Talent Spotlight: Diana Ellis
International Women's Day 2026
This International Women’s Day, we’re proud to spotlight the women shaping the vision and culture of CHIL Interior Design.
We sat down with Diana Ellis, Director of Design, to hear her perspective on leadership, creativity, and navigating the design industry, celebrating the impact women continue to make every day.
Hospitality is about authenticity and empathy. How do you think your perspective as a woman shapes the way you approach the design of a guest experience?
As a woman, my approach to hospitality design is deeply rooted in empathy, intuition, and attentiveness to nuance. I naturally consider how a space feels before how it looks—how a guest arrives, pauses, moves, and emotionally connects with their surroundings. In a design context—especially hospitality—nuance is found in the in-between moments:
– how lighting softens a transition from public to private
– how materials transition, age and feel to the touch
– how materials effect acoustics, sound, or scale quietly influence comfort
– how a space responds differently to a first-time guest versus a returning one
We all hit creative blocks. When you’re stuck on a concept, how do you “reset” to get the inspiration flowing again?
“Snowboarding fixes everything. It’s like the best therapy money can buy. Had a bad day? Go snowboarding. Had a bad week? Go snowboarding. Hit a creative block? GO SNOWBOARDING…” – Diana Ellis
When I hit a creative block, I consciously step away from the desk and reset through nature and wellness. Immersing myself outdoors helps clear mental noise and reconnects me to intuition rather than over-analysis.
What is the one thing about your role that would surprise people the most?
The thing that would surprise people most about my role is how much of it is listening rather than designing. A large part of my work happens before anything is drawn—understanding people, navigating emotions, aligning differing viewpoints, and translating unspoken needs into a clear vision.
Design is only a fraction of the role; the rest is empathy, communication, and problem-solving. Creating meaningful hospitality spaces requires holding many perspectives at once—clients, operators, guests, consultants—and quietly weaving them into an experience that feels effortless, even though it rarely is.