The Modern Landscape of Interior Design
Washington Design Center's (WDC) day-long interior design event kicked off Thursday with a champagne breakfast hosted by DC Modern Luxury in the Holly Hunt showroom.
With all showrooms open to the public during WDC Spring Market 2017, guests perused stunning collections of designer furniture, fabrics and home accessories before and after attending topical discussions by leading designers.
The morning's keynote panel discussion featured Liz Levin from Liz Levin Interiors, Maria Crosby Pollard from crosby designs, llc and Georgetown-based interior designer Tricia Huntley from Huntley & Co. Tori Mellott, Traditional Home's senior style and market editor moderated the lively talk about the modern landscape of interior design.
From working with first-time home buyers to embracing social media, each designer shared her unique philosphy and approach.
For Huntley, it's all about asking questions outside the box from the start to find out a new client's personality and preferences, everything from music to art. To deal with "shiny object syndrome," when clients constantly discover something new they want, setting guidelines for the number of presentations is key.
Crosby Pollard, known for her use of bold color, deals with not being pigeon-holed by showing her diverse portfolio, being open and finding "there's nothing I'd never use."
When Mellott asked the panel about what they've been drawn to lately that they'd never thought they'd like, Levin mentioned enjoying "decorating with the whimsical MacKenzie-Childs and faux finishing." On a recent visit to Kansas, Huntley described being enchanted with "a 1970's palette dining room with chartreuse, yellow shag carpet, and brown furniture. It just worked."
With a background in photography, Huntley was quick to share that she loves Instagram. "The trick is to make it cohesive. I also have a blog, which is a good way to curate but the more visual the better." For Levin, "Instagram is an easy way to show work in progress."
When asked by the moderator what they've learned since starting their careers, Levin talked about learning to integrate the "husband experience" to avoid a project being torpedoed at the end without enough prior involvement by the "two voting parties." Huntley explained that she went a little too long on her own, for a year-and-a-half working 18 hour days before getting help. "With 10 years of experience, having had a good education, working for others, and a solid knowledge base, growing my business came organically."