Full Interview
Home on the Range
Berkshire Living — September 2011
What exactly does a designer do?
"There's a technical side to it, and then there's an intuitive, psychological analysis of your client. A designer has to look at the cultural imperative, the cultural influence on the client, and develop forms and function based on their needs and feelings and perceptions."
Who needs a designer?
"Just about everyone could use the input of a designer to help them discover what they could really benefit from in terms of a formal overview of their space and their own tastes. I elicit from people what's inside of them already and draw on that to help illuminate what their environment can be for them. I try to elevate their expectations and their lives by creating an environment that will manifest all of their hopes and dreams."
Were you interested in design as a child?
"I had a small peony garden, and I took great pride in it. I edged it beautifully. I also used to lie in bed and make movement patterns with my feet, symmetrically, bring them up and down and to the right and to the left. And I danced for years, which is hugely instrumental to design, which I never knew until I discovered that flow of moving from one space to another was akin to the beautiful movement through space of dance."
Does it make you anxious to be in a place that is not well designed?
"I really don't care how people live. It's more about how people are. If I sense people are happy in a junk-filled room, and there's lots of activity and stuff everywhere, kids running around, I never even think of walking in there and changing the room. In fact, I've walked into homes that are cluttered to death and yet with some personalities I put more stuff like that in, because of the way that person's brain works. It's all about the individual."
What's your design pet peeve?
"Buying impulsively to fill a void that otherwise should be mulled over longer — which should not be confused with impulse acquisitions that are out of love for the article. And the idea that you can't paint wood."
