Portfolios

After 37 years as an interior designer, what does one expect to see in my portfolio?  The interesting dilemma is when my career began.  It began before computers, before digital cameras, during a time when a Kodak's Instamatic camera was king.  How does one retrieve a body of work showing not only the evolution of my personal projects over the past 4 decades, but also how technology has revolutionized the entire design process from information retrieval to methods of presentation and archival documentation. 

Fortunately what still remains from the deep past can be scanned and made interesting through our current options of powerpoint and publisher.  Now, who is interested in a seasoned designer?  EVERYONE.  I told my niece once that the hardest thing I do everyday is get up in the morning and try to walk out of the house not looking like I am stuck in a decade somewhere.  When that occurs my audience will be defined, something I have fought hard to avoid throughout my career.

The most commonly asked question is "What is your style?"  My style...my style is hardsurface flooring that flows through the space so furnishings from different venues can occur without shocking the system.  There was a time when builders were required to install hardwood floors.  In the 60's wall to wall carpet was promoted as the luxury flooring and the hardwood was covered up.  A campaign suggesting it was too much work to maintain was put out there, possibly by the oil companies since the primary composition of carpet was based on petro chemicals.  People bought into the marketing and hardwood floors were in a "cover up".

With the popularity of hardwood, tile, decorative concrete and stone, once again design could expand easily in the average residence allowing a variety of styles to live happily together.  That is my style; personal spaces that endure.