I was honored to be in Vegas for an award party thrown by Boutique Design magazine in honor of this year's Boutique 18, up and coming designers in the hospitality industry!
They put on a fabulous party in full vegas style: Tao: Opium Room: photographers: champagne: and good friends and family!
They also gave us a little ink in the latest issue of their magazine...
asking us five questions:
(of course to fit all of our greatness into one magazine they had to edit... so see my uncut answers below)
1. Briefly, tell us about your background.
As the daughter of an architect, I grew up around design. I did have a pink plastic miniature mayline at the age of six, so I’ll leave it to you to argue nature vs. nurture… I attended Miami University of Ohio from 2000-2004. I fell in love with their program because of the way it was created; the interior design, architecture, and graphic design disciplines were always collaborating. This kind of “design is design” thought process led me to my first design job in Scottsdale, Arizona as a designer for my father’s architecture firm, Callahan Studios, LLC. As I began to explore the industry a bit more, I took a huge liking to hospitality design. Then I discovered BBG-BBGM’s Scottsdale location and have been in hospitality design ever since. I love that our industry covers so many different genres of design: restaurants, lobbies, spas, guestrooms, how could I ever get bored!? Two years ago, I felt inspired to change up my location, so I transferred to the BBG-BBGM office in New York City where I’ve been working on the Rosewood Abu Dhabi Hotel. Most recently, I have accepted an on-site position in Abu Dhabi to oversee the interiors portion of the construction; an opportunity that designers rarely have and of which I am greatly looking forward to.
2. What are your goals as a designer and how do you work those goals into your design?
I love interior design because through it I have an opportunity to interact with people in a unique way by shaping the spaces that surround them every day.
My goals as a designer are to:
inspire people: help them to see the world, or even just their lobby in a way that they might not have otherwise before.
be poetic: give a space depth and meaning, something that goes beyond the magazine photo, full of intimate touches, local style, and a story that guests want to know more about.
be collaborative: in the world of design two heads are always better than one.
be purposeful: create beautiful usable spaces.
travel: I’ve always been an adventurous type, and I love to travel. I think it opens you up as a person and enriches the depth of what you can offer as an interior designer.
inspire people: help them to see the world, or even just their lobby in a way that they might not have otherwise before.
be poetic: give a space depth and meaning, something that goes beyond the magazine photo, full of intimate touches, local style, and a story that guests want to know more about.
be collaborative: in the world of design two heads are always better than one.
be purposeful: create beautiful usable spaces.
travel: I’ve always been an adventurous type, and I love to travel. I think it opens you up as a person and enriches the depth of what you can offer as an interior designer.
3. How has the design industry changed for you and the world in the last year?
Design is creative, but it is also a business. For designers that began their careers post 9-11, this is the first time we are seeing any sort of economic downturn from a professional perspective. It has been extremely eye opening for me to see a design world that is struggling and the way in which we have responded. As a creative individual, I believe that forced change is one of the biggest catalysts for creativity. When you can’t continue doing what you’ve always done, you have to jump off the wheel and ask yourself “what are we really trying to accomplish?” While not every moment in this last year has been pleasant, I think our industry will come out stronger, more efficient, and more creative than ever.
4. What are the biggest challenges young designers face today?
WORKING TOO HARD – Your time is valuable. People will respect your time if you respect yourself. There will always be times where the extra mile requires the extra time, but it shouldn’t be on a regular basis. The last thing you want to do is burn out on something you love
ASK QUESTIONS - If you don’t feel like you know what you are doing, try first and then ask for help. Your team will see you as a proactive member and that you are willing to ask questions and learn.
CONFIDENCE IN YOUR TALENTS – You wouldn’t have gotten this far without it – believe in yourself, and your designs, and people will listen.
TRAVEL - Find time to travel and open yourself up to new experiences, cultures, and activities. Each one adds a layer to the development of your own unique design style. (Although, as my mentor once told me, “As a designer, you might not like every design style, but a good designer should be capable of designing in any style.”)
KNOW THE BUSINESS - If I were to do anything differently, I would have also minored in Business. I think design programs largely under-value the business aspect of design, and thanks to our right brained nature, most designers could use business knowledge more than anything.
5. If you could create anything at all, what would it be?
The most amazing design studio ever known to man…and more time! (double yellow to the max!)
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