Although the Internet has made it ridiculously easy for homeowners to view home design products and scroll through thousands of interior design images, there is still an art to pulling everything together, so a room is both functional and authentic to the homeowner’s sensibility. This is where a good interior designer earns their keep. They understand that getting to the final results requires collaboration on many fronts. Being able to play part conductor, part producer and part listener, let’s them orchestrate beautiful results.
Today, we talk with Debra McBride, the owner of McBride Design of Manchester, New Hampshire, who can play all of these parts with tons of personality and pizzazz. She was a finalist in the Ultimate Bath Showrooms Fall Design Competition and is a graduate of the New Hampshire Institute of Art with a certification in Interior Design. Her work focuses on mixing heirloom with contemporary, patinated with glossy, and steam-lined with romantic with end results that are always comfortable, fresh, timeless and exuding warmth.
photo by Tanya LaCourse - Violet Marsh Photography
What lead you to interior design?
- My mother encouraged creativity and gave me free range with crayons, paints, … Because my mom was a seamstress, there were always beautiful fabrics hanging around. My love of colors, fabrics, and design definitely started at an early age. I also was busy rearranging our living room for fun. My BIG AHA moment came in middle school: Mom gave me free reign to redesign my bedroom! I received rave reviews from all my friends!
How do you help clients reach their goals?
- It definitely begins with a conversation and lots of listening on my part as well as a walk through of the client’s current home and sometimes a peek into their closet! I also give fun homework at the start: I bring along a dozen or so home design magazines for them to peruse, tear out, and create their own personal files of likes and dislikes. This is a great starting point and a way to hone in on what they wish to see in their home. We then begin with whatever the project consists of—a renovation, a redesign… The most important key is honest, consistent dialogue between the client(s) and myself.
What are some of your favorite product lines?
- In bath/kitchen—I Iove the Kohler, Kallista, and Grohe lines.
What kind of role does the showroom play in your design process?
- Taking clients to a bath/kitchen showroom is a huge benefit! They are able to see and touch the products. A client can test-drive, so to speak, a faucet’s handle, they can see what the finish on a product looks like. Most clients who seek out an interior designer do so because they need help in visualizing what their room, or on a smaller scale, what the faucet they like will look like with the sink they like. In a well-outfitted showroom, such as The Granite Groups’, they can walk through different vignettes showcasing product lines. It’s a lot like walking into a friend’s home—they can to see for themselves how the bath/kitchen looks and works, and they can ask questions.
How do you interact with the showroom representatives?
- The showroom rep’s knowledge is invaluable to my clients. The showroom reps. work day in and day out on their product lines. It’s their niche to be informed and up-to-date on all the products that they carry and how they work, what the pros and con’s are of their merchandise.
Are homeowners better informed today about products than they were five years ago?
- A resounding YES! The Internet provides copious amounts of information on products, cost, availability, and consumer reviews all at a client’s fingertips.
Where do most homeowners need help with their design projects?
- Clients need help in visualizing how all the elements in a room/home will cohesively look. Clients also rely on a designer’s expertise in colors/paints as well as in space planning.
Has the Internet changed how you do business?
- The Internet has absolutely changed how I do business. First off, clients are tech savvy and jump online to research anything design-related. They can even shop for their designer, as many designers have web sites clients can take a look at prior to a phone call. Design blogs and sites specializing in interiors are all around the net, (houzz, tumbler, pinterest) for interior ideas. I have clients who have created their own pinterest boards before we even meet! I love that! Clients have become extremely savvy in their design research and knowledge. It is in the execution where they need the most assistance. Clients never even need to meet and work their designer in person, as there are some designers who offer e-design service. I have worked with one client in this manner on her Virginia condo. Everything is done on-line and through email communication—AND it worked out beautifully!
What do you see as coming trends for 2013?
- Continued thoughtful design, the integration of technology, as well as green and sustainable conservation. In kitchen and baths. I also see more companies, like Kohler for instance, partnering up with reputable designers offering a “designer line” of products. For instance a few designer-company partnerships like, Jonathan Adler for Kohler, Barbara Barry and Laura Kirar for Kallista, are providing consumers with a more specialized, custom-feel, as well as a lot more choices in products.
A Look at Debra’s Work:
photos by John Hession - Advanced Digital Photography
To see more of Debra’s work, go to http://mcbridedesign.squarespace.com/
For more information about the Ultimate Bath’s showroom services, visit us at www.ultimatebathstore.com.
