“My inspiration often comes from what’s readily accessible, but overlooked or not being used in creative ways,” says Jun Aizaki, a Rockwell Group alum who founded Brooklyn-based design firm Crème in 2004. This strategy has worked — over the years, the firm has garnered a high-profile client list that includes some of the biggest names in hospitality, including Starwood Hotels & Resorts to Hyatt Hotels Corp., and InterContinental Hotels Group. Most recently, Aizaki gave Interior Design a tour of Crème’s design of RedFarm London, the dim sum restaurant chain’s third location. Here Aizaki shares the career choice he almost made, his passion for gourds, and the beverage he is unexpectedly using as a dye.