A former English teacher and native of New Hampshire, I like to combine my love of learning with an appreciation of natural beauty in many of my endeavors. I am as apt to get lost in the pages of a well-worn novel as I am in the aisles of home and craft stores. My sense of style began to take shape as a child and was distinctly influenced by my parents, who founded the natural textile company Garnet Hill. My home has become my canvas; it is a place that remains in flux, allowing the ongoing evolution of my sense of design. I believe that finding your true style isn’t necessarily about remodeling an entire house or space, but rather can be as simple as incorporating a few meaningful pieces to create an expressive, personal environment. To me, interior design is a place for me to intertwine my passion for design and the beauty of creation. Combining the aesthetics of home dÊcor with the timeless art of written communication, I hope that this will be a place of continued discovery into the things that bring me inspiration. Aside from my love of all things design, I love animals (I have seven of them), the English language and all its nuances, travel, and photography.
Mark and Janessa Windemere are a married couple who live in the Main Line area of the Philadelphia suburbs. Mark manages a hedge fund while Janessa runs The Hive, one part of her family’s charitable foundation. They have three college and post college-aged children with whom they spend holidays and love to travel. They are well-connected within the community and have large extended family with whom they are extremely close. Recently, they purchased a vacation home on the Isles of Palms, South Carolina, and are looking forward to having family and friends visit frequently. While they do throw large parties on occasion, they are more apt to have dinner parties and gatherings of 30-50 people. Mark would like to be part of the design decisions but he is also happy to allow Janessa to be the point person for the renovation and trusts her sense of style and decision-making skills as long as he has a private office/study from which to work that suits his needs and has a more masculine aesthetic. They are looking to integrate a neutral coastal palette with pops of color blending their Northern roots with some Southern Charm.
The Windemeres’ vacation home will combine the Traditional with the Modern, the North with the South, the masculine and the feminine, while taking into account the pertinent need for spaces that can accommodate large groups of friends and family.
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DESIGN CONCEPT boutique is focused on providing the parents of newborns, infants, and toddlers with the foundation to inspire a healthy start for the whole child while also supporting the parents' well-being.
The Game Café is to be the lounge, café, and workspace for Kathy Kuo Home-a
furniture, décor, and lighting company. The aesthetic is one that implements the company’s own furnishings upholstered with commercial grade fabrics. Through the repurposing of furniture that already
exists, the company is maintaining its commitment towards sustainability practices. While Kathy Kuo Home represents a variety of design styles, the French bistro style of the café is also the inspiration for the eating area and lounge spaces.
Juliette Leleu is a 64-year-old former bank executive who has recently purchased a pied-a-terre in Vienna, Austria where she spent many years during her career in finance. She is incredibly fashion forward and is looking to have her apartment represent her interests in design, art, and music. Her style leans towards richness: in textures, fabrics, colors, and finishes. She has worked hard and inherited money that she invested wisely. She loves hosting parties for her close friends and believes that no meal is complete without the perfect complementing wine. Her kitchen and her wine collection are incredibly important to creating the space that she desires.
The concept for the Leleu pied-a-terre is to integrate the
owner’s passion for art, design, and wine through the use of rich colors and textures implemented through an Art Deco aesthetic.
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As a visual learner, the use of a rendering program like SketchUp has been incredibly beneficial in my own ability to conceptualize and create spatial relationships. The three dimensional representation of a space is also helpful in the client’s comprehension of the suggestions and directions that we, as designers, have been hired to provide them. By importing furniture, textures, and accessories to represent their choices, the client is able to visualize and “be” in their own space even before it has been realized.
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For the past ten years, being part of my own home renovations (interior and exterior) has taught me a lot about various aspects of the business and has been integral in my desire to work in the interior design industry.
The Design Concept for Jessie’s Lane was to update the overall aesthetic of the home from a more masculine, contemporary feel to a lighter, airy farmhouse vibe. This project involved a gut remodel of the master bathroom and kitchen along with painting of the entire home and cosmetic changes such as new windows, stone, beadboard and coiffered ceilings, and refinished flooring.
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The Design Concept for Jessie’s Lane was to update the overall aesthetic of the home from a more masculine, contemporary feel to a lighter, airy farmhouse vibe. This project involved a gut remodel of the master bathroom and kitchen along with painting of the entire home and cosmetic changes such as new windows, stone, beadboard and coiffered ceilings, and refinished flooring.
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The Design Concept for Oak Knoll was to bring color and pattern while maintaining the integrity of a historic home. The high ceilings and architecture added a beautiful dimension to the space. This project involved a gut remodel of the master bathroom, a living room fireplace and bookshelf surround, and painting of the entire home. Other cosmetic changes included backsplash tile and wallpaper and refinished flooring.
The Design Concept for Oak Knoll was to bring color and pattern while maintaining the integrity of a historic home. The high ceilings and architecture added a beautiful dimension to the space. This project involved a gut remodel of the master bathroom, a living room fireplace and bookshelf surround, and painting of the entire home. Other cosmetic changes included backsplash tile and wallpaper and refinished flooring.
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The images on the following
two pages are a sampling of my interest in the combining of text and images to create visually appealing layouts for projects and marketing materials. All were created using Canva and Publisher.
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These are examples of products that I made by hand and sold from my website for a few years and is a hobby that I hope to get back into in the near future.
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