting inspired and excited about luxury interior design.
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You recently added castles to your portfolio. How much have you enjoyed designing The Castle of Wellington, Florida? Will you be sharing your interior design in an upcoming episode?
I have designed palaces in many places all over the world. We are currently designing interiors for a replica of an Irish castle here in Florida. Our team is extremely excited about how The Castle of Wellington, FL is evolving. In some episodes we will include updates about how the Castle is progressing and then, the final reveal.
Perla has always believed that the more she shares about interior design, the more people will realize that good design enhances and improves personal lifestyles while increasing real estate values. She loves sharing design solutions. “I love a challenge,” says Lichi. “The bigger the challenge the better the design project will be.”
