Get to know Ray Jimenez – from early struggles to Designing Miami success Thu 22 September 2022 08:43 Updated Thu 22 September 2022 12:09 Jessica Hamilton
David Craig ‘Designing Miami’ is Netflix’s newest reality show, which takes us to Miami and follows the lives of the ambitious interior designer couple, Eilyn and Ray Jimenez.
After finding success with lifestyle shows like ‘Too Hot to Handle’ and ‘Love is Blind,’ the streaming platform is now offering another reality fix. Eight episodes of the show have already dropped, all focusing on the personal and professional lives of this power couple.
Although happily married, the two share a healthy workplace feud and enjoy competing against each other. Ray said himself: “Eilyn, she’s my competitor, I want to rip her to shreds”.
The pair have opposite aesthetics. Eilyn is fond of minimalism while Ray leans toward maximalism. At the time of filming, Eilyn was running a sought-after design agency named ‘Sire Designs’. Ray, on the other hand, was in the process of launching his own firm in Florida called ‘Raymond Nicolas’.
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Ray’s experience with interior design
Ray has gained valuable experience in the world of interior design.
He has always wanted to start his own company, but he started out at a Miami-based firm called RS3 Designs. He co-founded the agency with his former University classmate, Shannon Scott.
Eventually, in June 2022, he moved on from RS3 Designs to start his own company, ‘Raymond Nicolas‘.
Early struggles
‘Raymond Nicolas’ is a well-respected company now, but Ray initially struggled to launch it.
Since he didn’t have a lot of experience in the interior design industry at the time, he wasn’t willing to take the risk of starting a company all by himself.
Hence, he sought the help of design associates Steven and Ori. The two appear on the show and know Ray from his time at RS3 Designs.
According to the Cinemaholic, Steven was Ray’s right-hand man, while Ori was his architectural drafter. They worked part-time at Raymond Nicolas, dividing their time between the two companies.
In the third episode of the show, we see Steven and Ori leaving Raymond Nicolas to focus on RS3 Designs.
The reality star struggled without the help of the duo. Being short-staffed, he had to work even harder to get the company up and running.
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The success of Raymond Nicolas
Despite the initial setbacks, Ray managed to launch Raymond Nicolas’, which is now a distinguished Floridian design company.
Some of the company’s projects over the years, as per their website, include Lake Vista (2018), Modera Edgewater (2020), and Governer House (2015).
Raymond Nicolas’ projects have been featured on Miami Living, Ocean Drive, and of course, Netflix.
Ray’s website also has a merch store, where you can buy caps of three different styles. Each cap can be purchased for $115. You can buy them here.
