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So when Marina grew tired of the hospitality industry and began considering a career change, it was clear what she would do next. She went back to school and set out on a path to become a bona fide designer. "Back then, blogs were just becoming big. I came across self-taught designers, who had great careers in the industry. So, when I finished school, I decided I was going to work for myself," Cheban said. is was the inception of Cheban Interiors. What start- ed with one or two res- idential clients, quickly grew into a business that now includes restaurants and multi-unit buildings throughout the Jersey City and Hoboken area. "I feel like I was an ar- chitect in a past life. Noth- ing excites me more than a floor plan. As soon as I take a look at one, I'm bombarded with ideas to make it bet- ter. at's why I urge the clients I work with to bring me on earlier in the project. ey oen approach a project thinking about how to make things fit and be up to code, while I look out for functionality and flow. You need all of those things to make a space really great." When it came time to make her own place great, Cheban took the job as seriously as she ever has. "When we toured the condo, I saw that the storage space consisted of a half clos- et in the living room and a half closet in the bedroom. e bedroom closet was cluttered with unnecessary walls and doors. It was claustropho- bic and difficult to access the small, L-shaped, wire rack in the very back," Cheban said. V U E N J . C O M 47

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