Giulietta Pinna and her husband, Nate Bachmann, run Limonata Creative, a Baltimore-based agency that helps design firms thrive. Pinna originally founded the company in 2016 as a service for art direction and styling, with a primary focus on food-based and product-based clients.
Pandemic Shifts Business Focus
However, during the pandemic, her business evolved into mainly being an interior stylist for designers and architects. The pandemic had a significant impact on various industries, causing Pinna’s product and food clients to decline, while the design industry started to ramp up and hasn’t stopped since.
Today, Pinna says that 90 percent of their clients are design clients. Bachmann, a graphic designer, joined the business in 2024, and the duo expanded their services to include branding and web development.
Expanding Services
The couple’s decision to expand their services came after they returned from a six-month travel sabbatical in 2021. Bachmann had been working as a graphic designer in New York and Baltimore, but after the pandemic, he was looking for a refresh. Pinna’s business was slammed, and Bachmann started helping her, learning the ins and outs of what she had been doing for the last seven years.
As Bachmann worked with Pinna, he started managing and building out a new website for their prop house, another aspect of the business. He then redesigned the Limonata branding, which led him to web design. Bachmann realized that he could do all the design work, from start to finish, using programs like Squarespace.
This led to the couple offering full-service branding, web design, art direction, and interior styling to designers. They formalized their agency about two years ago, and it’s been growing relatively fast, with three full-service clients and three more coming on board.
Creating Unified Brand Identity
Pinna and Bachmann’s process involves a lengthy questionnaire to help designers dig deep into themselves and define their ideal client. They then focus on creating a unified brand identity, including copywriting and language that supports the designer’s goals.
For example, they worked with designer Angeline Guido, who needed a full rebrand, including changing her firm’s name. The couple helped Guido realize that she should tweak her brand name to give her the flexibility to grow with her studio.
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After deciding on a new name, Bachmann starts working on the brand identity design, introducing visuals, and creating a full brand identity system with a style guide. This leads to custom brand applications, such as a stationery suite and presentation templates.
Bachmann’s approach involves embedding himself in the designer’s firm for three to four months to create a tailored brand identity. This differs from templated offerings, as Bachmann works closely with each client to understand their unique needs and goals.
Pinna notes that interior styling is an essential part of their package, as designers need to be individual and intentional in their branding and photography to stand out. She prepares for photo shoots by building a deck of what the shoot will look like, including decor, flowers, and placement, to create a strong story that meets the designer’s goals.
The couple also has a prop warehouse, Prop Up Shop, which started about five years ago. It’s open to the public by appointment and is used by brands like Anthropologie and José Andrés Group.
Future of Limonata Creative Agency
Pinna and Bachmann’s vision for the future of their agency is to continue taking on a limited number of full-service clients per quarter, allowing them to give each client 100 percent of their attention. They’re selective and intentional in their approach, wanting to provide a tailored service that meets each designer’s unique needs.
Pinna notes that AI is a great tool, but it’s not a replacement for human taste and opinion. While AI can generate code for a website, it still requires a team to implement the instructions and make adjustments. Pinna and Bachmann offer a human touch that AI can’t replicate, and they’re focused on helping designers create a unified brand identity that meets their goals.
As they look to the future, Pinna and Bachmann are committed to their approach, which involves a thorough process of understanding each designer’s unique needs and goals.
One of their recent projects involved working with Regan Billingsley Interiors on a full rebrand, including a new website and interior styling. The result was a cohesive brand identity that reflected the designer’s unique style and approach.