Friday Guest Blog Interview: Jamie Herzlinger

Hi everyone, I usually have a new blogger to introduce during my Friday Guest Blog Interviews but today I’m excited to share an interview with a designer that has been garnering a lot of great press these days. Since I’m a home owner who dabbles (plays?) in design and am definitely not a professional, I thought her answers to the usual four questions were especially interesting!

Here’s Jaime’s official bio: “Mixing haute casual with modern elegance, Jamie Herzlinger specializes in bringing luxury and comfort to each room she designs. By blending diverse elements and taking her inspiration from fashion and art, Herzlinger uses unexpected design elements to create livable spaces. With offices in New York and Scottsdale, Herzlinger founded Jamie Herzlinger Interiors in 1991. With 20 years of design experience and as a licensed contractor, Herzlinger has designed a wide variety of spaces from demolition to completion.

Stunning!

This year, Herzlinger participated in Kips Bay Show House in New York and worked with NBC’s Open House. Jamie Herzlinger Interiors was also named Top Twenty Interior Design Firm in the country by Traditional Home Magazine and will launch JAMIE, a new design concept that will bring Jamie’s design to clients nationwide.

Herzlinger’s interior design style is classically modern with attention to details, luxury and comfort. Sophistication and subtly also mark Herzlinger’s style along with her love of history, philosophy, music and art imbued in every project.”

Read more about her style, inspiration, favorite trends, as well as her three reader tips after the jump!

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{PDB Interview with Designer Jamie Herzlinger}

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What inspires your design style?

I love the glamour and the dress-up of fashion. I think how you dress is what your home should look like.  The idea of a pair of gorgeous boots becomes a fabulous small gold table in a room. I also love  the beauty of layering. From clothing like a beautiful Carolina Herrera gown, I draw inspiration for design in the form of layered draperies. From accessories, I like to layer different textures and monochromatic fabrics in a room.

What do you love most about what you do?

I have the best job! I get to apply my talent on a daily basis and I make people happy. What more could you want? I also love working will all different types of clients. My day is never the same and I have worked with so many amazing people over the past 20 years. I am also a licensed contractor so we handle all of the architecture of a project. This gives me the opportunity to create a vision for a home’s design and see it through from demolition until a project is completely finished.

What are your favorite design trends?

My favorite design trend right now is grasscloth wallpaper. I use it in many of my projects as it gives a space interesting texture and can be used in many different ways. I like to cut it and quarter turn it on a wall to make a pattern. Layered grasscloth gives a wall unexpected texture without overpowering the space or the molding.

I also love using wood to add interest to a room. From classic patterns on floors to wood tiles and wood imprinted ceramic, wood accents give any room an organic feel.

What are three design suggestions that you would like to offer our readers?

{1.} I love monochromatic color palettes because it is important to design a space that you are going to live in and more importantly experience. Prints can get hard to live with after awhile. Also, solid color fabrics and walls let your pieces of furniture become the most important part of the room.

{2.} Keep draperies simple by using a minimal French pleat, rippled fold or inverted pleats. Stay away from heavy draperies and tiebacks. They look too costumey and unless you have a budget to carry the drama of your drapes throughout the entire room, make sure your drapes are proportional to your furniture. When designing a room it’s all about balance!

{3.} Choosing the right seat depth for a sofa is so important. Make sure your feet can touch the ground when you sit so you don’t feel like the couch is overpowering you. A good seat depth is around 27 inches.

Thank you, Jaime!

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If you loved this interview, check out more great spotlights {and tips & tricks!} from fantastic bloggers