"As a child, I would play in the woods behind our family home. Sticks, leaves, flowers, rocks, and other found items would become makeshift decor for my playhouse. I still look to nature for inspiration for bookcase items or color palettes. One can never go wrong when choosing colors found in nature. I often paint ceilings to mimic the sky even if the rest of the room doesn’t have any blue in it.”

“I also like to use original art in my projects. If a client has art that is special to them, we’ll often start with that. Sometimes we go gallery hopping to find a piece as our jumping off point, but often we’ll design the room and then add the art at the end. Regardless of what you have heard, the art doesn’t have to match the interior. Art can make a statement or be the conversation point of a room.”

“My travels are also a huge inspiration. When I visit other countries, I always want to bring a token of their culture home with me. Textiles, art, and items found only in those countries bring a global influence into interiors that one cannot recreate without travel.”

 

Decorating 101:

• Buy the best quality of any home furnishings you can afford and you’ll only cry once. If you love it, you will love it for years!

• Keep your large pieces of furniture neutral and bring in the expensive designer fabrics in a pillow to keep costs down yet add that punch of pattern every room needs.

• Don’t forget the ceiling when designing a room. It is the fifth wall and often a place to pop color or wallpaper pattern for interest.