Shop Talk: Interior Design

Custom Wall Decor & Shelving - created for Chicago loft

Question:
I noticed you have a handful of images on Flickr from interior design jobs and I was wondering how you got involved in those projects.

Answer:
In addition to working as a vendor for commercial/residential design projects, I also do my own interior design work from time to time. Not surprisingly, most of this work comes through word of mouth. For a while, I was assisting a friend of mine, Carrie Ratliff of Interior Spaces. I became the go-to for all the custom or site-specific items for each project. I did everything from faux finishes and general interior painting to repainting/finishing chairs to decorative wall pieces. When Carrie couldn't find wall decor she liked or within budget, she would often come to me to create these site-specific items. I found the work enjoyable as a change of scenery from my usual routine in the studio.

Recently, I've been working on a few interior design projects of my own. I receive periodic e-mail inquiries through my website or through other designers. A lot of times, a client will come by my studio to look at art, and in the course of talking I find out that they have a huge design dilemma, i.e. the wrong color walls, mismatched furniture, etc. It's easy for me to step in and help them with solutions to those problems because I have a decent repertoire of decorating skills now. Certainly, there are limitations to my range of services. However, I have the obvious advantage of being able to create, by hand, one-of-a-kind wares for each project. As a side note, I also have a good resource for budget-minded reupholstering thanks to my days living in West Pilsen.

Most recently, I have been working on a residential project in the suburbs including an entryway, hallway, and stairway. This project has included lighting, furniture, and wall decor selection as well as interior painting. The lighting and furniture has all been purchased; much of the wall decor has all been created by hand including:

MirrorFramed Lotus Pattern

Framed Mixed Media Works


These helmets will also be installed as wall decor:



Through the process of working on this home and other projects, I have decided to work toward a modern design collection, specifically a line of pattern-based works on wood for the modern/urban home. Look for more announcements about this in future blog entries.