An Interview with David Samuel Ko, Maison Ko Founder

Reflecting on balancing creativity with business, facing early self-doubt, and defining event success.

In Feature 038 of ‘Conversations Behind The Campaign,’ we sat down with David Samuel Ko, the founder and creative director behind full service interior & event design firm Maison Ko.

Since founding the Los Angeles-based studio in 2019, David has built a reputation for crafting immersive brand experiences at the intersection of interiors and fashion. Known for his meticulous eye and ability to translate a brand story and ‘world’ into a space, he has shaped standout activations for Summer Fridays, Tatcha, Emi Jay, and r.e.m. beauty.

In our conversation, David reflects on the balancing act between creativity and business, the realities of self-doubt in the early founder years, and his approach to both piecing together an event and determining a successful one.

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1. Was design always part of your world growing up, or did your love for interiors and events evolve over time?

I would say subconsciously, yes. Growing up, I was always very interested in fashion and photography. Looking back, I realize that my appreciation for those two things helped shape my eye and creative pursuits.

“I was never exposed to interior design or event design as a viable career path, yet inherently I wanted my spaces to be aesthetically pleasing.”

It never dawned on me that it was something I could make a living out of. It wasn’t until I landed my first job as a design assistant for an interior design firm that I found my love for interiors and how my creative eye could be used for something other than fashion. Event design came as a byproduct of being in the interior world, but was never a service I seriously considered. What started as designing starter homes for friends (who just so happened to run their own brands, too) turned into curating dinners for product launches, which led me to what I do now, which is full-scale production of events. My business has definitely evolved over the years, especially as I’ve learned how to navigate the industry and figure out where I fit. I love both types of design equally and for different reasons – I couldn’t imagine one without the other!

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2. How did you first break into the world of interior and event design? Was there a moment when you knew this was what you wanted to build your career around?

As briefly mentioned, my first “big boy” job was as a design assistant at an interior design firm in Los Angeles. I was having a hard time finding a job right out of college, and the position at the firm sort of fell into my lap, and I was like, “Oh, I like this and this is fun for me… let’s see where this goes.” I started part-time for a few months but eventually became full-time and ended up working there for almost three years. By the time I left, I had taken on a junior designer role and had a newfound appreciation for interior design. But I was still struggling with whether I should pursue a career in fashion vs. interior design, and I took a few months off to figure out what I wanted to do. To be completely honest, I thought a career in fashion was the only industry for me, so I was pretty ignorant of everything else. Interior design caught me by surprise.

I realized I would be more professionally satisfied and valued as an interior designer, so I kept on that path and had a short stint at another design firm before I decided to start my own business. I was definitely ballsy at the time to have done that, but looking back, I am so glad I did. I was getting my own clientele and had a big enough ego to convince myself that I could do it. But hey, it worked out, didn’t it? I started Maison Ko in 2019… so it wasn’t until mid-2020 to early 2021 that I realized that this is where I was meant to be and what I was meant to be doing. What made me have that epiphany was how easy it was for me. Not in the literal sense, but nothing about my job felt hard or uncomfortable. I would wake up every morning, happy and excited for what was next, and ready for a challenge. I truly love what I do, and upon that realization, it dawned on me that I was fulfilled and felt like I had purpose.