Deise Forgiarini Smith, interior designer and entrepreneur, and founder & owner of Deise Smith Studio and lifestyle brand DONA DE SI which retails fitness and swimwear. Deise was born and raised in Brazil, and began her career in Hotel Management; after moving to London to grow in her work/life experiences, she relocated to Lagos in 2010. With the clear goal of making her mark in the interior design world, she trained in Interior design at University of Arts London with a special interest and flare for lighting design. Deise travels extensively and regularly attends trade shows, conferences, and exhibitions globally.

Deise is one of the most sought after interior designers in Nigeria; she has received numerous international and national awards as creative director and founding partner of Gemona West Interiors and Gemona West Lifestyle, including the IDEA Award in 2021, as well as winning the International Property Awards in London over 4 years (2019, 2020, 2022, 2023). She is a member of the Association of Interior Designers Nigeria (IDAN), and has been a professional member of the organisation for 8 years. Over her 10 year career as an interior designer, Deise has design and executed over a hundred commercial and residential projects across 3 continents. After establishing and building the Gemona West Interiors and Gemona West Lifestyle businesses, culminating in a physical showroom and an e-commerce site, Deise is now set to pursue selected projects with HNI’s under the leaner operation of Deise Smith Studio.