1.As an Interior Designer at FRCH Design Worldwide, what or who inspired you to be in the design field? 

 

Design has always been a hobby for me. I overflowed creativity as a child from my artistic skills to my musical side and to be honest, I was that kid obsessed with keeping my space clean and up to standard with trending colors. I also have a love and fascination with texture and feeling which is a big portion of what I do as a designer. I touch EVERYTHING. The tactile sensation enhances the human experience, I just so happen to appreciate the design of an interior and how it impacts individuals within the space. FRCH just so happened to be a mentor for me in college so once they saw what I could do in my junior and senior years at the University of Cincinnati’s College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning’ Interior Design program, they snatched me right up for employment.

 

2.How has your personal background shaped your business life in the design world? 

 

I guess you could say my OCD tendencies have paid off and given me an eye for the details. I pay very close attention to those items that are seldom glanced over and forgotten to incorporate and that sometimes can be the difference between a successful project and a poorly designed one. I’ve been a go-getter, self-determined to be not just good, but great at what I do. My early accomplishments as a designer have allowed my peers and supervisors to see what sets me apart from others.

 

3.What daily routines would you attribute to your success? 

 

Coffee. Just coffee. Oh and a good musical break. Everyone has their vice and in the constant flow of work, that escape to rest your mind for even 5 minutes makes so much of a difference.

 

4.Who are three of your favorite designers right now? 

 

Three of my favorite designers – whoa, that’s a difficult choice! I would say that my favorite designers aren’t necessarily individual people, but design groups or the creators of items I use within my industry. For example, I love the Candice Olson designs that she produced in wallcoverings represented by MDC Walls. Beautiful nods to luxury with subtle hints of natural elements. Designers that inspire me at the moment are Nate Berkus and Tom Dixon.

 

5. Why do you feel it is important for the youth and young professionals of the world to be  involved in the world of design? How can we get our youth involved ? 

 

I think it’s important because it creates a lifestyle of meaning and sensitivity to their surroundings. Too much time is spent buried in televisions and on our phones, instead of experiencing what’s right in front of our nose or the space around us. It creates meaning and appreciation for the thought and time it took to create something else for someone else to use. When our youth can see that, and they can make that very creation, they see the impact of how they can influence someone else. They can make the difference.

 

6. What is your signature style?  

 Modern Luxury

 

7. What are some sustainable living design tips? 

 

Are you ready? As a LEED Green Associate, I have many important tips. My big and easy ones are:

·         Watch your water consumption! Use low-flow water fixtures to save water.

·         Use LED lighting, the lifecycle of a single LED outlives any other light bulb.

·         Try to reuse materials to save on cost.

·         Compost your waste, separate food waste from recyclables and other trash. Where it ends up could majorly benefit the environment.

·         Use low VOC products, I’m pretty sure you too don’t like the smell of off-gassing products. Let’s help clean our indoor environment.

 

8. What are some of your favorite design trends of 2018?

 

Well jewel tones are back as well as mauve and pale green, mint if you will. I love the jewel tone trend because there’s a certain regality/drama to those type of finishes. I just attended a conference in Chicago, NeoCon, where “resi-mercial” seems to still be big in the design community blending residential/hospitality spaces within more corporate interiors. So glad to see the primary focus of my work is merging with other sectors of design.

 

9.  What services do you and FRCH offer? 

 

Interior Design, Architecture, Graphic Design, and Branding

 

10. What do you love about the art world in Cincinnati, Ohio in 2018?

 

Well, art is political, as it has always been, but recently it’s provided these bold statements. I partner with a gallery owner and I am fortunate enough to see most of the work she shows at each gallery and let me tell you, art is definitely evolving. It’s not just a pretty picture of a “paysage” or portrait of a figurine. It’s evocative, daring, self-speaking.

 

11.. What art books would you recommend right now? 

 

Art books… Find your favorite artist and buy their book of the latest collection. Tyler Shield’s Provocateur is exceptional.

 

11. What are your favorites from the past week? 

Restaurant: Gibson’s’ Steakhouse in Chicago

Shop: Zara

Read:  (Honestly I’ve been too busy studying for licensing exams so I don’t have a book suggestion at the moment)

Music: Lovely by Billie Eilish and Khalid

 

12. Tell us about something exciting happening in the design scene in Cincinnati, Ohio right now. 

 

My office just won the proposal to do the architecture and interiors for the new dual brand HGI and Canopy on 4^th and Walnut downtown. AND we are finally getting a new Marriott Autograph Collection property downtown called the Lytle Park Hotel. Lots of new hotels are opening up in the downtown Cincinnati area and the caliber is being set pretty high. What’s even more cool to state is the demand of these hotels – Cincinnati has been named as a city in the Top 10 in the U.S. to visit for vacation.

 

13.  A positive and a negative memory of you career?

 

Positive – My first hotel opening of a project I designed. The project was a great success and I continue to be humbled by the raving reviews. The property is called Homewood Suites Louisville Downtown. Negative – the very first project I worked on for a client in Savannah that never got built. A lot , I mean A LOT, of hours went into that project.

 

14.  If you could choose to design anyones house or desired space who would it be?

 

I know who it would not be, me. I would obsess over every detail and I guarantee it would never get finished. But maybe down the road, that may be a possibility. I would love to design a new space for our office. Currently we work in an industrial space North of Paul Brown Stadium. I would love to work in that glass box office with mix of lounge spaces and updated benching stations. I don’t believe a renovation is possible at this point so designing a new space in a planned urban high-rise would be ideal.

 

15.  Where do you find design inspiration?  How do you stay up to date with current trends, technology, and codes?

 

I find inspiration through many mediums: blogs, magazines, Pinterest. To be honest, I find a lot of inspiration from other design sectors like Fashion. FRCH is a member to many publications that feature trends such as Stylus and we hold meetings to update the designers with the current, new and exciting trends. FRCH, a Nelson Company, also urges continued education and staying licensed so many of us professionals are currently members of organizations that keep us up to date on codes and new technological advances.