Home Builder Developer - Interior Renovation and Design

The 50 States Project is a yearlong series of candid conversations with interior designers, state by state, about how theyve built their businesses. Today, were chatting with Fargo, North Dakotabased Lindsey Christie, who founded Lindsey Grace Interiors three years ago after moving back to her hometown and realizing that her dream job didnt exist. She tells us about the importance of on-the-job learning, why e-design hasnt taken off for her firm, and how she focuses on the value of saving time when shes pitching her services to clients.

Did you always know that you wanted to be a designer?I did. I dont know why I wanted to become an interior designerI didnt have any interior designers around me when I was growing upbut I think it stemmed from watching HGTV and thinking that was really cool. I had no idea what the career was, though, I just knew that I wanted to do it. I went to school and got my four-year degree at North Dakota State University. Once I signed up for the interior design program [and got the course list], that was the first time I actually learned what the career would truly look like. It was like, Whoa, do I actually want to do this? It was a lot more work than I thought it would be.

What made you have that initial reaction?When you first start, they spend an entire weekend going over what the different careers look like [within the design industry] and what you can do with them. They showed us that you can do residential, but you can also do commercial. You can do health care, you can design prisonstheres an interior designer for everything out there. And that was a little bit overwhelming.

And the subtext there is, Were going to teach you to do all of those things, right?Oh, yesand they definitely do. Our program focused more on the commercial side of things because they feel like if you know how to do that, you can really do anything within residential.

I love having interns, and thats because I had really great mentors myself and learned so much from them. I really push to my interns, and to young designers in general, that if you want to grow quickly in this industry, you need to get your schooling, but you also need to start working right away. I started working in the actual industry sophomore year and never stopped. I am pretty youngIve owned my business now for three years and Im not even 30 yetand the reason Ive been able to do that is because Ive had such lovely and amazing mentors. I interned under James Rixner in New York; after graduation, I went to the Minneapolis-St. Paul area and worked under Bria Hammel while she grew her company.

A pair of brass pendant lights add shimmer to a bright white kitchen.Courtesy of Lindsey Grace Interiors

Whats some of the on-the-job stuff that you just cant learn in design school that was so helpful to you?How to talk to clients. That was the earliest thingsitting back and shadowing, learning how to talk to clients and run a design meeting. In New York, the other biggest lesson was all of the product that is out there and available to us as designers. Working alongside Bria, it was how to actually run a businesshow you sell the product, how you provide services for builders in order to have the new construction side of it.

I still keep in touch with all of my mentors. Running a business, theres always some new challengeI mean, Im three years in and I finally feel like, OK, this ship is not going to sink. I used to feel that way every day; now its maybe once a week. Its [so helpful] that I can still reach out to these amazing designers and ask them questions.

What made you want to launch your own firm?I moved back to Fargo to be with my husband, who has a career here. I was not planning on starting my own company, but I did a lot of interviews, and I quickly realized my dream job did not exist here. There are other designers in Fargo that do something similar to what I do, but I can truly say that none of them provide the same full-service decorating and new construction services, and I saw that and I saw that our market really needed that. I told my husband, Theres nothing out there that I want to do, and Im not going to settle. So I created my own business.

What exactly is your niche, and why was that so needed in Fargo?New construction here is booming. When I came in three years ago, it was extremely busy. One thing that I knew right away was that I wanted to build a relationship with local builders. I wanted to be the clients go-to, but I also wanted to be the builders go-to to have on the team to make it a really fun and easy process, you know?

Pale oak cabinetry in a serene master bathroom.Courtesy of Lindsey Grace Interiors

A soft patterned tile enlivens the shower floor.Courtesy of Lindsey Grace Interiors

Left: Pale oak cabinetry in a serene master bathroom. Courtesy of Lindsey Grace Interiors | Right: A soft patterned tile enlivens the shower floor. Courtesy of Lindsey Grace Interiors

How did you pitch yourself to builders?I met up with a lot of builders when I first got here, and I saw that they were all sending their clients to the showrooms and then expecting the showrooms to communicate all the selections back to them. Some of the builders were even going to the showrooms with the clients! I was like, How are you building the houses and doing all the design work? So I really had to introduce the entire concept of full-service interior design and what that would look like to the market and to the community and how much of an asset it would be to everybody.

Were they receptive initially?No, it took a lot of convincing on the builder side of it.

Has that changed?Honestly, there is still a lot of educating consumers on what they should expect from an interior designer and the value that we bring. I work with business and marketing coaches to figure out how to really educate them on what to expect. Its gotten easier now as I [get new clients] through referrals.

The dreamy, light-filled master bath.Courtesy of Lindsey Grace Interiors

How has the firm grown in the past three years, and how did you build your team?I officially hired an operations manager last month, I have an intern, and we opened our brand-new studio space this month! Its our own personal office space in a shared building in Fargo, close to a lot of the homes I work on. Its actually one minute away from one of our big remodels right now! That wasnt the deciding factor, but itll be very convenient this year. I had been working out of my home, and I wanted a nice place to host my clients. Ill never do the retail aspect, but itll be a great way to showcase my personal brand.

Ive brought a lot of amazing furniture lines to Fargo, but up until this point, clients havent had anything to sit onthey just order it with a lot of trust in me. Now, well have a little seating area in the studio where clients can touch and feel. Itll all still be custom-ordered, but they can experience the different lines that we carry. Thats been another aspect of educating our market, is talking about the different quality of frames and what you can truly expect out of high-quality furniture.

How did you know what roles to hire for to build out your team?Ive been taking on a much larger workload, and I never want my client experience to waver from what it has been. So adding an operations manager will create more time for me to keep designing [by taking on] the pricing, order tracking and receiving. I also have interns, and one thing they have been really good at is the drawings. Thats extremely helpful as an asset to our company.

You mentioned that youve brought a lot of lines to Fargo, but in general, what kind of resources are available? How and where do you source?For commercial projects or finishes, we have great showroomsthe tile, countertop and cabinetry providers here are amazing, and I source all of that locally. And if they dont have what I want, I dont go to the cities. Instead, Ill ask them to bring in the product that Im looking for. We are really, really big on supporting local here.

On the more soft goods, furnishings side, what resources are available?I create my own resources. I brought a lot of the lines that I grew to love while working with James and Bria to Fargo, and everybodys really been loving it. Obviously, when I was in New York, I had amazing showrooms and I was really able to get my hands on a lot of great materials; when I worked with Bria, we would go to market [to meet with vendors]. She was in the early stages of starting her furniture line [Brooke & Lou], so you get to know the pieces really, really well.

How do your clients find you right now?We have a really great local publication, Midwest Nest, where I place print ads. They do a really great job locally. Thats something that I noticed was extremely different from Minneapolis. There, they have The Scout Guide that a lot of people will look at. But here, every single month, my mom, my aunts, my clients, everybody grabs an issue of Midwest Nest at the grocery store and throws it on their coffee table.

Thats amazing.Its so crazy, but it was huge for my business. I started running print ads there and people think, Oh, shes being featured. Thats what I did right away. I also really focused on my social media.

An ethereal bedroom in shades of white and pale blue.Courtesy of Lindsey Grace Interiors

What has your angle been for getting that right?I would say just being authentic and approachable. And also understanding that it is secondaryI dont expect my clients to find me on social media, but once they see my print ads in Midwest Nest and want to get to know a little bit more about me as a person, I try and have my social media showcase what they can expect the tone of our relationship to be and also get a really good visual sense of my aesthetic. I want to elevate our market and show that the Midwest can have amazing design.

When you talk about services, your site highlights new construction, decorating and e-design. How big is each of these categories for you?I would say its 50-50 between new construction and full-service decorating, but they happen within different phases of the year. In the summer, we are very focused on new construction, and then we phase into more decorating in the winter.

Has e-design been a big piece of the business ever?It hasnt. My clients want that in-person connection, not just the service.

How do you approach the client management piece of the business?I typically become the third person in their marriage! No, Im joking, but I think it works because people trust me, and they trust me because I am super authentic. I always want them to truly know that I am there every step of the way. Home building is a very emotional, expensive, exciting process, and I think that I bring a lot of value to my clients by just knowing that no matter what comes up throughout the process, its normal, Ive usually dealt with it before, and Ill be there to take care of it. For most people, building a home is probably the most money theyll ever spend on anything in their lives, and for it to be a miserable process that nobody ever wants to do againthat isn't good for our industry or the consumer, so I want my clients to feel like its a fun experience. It really should be!

The bedroom.Courtesy of Lindsey Grace Interiors

A set of caned dining chairs take center stage in the breakfast room.Courtesy of Lindsey Grace Interiors

Left: The bedroom. Courtesy of Lindsey Grace Interiors | Right: A set of caned dining chairs take center stage in the breakfast room. Courtesy of Lindsey Grace Interiors

You touched on a topic Im super interested in at the moment, which is that sense of value. How do you talk about that? How do you help the client understand the value that youre bringing to the project?I talk about their time. I ask them, How much do you value your time? And then I walk them through what it would be like if I wasnt involved in the process versus if I were to be. Whether youre making a sandwich or planning a trip, everything is always better when its done by somebody else. Thats how I look at the home-building process, and especially the decorating process.

You mentioned age earlier. Have you experienced moments where you felt that being younger held you back or made it harder to do the job?Because I dont have kids, people sometimes think I dont know how to design for families with children, but I usually nip that in the bud in the first design meeting. Ive actually studied children and what they needreally, what everybody needs from their home. Thats what makes me a good designer.

Who is your client? Is it the young family with kids?It is! We do design for a lot of families with kids. Our ideal clients are people that just dont have time.

How have you established how you want to bill for your services? Right now, I offer flat rate fees for builders and industry professionals, and then every other project is hourly. I had to look to what my previous experiences taught me and then I felt out what was right. Thats something I tell my interns: Thats something that just takes experience, and its not going to be the same for each market. Along the way, if I felt that I needed to re-evaluate and make a little bit of a change due to the entire market, I would do that, but I have never changed [how I charge] based on how the client thought that they wanted to do it. I definitely think standing your ground and saying, This is how we run it, and its in the best interest of you and methats so important.

Pale cabinetry offers a subtle contrast against crisp white countertops and subway tile.Courtesy of Lindsey Grace Interiors

When you say for buildersis that a house with no homeowners yet?Yes, exactly. And after working with them [on a few projects], a lot of my builders now refuse to do a house without me. They realize the time they save by having me be a part of the project, so they dont even give the clients the option to not have me a part of the job. In those cases, the builder is essentially hiring me as a staff member.

How did you set that up?I reached out to all the builders and asked them how their current process was going and what their pain points were. I explained to them that by simply just adding me to their team, its going to make the experience look like this versus how it looks nowand they really couldnt say no, because it works! Having the clients taken care of during the build process and truly adding the value of my services, it was a no-brainer for everybody.

If you have a builder who has a client, does that tend to lead to more client work?Any client that they get, I will for sure get for this upcoming year. These builders are going to build at least three to four houses, so I will have three to four new builds with this one builder. It ensures that my pipeline is full, and then it leads to more work if that client decides to sign on for decorating services.

So when you are working on the builder side, its much more like the hard surfaces and the fixtures and things like that?Yes. I help the relationship, too, because if I have a client come to me first, I know each builders processes and how they operate, and Im able to then pair up the client with the builder that I feel would work best for them. That saves time on the builders end, having to interview clients that may or may not work out.

Christie placed a shelf for artwork over the sink.Courtesy of Lindsey Grace Interiors

How many projects do you have in the works at any given time? Its anywhere usually from nine to 14.

And youve been doing it by yourself until this month?Yes.

Do you see that number growing as you grow your team a little bit?I think so, though I dont know that [doubling the team] means Ill maintain double the projects Im working on. My goal is to maintain the customer and client experience. Making them feel the way that they do when they walk into their homes at the end of the process is definitely something that makes me want to keep doing it.

What is the biggest thing you wish you knew when you were launching the firm?Probably that youre never going to please everybody.

In terms of clients?Yes, theres just some people that, no matter what you do, theyre not going to be happy. So we probably shouldnt have got in there [and taken that job]thats been the biggest lesson. The other thing was just learning how to navigate every situation that is thrown my way. Everything is always new, and I think just recognizing that is something thatI had to recognize that Ill never always have it all the way figured out, and be open to growing and changing.

To learn more about Lindsey Christie, visit her website or find her on Instagram.

Continue reading here:
How this North Dakota designer made the most of relationships with builders - Business of Home

Without warning last spring, millions of parents found themselves working from home while their kids attempted to do schoolwork under the same roof. The changes happened so quickly that families especially those short on space could only make the best of it with hastily arranged solutions.

Nearly six months later, many interior designers are helping clients make more considered decorating changes, big and small, to serve the whole family during the new school year.

Interior designer Everick Brown says a priority for his clients in the suburbs outside New York City has been finding enough quiet space and privacy to effectively work, study and take Zoom calls.

We all used to want a room with a view, says Brown. "Now everybody's just searching for a room with a door."

He's also focusing on health and wellness: A portable standing desk can easily be moved from room to room so family members can share it when one needs a break from sitting.

There are also desktop risers that turn any desk or even the kitchen table into a standing desk for part of the day.

This undated photo provided by interior designer Everick Brown shows a home office space designed by Brown in Harrison, N.Y. As families plan out space for handling school and work from home this fall, it's valuable to have plenty of natural light while working and an appealing backdrop beyond your computer screen for occasional breaks, as seen in this home workspace here. (Johnathan Bishop/Everick Brown Design via AP)

For families with younger kids, New Jersey-based interior designer Linda Kitson suggests finding a work table and chair scaled to a child's size, just as elementary school would have. Properly sized seating lets kids sit with their feet on the floor, which may help them concentrate and stay on task.

If a low table and small chair aren't available, try placing a stool or sturdy box under the table to create a solid resting place for little feet.

For adults, too, ergonomics matters: Be sure to use a desk or table and chair at the right height, so your feet can rest solidly on the floor and your back is supported.

Sometimes the answer is using a room in a completely new way.

Kitson has a client with two daughters who each had their own bedroom. They've now moved the two kids into one room letting them choose a new paint color together to make the space feel like it belongs to both of them and put desks in the other bedroom to create a shared classroom.

It's a temporary shift that can easily be undone if normal schooling resumes soon. In the meantime, it allows both girls to spend their school day in a space with plenty of natural light and a view out a window, rather than tucked away in a basement playroom.

And even if an entire room can't be repurposed, there are ways to give each family member a workspace that serves them. It doesn't have to be large: "48 inches wide by 24 inches deep is about all you need to accommodate notes and a pencil, and your laptop or iPad, and then a desk light," Brown says. "What we're really looking at is basically a 4-foot-by-4-foot space."

Some families might find that working near one another, rather than in separate rooms, is better -- especially those with young kids who may need some assistance with technology during the day.

"A lot of times when kids are left to their own devices or in their own room, they get distracted really easily," says New York-based interior designer Jenny Dina Kirschner. "So sometimes it is nice to have that communal working space."

For one client in Brooklyn, Kirschner carved out an open workspace within a living room by placing a desk along the back of the sofa. With ample shelving and closed storage along the wall behind the desk, this section of the living room becomes a micro-office that blends with the decor of the rest of the room.

While kitchen tables can be practical workspaces, there can be a downside to this solution.

"When it becomes somebody's command center, then they need to pick up and move that stuff every day. And you're sitting with somebody else's work staring at you, and they might be thinking, 'Oh, I need to go back to work after dinner,'" Kitson says.

This undated photo provided by Everick Brown Design shows a room designed by interior designer Everick Brown in Yorktown Heights, N.Y. Although writing desks or small tables in living rooms may have served a mainly decorative purpose in the past, Brown says they can be easily repurposed as an extra home workspace for kids or parents this fall, as seen here. (Everick Brown/Everick Brown Design via AP)

Managing that work/life balance is just as important as managing space, she says. We don't just need to work and study at home this year. We need to have fun, too.

New Jersey-based interior designer Terri Fiori says allowing a child to choose beautiful but calming colors for their bedroom can help create a workspace the student is excited about.

If your home has a window seat, she says, you can let kids spend part of the day studying there (or use it yourself). A view of the outdoors can help focus and boost everyone's mood.

Kitson even helped one client create a mini-parkour, or obstacle course, that their two young boys can use for fun, physical breaks from their school day. For daily exercise, these brothers will skip to a doorway, jump up to ring a bell, then use a 2-by-4 installed in the hallway as a balance beam. Hopping off of it, they'll crawl through nylon hoops, then climb over the back of a slip-covered sofa and crawl back to their school desks.

"They'll have all the endorphins of exercise," Kitson says, and hopefully return to their desks ready to focus on another hour of school, while their parents are working.

Link:
A room with a view? We're looking for one with a door. - The Oakland Press

When Indiana cities shut down due to the pandemic earlier this year, an Indiana University Bloomington student found a different way to experience his favorite cities through a virtual game.

Matthew Harrison, a junior from Carmel studying interior design in the Eskenazi School of Art, Architecture + Design, spent his quarantine virtually creating downtown Indianapolis and Bloomington using the building simulation video game, "Cities: Skylines."

"I have since finished Indianapolis as well as Bloomington and have moved up north to the Gary-Chicago area," he said.

In the video game, the building assets are already made by the game's developers. It's a matter of laying down each road and placing the individual buildings of each city.

"You build and maintain your own cities and grow them," Harrison said. "There's really no end to it. The end comes when you're either bored or you've achieved all goals set by yourself or the game's developers."

To begin a city, Harrison starts off by looking at Google Maps and focuses on iconography over accuracy. Bankers Life is placed where Victory Field is supposed to be, for instance; the field provided by the developers was too big for Harrison's layout. But although everything is "guesswork," as he calls it, a gamer can still come to the conclusion that the city is Indianapolis.

Harrison has logged 121 hours constructing Indianapolis and Bloomington. He said he works for about two to three hours a day, sometimes spending five hours on a day when he has more time. A simple mistake can take hours to fix.

Harrison said he accidentally made Lake Monroe a little too big, which cut off parts of Bloomington. However, he finds ways to make do with the tools he has and works around the mistakes.

Harrison said he takes breaks when things become too monotonous or if the game developers are updating the game. His current Indiana cities project takes credit for the most time he's ever put into a single project.

In the past, Harrison has worked on projects based off of San Francisco, various European cities, New York City, small towns in the middle of nowhere and more, he said.

"I've had projects come and go in this game, and I figured, why not do something that I would know personally?" Harrison said. "I've been to these places, I've lived in these places, and it just made more sense than trying to re-create a place I've never been to."

As a child, Harrison would play video games and build elaborate Lego creations. He and his dad once built a huge Harry Potter Lego setup mixed with different buildings from Spiderman and Star Wars. This basement creation was complete with a train track circulating around the buildings.

Harrison isn't the only designer in his family. His grandma and mom both do ceramics, and his mom also spends her time scrapbooking and landscaping the yard. She used over 200 rocks to create an aesthetic outdoor environment for the Harrison home.

While Harrison works, he likes to throw on some rock music such as Pink Floyd and AC/DC or podcasts for some background noise.

"I know I love working with buildings and designing them," Harrison said. "Something I would like to do eventually is get my master's in landscape architecture at the IU campus in Columbus."

But for now, he has a Reddit account where he posts updates on his building progress when he has time, now that he's back at IU for the remainder of his undergraduate studies.

Continue reading here:
Virtual skylines: Student re-creates Indianapolis and Bloomington through video game - IU Newsroom

Molly Payne makes sure everything is shipshape before opening the doors ofThe Shoppe by Hale Zen on Friday morning in Paia.The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo

Like an artist or set designer putting the finishing touches on their creation, Molly Payne moved about her new Paia store Friday morning with a calm focus. With a few last pieces of inventory to put on display before the doors opened for business, she was determined the items be presented just right.

Payne, a 2009 Lahainaluna High graduate, has been involved in retail sales her whole life. She knows what looks right on the shelf and has been taught by an expert how to elevate a customers shopping experience into soul therapy.

Opening The Shoppe by Hale Zen at 62 Baldwin Ave. during a pandemic last month was a gamble by Payne and her mom, longtime island retailer Lisa Payne. The two are betting their many years of experience, available inventory and ability to create soulful experiences for their clientele will carry them through.

I have always been a shop girl, Molly Payne said. It started with my mom. She has owned stores since I was a baby. I was pretty much born into the stores.

Lisa Payne said she and Toni Lopez opened Sandkastle Kids, a former Paia childrens store, in 1989. It was located not far up the street from the present location of The Shoppe by Hale Zen. Lisa now also owns Designing Wahine in Makawao and Hale Zen in Lahaina.

Molly Payne got her start in Paia retail when she was a week old. She poses inThe Shoppe by Hale Zen on Friday morning in Paia.The Maui News / MATTHEW THAYER photo

When I got pregnant with Molly, I worked right up until she was born, and then I went back to work when she was a week old, Lisa said. It is kind of in her blood. She has been around retail her whole life. I remember going to a San Francisco market with her when she was maybe 3 months old. She has been going on buying trips her whole life.

It was a buying trip to Las Vegas early this year that helped set the stage for the new Paia store. Expecting a big 2020 for Designing Wahine and Hale Zen, Lisa and Molly placed their largest batch of merchandize orders to date.

We were anticipating Spring 2020 was going to be gangbusters, Lisa said. We had more inventory rolling in than ever, and then we had to shut the doors.

When pandemic restrictions were lifted, the two stores reopened.

Its been doing well enough, Molly said. Of course, numbers are down, but the way we are looking at it, we would rather be open and make some money than be closed and make no money.

Lisa added that their stores currently employ 18 people.

Lahaina has about 80 percent local customers, Molly said. Makawao is about 50-50. We didnt realize how dependent we were on tourism until the pandemic hit.

So while the inventory was still rolling in, and the two other stores were gaining their feet by pivoting away from tourist-related items, an opportunity arose in Paia, a town that always intrigued them but seemed saturated with other stores. The owners of Luna & Tide elected to retire following an extensive build-out. After selling their inventory, they helped the Paynes have a seamless transition into the bright, airy space.

Suddenly, all that extra inventory had a place to go. In a flash, Molly had the store ready to open.

I said take the wheel and she did, Lisa said. We rented a U-Haul and started moving things. Shes a little lightning rod.

For a young businesswoman, Molly has already left her mark in several fields. After attending the Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising in Los Angeles, she developed a womens accessory line that was picked up by Nordstrom and enjoyed success nationally.

She has since shifted her focus to retail and developing her interior design business. Her design of the Kapalua home of her pro surfer brother, Dusty Payne, was featured in Maui No Ka Oi Magazine. She completed her latest design project, a house on Oahu, just before the pandemic hit.

I havent seen it finished yet, Molly said.

Molly says it pains her to witness the hardships the economic downturn has caused.

It breaks my heart driving down Front Street, it is so dead, Molly said. I think the community needs to come together and do something. The economy will come back.

Lisa said the decision to move into Paia, where stores have been shuttered, involved making sure they did their best to be good neighbors.

We wanted to be very mindful, to not have overlap with other stores, Lisa said. Weve pivoted. Were trying to cater more to people who live here. We hope we get our tourists back, but were going to fill our space with products for people who live here.

* Matthew Thayer can be reached at thayer@maui.net.

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Creating a zen experience amid the pandemic chaos - Maui News

Let your building dictate the wallpaper

Ben Pentreath, architect

The architect and interior designer Ben Pentreath whose practice has become synonymous with characterful, modern English style suggests your choice in wallpaper should be guided by the architecture of your home.

With a very historic house, Id use period papers that are sympathetic to the building, he says, citing the high-end American manufacturer Adelphi Paper Hangings, which reproduces wallpapers from original documents and hand-prints its designs using contemporaneous methods and materials.

Alternatively, if you are decorating a period room, he suggests choosing a wallpaper that has been in production for a long time. Cole & Son, for example, has been creating patterns since 1875 and many of its contemporary designs are reworkings of historic block-print papers. Often, its a simple tweak to scale and a fresh set of colourways that lend its historic patterns a contemporary edge.

At a less high-end cost, Pentreath continues, I use a lot of Morris & Co papers, as these seem to belong beautifully in houses of all periods. Pentreath has spent the summer recolouring a selection of Morris & Co wallpapers and fabrics. The new collection is set to launch this autumn and will no doubt combine the lushness of William Morriss 19th-century designs with Pentreaths peppy approach to colour.

If your architecture is more neutral, then Id say the sky is the limit when it comes to mixing styles, he says. By all means go bold and rich, but be careful not to overdo it in space which you spend a lot of time relaxing in, he cautions. Id tend to choose something calm and more neutral in my bedroom, such as the brilliant dragged papers by Farrow & Ball but then go wild and have fun in the hallways, WCs and guest bedrooms. benpentreath.com

Clare Gaskin, interior designer

When clients say they dont like wallpaper, most of the time I ignore them, admits interior designer Clare Gaskin. Often, its simply because they havent been exposed to enough of it. Thats my job: to sift through the options and find whats appropriate.

For Gaskin, wallpaper is both functional and decorative. On a recent project, she was confronted with an awkward anteroom dissected by four sets of doors. To unify the space she papered the walls and the doors in Cole & Sons Clock Court.

She has also used wallpaper to make a feature of plain doors. One of my clients had a sliding door that separated the dining room from the kitchen, she explains. We papered it in Cole & Sons Antique Mirror, which gave the door the appearance of a vintage foxed mirror. Now when you draw the door across, it functions more like a piece of art. (For papered areas that are going to be frequently touched, she recommends applying a coat of decorators varnish.)

Gaskin has also recently used faux grasscloth, such as Chandbali by Villa Nova, in several projects. These vinyl coverings have the textured appearance of natural grasscloth, which is made from handwoven strands of natural fibres and is both delicate and expensive.

Im always recommending textured vinyl beyond the kitchen and bathroom, she explains. Particularly in busy households with children. Why not have something that looks just as good as an expensive covering, but that you can take a sponge to should something happen? claregaskin.com

Ottoline de Vries, wallpaper designer

Five years ago, Ottoline de Vries quit her job at a law firm in Amsterdam to launch her eponymous design house. While decorating my childrens rooms, she recalls, I suddenly found I had so many creative ideas.

De Vries spent her evenings scouring the internet for wallpaper designs to cover vintage finds, such as console tables and chests of drawers. I guess you could say I became a little pattern-obsessed, she admits. Eventually, she realised that she was looking for something that wasnt available and began sketching her own designs. She sent one of them to be printed and when the roll arrived in the post, she realised she had the makings of a new business.

The Ottoline aesthetic is inspired by an appreciation for modern art and traditional craft and can be described as both bold and naive. Everyone has their own way of looking at things, de Vries concedes, but my advice is to go bold in smaller spaces and use a smaller pattern in larger rooms.

De Vries doesnt recommend wallpapering just one wall in a room. On the contrary, her advice is to paper every surface. A design becomes much more harmonious and demands less attention if you paper an entire room, including the ceiling. De Vries, who has become an expert in hanging wallpaper, has tried this herself at home, but admits finding it physically quite a struggle and suggests hiring a decorator for this particular job.

The final result is completely enveloping like stepping into a gift box. When a room is wrapped in the same pattern, the pieces in it stand out more. It will interest and inspire you without dominating the space. ottoline.co.uk

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How to get the hang of wallpaper to stunning effect - The Guardian

One might find it rather curious that a classically minded interior designer like Matthew Patrick Smyth would leave his beloved 18th-century weekend retreat in Sharon, Connecticut, for a neglected 1970s prefab in the woods. But when he was notified of a price reduction on the listing he had been tracking in nearby Salisbury (Smyth is a self-proclaimed real estate junkie), he didnt think twice. I immediately went to see the property and ended up buying it that same day, says the Manhattan-based Smyth, who also keeps an apartment in Paris. My friends thought I was crazy, but I needed a change and I wanted the challenge of tackling a ranch house like this. The 2,200-square-foot residence, originally constructed for a Pan Am pilot by the custom prefab company Deck House (now Acorn Deck House Company), fell into disrepair after having been rented out for years. The home was a mess, with layers of linoleum, avocado green appliances, a hot tub, a steam room, and a dated stone fireplace, recalls Smyth, although Im sure it was quite the jazzy bachelor pad when it was first built. It still had a good energy about it that I felt right away.

Smyths 1970s ranch, built by the custom prefab company Deck House, is painted in Benjamin Moores Wrought Iron. The designer had previously owned an 18th-century Colonial in the nearby town of Sharon. I wanted something different, says Smyth, and I saw this property as a challenge.

In order to see what he was working with, the designerwhose new book, Through a Designers Eye: A Focus on Interiors (Monacelli Press), comes out this monthbegan by taking down every last bit of drywall to expose the framework. There were so many walls and I needed to find out where the support beams were, explains Smyth. Upon opening up the floor plan, he created a more substantial entry area and converted the attached garage into an office that doubles as a guest room. The latter is now Smyths favorite room in the house, thanks to the best view of the mountains and the addition of a treasured English armchair. A close second might be the new main bath, the pice de rsistance of which is a large soaking tub that looks out onto yet another picturesque pastoral vista.

In choosing the furnishings, the designer flexed his editing muscles more than hes used to. I could pile on the antiques in the Sharon house, but I had to be more careful here, says Smyth. Decor needs to be appropriate for its environment and architecture, but I also couldnt abandon my love of antiques just because I moved to a midcentury-modern house. I didnt want it to feel stereotypical of that era, either. With that in mind, he decided on a mix of his most prized antique and vintage finds alongside custom upholstery, focusing his eye on pieces that were overall visually lighter than the ones I had been living with in my previous home.

Custom walnut tables from RT Facts flank one of Smyths designs for Savoir Beds in the main bedroom. The chair is by Kaare Klint and artworks include, from left, a print by Robert Motherwell, paintings by Sarah Berney, and a collage by Robert Courtright. Many of the artworks in the house are by friends, says Smyth. They really mean something to me.

He started by choosing three key items: A South African captains trunk that welcomes guests in the entry, and a circa-1850 Irish console and a gilded Regency mirror, both of which grace the living area. After that, everything else fell into place, explains Smyth. Its simple, light, and comfortable, yet its still elegant. And theres nothing too precious, enabling guests to feel completely relaxed. The art lining the walls consists mostly of works by friends that Smyth holds near and dear. Acting as your own client can be difficult because the choices are endless, he says. But this house sums up exactly how I want to design at this stage of my career. Its a true reflection of who I am right now.

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Discover an Inspired Mix of Styles in This Connecticut Country House - Architectural Digest

Just in time for the onset of autumn, AD PRO asked industry creatives to share their latest mood boards. From landscape designer Margie Grace's au naturel palette to the monochrome chicness of Kelly Hoppen's current inspirations to Tiffany Thompson's thoughtful reflection on a forthcoming Minnesota residential project, read on for insights into the materials, products, and hues inspiring designers this fall season.

Tiffany Thompson, Duett Interiors

This fall palette was inspired by Yakushima, an island in Japan that is deeply wooded and dense, while still giving a seductive feel. Im working on a project in Minnesota that combines the rustic and deep tones of the Midwest with a Japanese inspiration and philosophy.

The palette has a variety of textures, including a leathered texture finish on a black Brazilian quartzite and a shou sugi bantreated black oak paired with the softness of the Japanese linen. There are rich Italian leathers, Roman clay paints that are soft hues of autumn, high-pile shags paired with dried willow branches, and other foliage from nature.

My favorite addition is a special finish by a Darril Otto that mimics metal. Its so beautiful and it adds a distinct feel. My aim with this mood board is to take on the very nature of fall, generating a distinctive emotional response to the seasonal shift. As the precursor to the likely harshness of winter, fall is one of our most emotional seasons. I am leading with natural materials celebrated in their most unique way.

Brigette Romanek's fall mood board.

Brigette Romanek, Romanek Design Studio

Some people say there are no seasons in Los Angeles, but no matter where I am in the world, the day after Labor Day, I feel a visceral shift toward fall all around me. With the onset of shorter days, warm colors, and the changing quality of the light, I gravitate toward soft, textured fabrics and rich amber huesdreamy year-round, but never better than in the fall! The relationship between indoor and outdoor, nature and livable functionality inspires all of my work, and never more than during this season when I love to play off of the warm, glowing quality of the afternoon light, mixing metals and other warm, reflective materials into my design.

To me, the dialogue between harder metallic surfaces, rich hues, and cozy textiles creates the perfect combination of comfort and sophistication, drawing from the beauty we see outside to create interior environments where we want to curl up with a blanket and never want to leave.

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Brigette Romanek, Tiffany Thompson, and Others Share Their Fall Mood Boards - Architectural Digest

Perfectly embodying the countrys wider ethos, Denmarks major design event is democratically open, eco-conscious, highly stylishand influential far beyond Scandinavia. Given the enduring gravitas of Danish design, the forms, color palettes, and materials showcased around Copenhagen from September 3 to 5 are worth taking note of. Heres our pick of seven trends spotted at this years 3 Days of Design that are set to make their mark on the mood of coming seasons.

An essentialist sleeping environment cultivated by Danish bed maker Re Beds.

With a good nights rest becoming the ultimate luxury in 2020, bedrooms have cemented their status as the sanctums of our homes. From essentialist frames and faultless mattresses to buttery-soft sheets, perfecting the components that facilitate our rest and relaxation has become the mission of Nordic textile and bed specialists. Hyped linen label TELKA has recently moved into effortlessly chic sleepwear while Danish bed manufacturer Re Beds recently received "Iconic" status for its fuss-free frame at the German Design Awards, and bed maker Auping sparks delight with its witty frame and fabric color pairings.

Sculptural furniture, manufactured slow by emerging timber brand FORESTA.

Circular manufacturing will soon become the new baseline as sustainability gains a newfound momentum. Across Scandinavia, ever more brands are embedding environmental responsibility into their ethos from day zero. Taking its commitment to UN Sustainable Development Goals seriously, furniture makerMater reveals the results of its pioneering waste-to-value production method: elegant seating made from recycled plastic rescued from the ocean. With its roots in the forests of Central America, emerging slow timber brand FORESTA makes its debut with a line of sustainable, sculptural furniture. In a similar vein, calyah has forged connections with artisans and stonemasons in South India for its Boris BerlindesignedTranquebar Collection of side tables and chairs, offering a new outlet for longstanding craft traditions.

The re-released Bang & Olufsen Beogram 4000 turntable, originally issued in 1972.

Slowly but surely, the bar is being raised for style in home tech design, with speakers looking as good as the sound quality they emanate. Industry-leading Bang & Olufsen have turned to the past to re-release an iconic early design, the Beogram 4000 series, fusing retro aesthetics with cutting-edge audio tech. Danish loudspeaker pioneers Dynaudio distill their sound engineering know-how into compact, cordless speakers that look as good on a kitchen shelf as they do a bedroom windowsill, and because sometimes less noise is moreDESIGN EDITIONS takes the art of audio to the next level with their bold, color-blocked panels that reduce ambient noise and contribute to a cozy atmosphere.

The Pelikan Chair by House of Finn Juhl/Onecollection.

In response to the coronavirus-prompted production slowdown or halt, many design brands are digging deep into their archives to resurface classics formerly out of production, presenting them in a new context. Onecollections House of Finn Juhl opens the doors to its impressive new showroom in the historic former music publishing house, presenting the architects celebrated chairs, while Danish legacy brand Erik Jrgensen updates its collection in the form of a Caseworkcollaboration with interdisciplinary Norwegian designersSnhetta. Vipp, a family-owned business that began in 1939 with a humble pedal bin and has since spiraled into kitchen and furniture design, spent the lockdown transforming its inner-city store into an apartment-style space, Vipp Home, in which its original product still sets the standard.

Stilleben Architects's Section Kitchen, made to be modular and repaint-able.

With our homes becoming spaces for, well, everything, flexibility takes ever greater priority. Furniture and interior accessories are becoming ever more modular, allowing us to scale up or down, accommodate multiple functions, and demarcate our days. No element of our homes is left behind in the movement towards modularity, from scalable carpets by Stockholm-based ALL MATTERS to bookshelves, ranging from classic takes by String to relative newcomers like MOEBEs expansive wall system. Individual pieces, too, are increasing in flexibilitylike the adaptable seating frames of eco-conscious brand TAKT, or Stilleben Architectsnew Section Kitchen, thatbeing hand-paintedcan easily be repainted when its time for a refresh.

Sammode Studio x Pierre Guariche, reissued in collaboration with Mller & Rothe.

Faced with the recurring prospect of long, dark winters, European designers have fine-tuned the art of illumination for warmth, atmosphere, and wellbeing. This year, lighting environment designers are taking cues from architectural history when it comes to scale and shape. Danish heritage lighting manufacturer Mller & Rothe, together withSammode Studio, is reissuing avant-garde 1950s lighting icons by French designer Pierre Guariche, while the latest collection of Slovenian label SENCE takes inspiration from wood veneer lamps conceived of in the early 1960s by then-emerging architects Nives and Franci Vehovar. In a cross-European collaboration, Italian flair meets Danish precision in the ongoing Alphabet of Lightseries by Milanese brand Artemide and Bjarke Ingelss studio BIG.

An avant-garde flower arrangement by Tableau CPH.

Less continues to be more when it comes to adding accents. Interior stylists and accessories brands alike are embracing the power of a singular, well-placed object to set the tone in a room. Bonus points if it serves a purpose, as do a host of exquisite ceramic pieces by the likes of raawiithink smooth jugs in popping colorsand Nanna Egebjergs YNOBI, presented in an exhibition inspired by the Japanese principle of mingei, or the beauty of everyday things, together with Studio 0405and Japanese photographer Maya Matsuura. Accessories designer Louise Roe presents her FUNKI Collection of pots and vases in reference to the Nordic funkis (functionalism) architecture movement, complemented by botanical arrangements courtesy of avant-garde floral artists Tableau CPH.

3 Days of Design takes place in Copenhagen, Denmark, from September 3 to 5 2020. Various locations, admission is free. Program available to view here.

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These Trends Spotted at Denmarks 3 Days of Design Will Shape Our Homes This Year - Dwell

Raise your hand if your "home office" is just a desk and chair in your closet or that one corner of your dining room table. If you've had to get creative to make a functioning workspace at home, you're not alone (even Demi Moore had to move a miniature couch into her bathroom to work on her podcast). With many offices still closed indefinitely amid the ongoing pandemic, it's probably time to upgrade your makeshift WFH setup. Well, now's your chance because Modsy, an online interior design service, is giving away a $1,000 for a home office makeover.

Today, Modsy launched its WFH Glow Up Giveaway for those who are tired of their current setup or those who want help creating their dream workspace. The lucky winner, whom Modsy will choose at random, will get $1,000 Modsy voucher to use toward a total home office makeover. That includes a one-on-one consultation with a Modsy designer who will create shoppable layouts of your actual space that match your style preferences. And to help bring those designs to life, you'll get credit towards home brands like West Elm and CB2.

Entering Modsy's contest is super simple. All you have to do is take a picture or a video of your current workspace and post it on Instagram or Twitter using #ModsyWFHGlowUp. That's it. Just be sure to only apply once as only one entry will be considered per participant. The contest runs through September 22, so you have plenty of time to enter. Modsy will announce the contest winner on its Instagram page on September 25.

In the meantime, get designers' advice on how to set up an impromptu home office here.

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Design is a broad term that can pertain to a multitude of disciplines and processes from graphic design and architecture to interior design, fashion, technology and many other practices. But design is also about creating solutions or abstract systems to discover underlying causes, solve problems, or address specific needs. And although San Diegos organized design community is still developing, several institutions, key partners and designers have collaborated to launch the inaugural San Diego Design Week: a five- day series of talks, tours and workshops that is a citywide celebration of design at large.

Don Norman, director of the Design Lab at the University of California San Diego and author of The Design of Everyday Things, enlarges our idea of design: Everyone is a designer. We design when we change the world to benefit ourselves or the world. Design is a way of thinking a way to change things for good. Design is often confused with art, but it is not art. Art is an expression of the individual artist, but design is about making something that impacts you. Something that is designed for an individual. Its a different mindset.

Don Norman, director of the Design Lab at the University of California San Diego and author of The Design of Everyday Things

(Courtesy photo)

When Norman began his tenure as director in 2014, he was told there wasnt a group of designers in San Diego. However, after some searching, he started to find different groups of designers all around the county. Too often these folks felt isolated and they, too, often assumed that San Diego didnt have a design community, even though there were thousands of designers throughout the area.

Elena Pacenti, dean of the School of Design at NewSchool of Architecture & Design, had a similar impression of San Diego in 2013: The community was a bit fragmented and the different professionals enclaves architects, product designers, interiors, graphics, UX, etc. werent dialoging enough across borders.

Erwin Hines, creative director at BASIC Agency, an independent branding and experience design company in San Diego, confirms this early suspicion that San Diego is definitely viewed as a non-creative town. I think most people have the idea that San Diego is just beaches, beer and surfing, but it is so much more than that. San Diego is home to a very diverse collection of communities and creators.

Erwin Hines, creative director at BASIC Agency

(Courtesy photo)

As with design, problems like this often become opportunities for brand new solutions. Norman started to organize events like Design Forward Summit in 2016 that sought to bring the design community together. Over 600 people attended the first event, and it was followed by another in 2017. Initially, this was about making San Diego the global capital in the field of human-centered design.

Besides the influx of opportunities to study design at institutions of higher education In San Diego, organizations like the Design Forward Alliance were established to promote and facilitate design-driven innovation in the San Diego region.

Design has evolved to become a way of thinking and solving societal issues, and San Diego has no shortage of major issues that require the help of designers.

The main thing about designers is that the first thing we have to do is to understand who we are building for, Norman says. Secondly, we dont want to come in and tell them, Heres your problem, here is what you should do. What we do instead is watch and find the creative people in every community and ask how we can help.

Martha Longenecker, founder and former director of the Mingei International Museum in Balboa Park

(K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

Design plays a particularly important role in San Diego, and events like Design Week help bring attention to this work. Pacenti has seen growth during her tenure in San Diego: I have observed the design community growing and evolving, and Design Week is the perfect example of an initiative that will strengthen the design culture in San Diego and make it accessible and visible to the community at large.

Hines feels there is truly something unique about San Diego design.

I feel like San Diego has a very special place in the world as it relates to design, he says. Its a space that is undefined, which means people are not creating based on a predefined formula of success. I see so many creative solutions across all industries within San Diego that I just dont see happening in other places.

Stacy Kelley, program director for Design Week, says Design Week aims to go beyond the present-day impact of design on Americas Finest City.

With the 2020 theme of Design+, we are considering not only how design shapes the region and our everyday life, she says, but also designs potential to envision a new future. Its an opportunity for conversation and connection, which feels more important now than ever.

As San Diego develops and grows into its role as a design hub, Hines hopes that the design community in San Diego will maintain its local richness and uniqueness, yet become part of the global conversation on design and contribute with solutions that show how design can improve peoples lives and the planet.

Going forward, Normans goal is to make San Diego the World Design Capital in 2024, which will require a substantial effort by the design community to make San Diego a better place to live and work. To be the capital, its essential that that San Diego demonstrate how design impacts every aspect of the city. The combined efforts of the this community will have an opportunity at Design Week to showcase their recent work and potentials in design, he said.

This is just the first chapter, and the hope is that the projects and collaborations initiated this summer will continue to build in the months and years ahead.

When: Sept. 9-13

Online: sddesignweek.org

Daichendt, vice provost for undergraduate studies and professor of art history at Point Loma Nazarene University, is a freelance writer.

The UC San Diego Geisel Library building

(K.C. Alfred / The San Diego Union-Tribune)

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San Diego Design Week celebrates creativity and innovation - The San Diego Union-Tribune