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Meet Gia, owner and founder of OC&D Design Studio!

Born and raised in Utah, at the ripe age of 17, Gia moved to the far-away and wonderful land of L.A. to study at FIDM/Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising where she was proclaimed “Utah girl”. Upon graduating with a degree in interior design, she started her career in the event production industry focusing on corporate events. However, after several years, she made the switch to kitchen & bath design where she discovered a true passion and had the pleasure of designing high-end custom homes for former politicians, tech moguls, CEO’s, and TV personalities. Gia’s background working in different design fields, as well as with clients from around the world, has given her an appreciation for different cultures as well as conscientious design.

Last, but definitely not least, Gia is passionate about educating consumers on hiring qualified and educated designers because designing encompasses much more than color and furniture selection. Building codes, human nature, ADA standards, and so much more should be considered in the process. Currently, Gia holds her NCIDQ, SCCID, and is a LEED Green Associate; she is also in the active process of obtaining her CKBD/Certified Kitchen & Bath Designer.

***ahem***

Now, Gia would rather tell you about the real her!
•She lives off of lists
•She despises the term decorator
•She is precise, meticulous, and OCD
•She believes everyone has a seat at the table — all ideas are welcome
•She believes in a thorough design process up front
•She will triple check a design before executing
•She believes in good business
•She can’t keep a coffee maker in the house or she will drink an unhealthy amount and start to hear colors
•She is allergic to winter and cold weather

Learn More About…

  • •NCIDQ stands for National Council for Interior Design Qualification — it is a globally recognized exam that certifies interior designers. The exam is administered by the CIDQ.
    •It is the industry’s recognized indicator of proficiency.
    •It is composed of (3) sections focused entirely on public health, safety, and welfare.
    •Specific education and work experience requirements exist to be eligible to sit for the NCIDQ Exam.
    •Interior designers who hold NCIDQ Certification must adhere to CIDQ’s Code of Ethics. If a designer is found to violate the Code of Ethics, their NCIDQ Certificate may be revoked.
    •As of December 2024 there are about 38,500 NCIDQ Certificate holders worldwide.

    Information gathered from CIDQ’s website. To learn more visit: https://www.cidq.org/

  • •SCCID stands for State Certified Commercial Interior Designer and is specific to Utah.
    •An NCIDQ certificate must be held to obtain a SCCID license.
    •The major benefit of SCCID is it allows permitting privileges.
    •SCCID focuses on protecting the commercial design sector due to opposition from the residential design sector. Currently, the residential sector has no regulations on who can claim they’re an interior designer or offer these services.
    •Our main goal is to elevate the design profession with qualified designers and to ensure safety and wellbeing to the public and users of the spaces we design.

  • •The LEED Green Associate exam measures general knowledge of green building practices and how to support others working on LEED projects.