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For Winter Break 2024/25, I traveled to Lisbon, Portugal, as an international intern for ETSU. From January 7-16, my colleagues and I worked full-time at The Lakhani Group Global (TLG) in various disciplines, including Project Management, Finance/International Business, and Marketing.
While I initially thought I would be working on TLG's social media strategy, I was immediately reassigned to an individual project in Interior Architecture—what an exciting and enriching surprise! As soon as orientation was over, every intern got straight to work.
My first introduction to the project was a one-on-one meeting with Azima Lakhani. In this conversation, she laid out my task: designing a salon to fit TLG's newly acquired property from start to finish before I left the following week. The new salon will be upgraded and expanded from its current operations at CM Be an Angel Salon.
CM Salon was just a few miles from the new location and seemed like a tight fit for the growing scope. (Pictures above)
In the following days, TLG's PPM showed me the site of TLG's new salon. The existing structure, originally intended for a small office building, had never been completed. Luckily for the salon, demolition wouldn't be overly expensive or invasive—about 90% of the structure was a clean slate, with just a few minor details to remove. (Pictures above)
During the hours between site visits, schematic development was well underway. Midjourney, a generative AI that can convert natural language prompts into images, is a tool I've become increasingly familiar with for visualization and concept development.
I love using Midjourney as a design aid because it makes a project's aesthetic tangible earlier in the process. From the first prompt, visuals, aesthetic directions, and concepts start to take form. While they are rarely perfect or even close to what I initially imagined, they begin the process of elimination.
My short internship marked my first experience in a larger firm. I quickly realized that the approval process for design decisions was much more complex compared to a small firm.
Instead of one supervisor, I had three, each from a different department. Typically, a project will have about two or three primary iterations of the floor plan, but around ten versions were proposed, rejected, and revised on a more corporate scale.
Most of the design work centered around floor plan alterations, adherence to International Building Codes (IBC), and space requirements for cosmetic professionals.
Another interesting aspect of working in a corporate setting that I had never experienced was the division of labor into specific departments. Throughout the process, I was part of the conversation when choosing the name and logo, but I was not the final decision-maker for either marketing component.
My design inspiration and concept were the basis for the marketing team to work from, with Kate Boundy and Matthew Perkins playing key roles in production and finalization.
The second week of work focused on deliverables—deliverables—deliverables! My incredible coworkers supported me throughout this process and were instrumental in the success of my final presentation.
I spent my working hours drafting the construction documents for interior details, including custom styling stations, wall partitions, and custom LED signage.
Alongside these technical drawings came material and furniture specifications. TLG provided me with local/accessible vendors and made decisions based on current catalogs. Here's a visual comparison of the initial selections versus the final products.
The collection of components—technical drawings, aesthetic/concept visuals, the final floor plan, and 3D renderings—culminated in a finished presentation, ready to begin construction.
This internship experience deepened my understanding of interior architecture and provided invaluable insights into how large firms operate. A noteworthy takeaway is that constant collaboration, flexibility, and detailed planning are essential in real-world design.
I look forward to returning to Portugal this summer for an extended internship with TLG. Obrigada & Até logo!
To view all drawings/documents click here.
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