Afrin Designs

Meet Afrin, the President and Lead designer at Afrin Designs. Afrin discovered her love for art and design at an early age. She recalls her parent's home becoming her own personal canvas. She would paint walls, sew drapes, refinish furniture, and even create her own pieces of art.

She was always very involved in extracurricular activities in high school. Afrin even started her own club called Fusion club that would bring people of all cultures together to find things they had in common rather then focus on their differences. As President of Fusion she took creative initiative to build floats, design outfits and even choreograph dances. It was the first time she was able to express her creativity and lead a team. It was during this time one of her friends really opened her eyes to see how she artistic she truly was and inspired to go for Interior Design.

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She knew this was not going to be an easy decision. Her family like many others in the Indian/Pakistani culture, expected her to go into the Medical field. It took some time for her parents to come around the idea, but eventually they understood that Interior Design was her calling in life and was what would make her happy. In 2010 Afrin fulfilled her dream and graduated with honors from the Illinois Institute of Art- Chicago.

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Soon after graduating, Afrin got married to Farhan, a bold, brave, and adventurous being who was opposite of her grounded and cautious personality. However being different is what they love about each other and find that they are each other's ying and yang. Farhan always encouraged Afrin to follow her dreams and take risks. If it weren't for him, Afrin would not have realized her full potential and taken the chance to really grow as a designer.

In 2012, she stepped foot into the Interior Design Industry. She started working at Walter E. Smithe Furniture & Design. Afrin used her knowledge and skills to help real life clients and quickly became a top designer for the company. She was featured in various media for the company. She appeared in North Shore Magazine, Chicago Tribune. and Smithe's Career video. At Smithe she was really able to develop an eye for color and fine tune her design style.

As a professional designer, Afrin had opportunities to engage in various events. The turning point was in 2013 when she was given the opportunity to design an event for a close friend. At this time, she did not realize this would lead her to transition into wedding and event design and establish the company we know as Afrin Designs. Today, Afrin works full-time at Afrin Designs with her husband by her side. In addition to events, Afrin continues to work with clients to remodel and furnish their homes across the nation. While Afrin is the face of the company, designs the events, and carefully curates all the products used in fabrication. Farhan is the one who builds props and manages production to ensure it fits their quality standards. Together they make a powerful team that will continue to bring their clients' dream events come to life.

When Afrin and Farhan are not busy with Afrin Designs, they love spending time with family, friends, and their adorable cat August. They enjoy experiencing new restaurants, watching movies, and traveling the world for inspiration.