Six Top Interior Designers Share the One Design Element They Can’t Live Without
Photo by Eric Kruk
From texture and lighting to personalization and wellness, these expert designers reveal the one must-have element that defines every beautiful home.
What goes into a beautiful home? The answer spans far deeper and more complex than just good architecture and pretty furniture. Interior designers ingeniously craft homes, relying on their expertise in multiple design elements and principles to perfectly put the puzzle pieces together and ultimately create the stunning interiors we often see in homes today. With lots to consider for each space, I wondered: If our designers had to choose one aspect of design they couldn’t live without when working on a project, what would it be?
Photo by Stephanie Studer at Life Created
Candice Quinn, London Pierce Design:
When taking on a client, Candice Quinn, owner and principal designer of London Pierce Design and London Pierce Home, emphasizes getting to know them and their needs. “We start with a questionnaire for our clients,” she says. “It’s very detailed and asks them questions about their goals, style, inspiration, etc., that allows us to really understand them.”
Quinn highly values the storytelling aspect of design, so the personalization element is one she prioritizes with her clients. “One of our main goals is to create a story for them,” Quinn says. “Everybody’s home needs to be their sanctuary, so one of the most important things to me is creating those stylized moments within the home, and I want them to feel both curated and personal.”
Quinn executes this design aspect by including built-in shelves, cabinetry or a niche feature within the home that will display the client’s valuable and priceless possessions.
Photo by Eric Kruk
Amy Klosteman, AB Design Elements:
Known for her high-end desert contemporary designs, Amy Klosterman, principal designer of AB Design Elements, tends to lean on her love for textural details to enhance a home’s overall appearance. “Texture is enticing—it makes you want to touch something, to cuddle into something, to explore it,” she says. “A tactile wallcovering, a wire-brushed cabinet surface, or a fuzzy soft pillow all invite connection. With lighting, textured beads, rope and glass all diffuse the light differently. Texture also allows you to mix natural woods and neutral colors and still maintain an interesting composition.”
Adding texture to a home not only boosts the visual interest of a space but also opens the door for a tailored experience.
Textures can evoke certain emotions in people such as a feeling of warmth and comfort and these responses can enhance or hinder a person’s experience within a room. When done right, they trigger positive impressions that help people more easily feel a sense of calm, belonging and peace.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: WARM, NATURAL, INVITING: THIS HOME IS A MASTERCLASS IN LAYERED INTERIOR DESIGN
Mary Marsh, Lillian James Design Group:
For Mary Marsh, the founder of Lillian James Design Group, the design element she can’t live without is found in a more intimate part of the home: the bedroom. “One thing I simply can’t live without when designing a home is luxurious, high-quality bedding paired with an exceptional mattress,” Marsh says. “Considering we spend nearly one-third of our lives sleeping, the bed should be the most comfortable and restorative space in the home.”
Photo by Dino Tonn
Investing in high-quality bedding and sleep necessities isn’t only a visual benefit; it also affects your overall health. “Scratchy sheets or a subpar mattress aren’t just minor inconveniences—they can significantly impact your sleep quality and overall well-being,” Marsh points out. “That’s why I always stress to my clients the importance of investing in a sleep experience that feels indulgent, supportive and tailored to their needs.”
Marsh believes that a good night’s rest starts with good design, and a thoughtfully designed bedroom can shift the energy of the room.
Photo by Kevin Brost
Kaitlyn Wolfe, Kaitlyn Wolfe:
Kaitlyn Wolfe is a talented interior designer who is taking the design community by storm with her award-winning designs and passion for her craft. For Wolfe, design starts by deducting how a space will be utilized. “I like to understand functionality,” she says. “When I do a deep dive with my clients, I like to ask them, ‘How will you use this space?’ so I can really understand their lifestyle and living habits.”
After pondering the question about a design feature she couldn’t live without, Wolfe landed on lighting. “I think putting a huge focus on lighting impacts the space entirely,” she says. “It impacts how you feel in it and how you use it.”
Lighting can be manipulated in a space in many ways, whether linear lighting built into the home‘s architecture, decorative sconces or lamps. The impact of lighting is paramount in design. “I can walk into a space and think it’s amazing, but if the lighting is off, it throws off the whole vibe,” Wolfe says.
Photo by Lance Gerber
Rachel Morrison, Morrison Interiors:
Rachel Morrison is the principal designer of the California-based interior design firm Morrison Interiors. She is known for flawlessly incorporating design styles to add depth, warmth and character to homes. Drawn to the philosophy that homes should be visually stimulating and interesting, Morrison can’t live without layering textures into her designs.
“Layered texture adds a lot of visual interest and helps add a richness to a space,” Morrison remarks. “I think overall it keeps a space from feeling flat or sterile.”
Morrison implements this by enhancing the textures in the home’s architecture and construction, whether by adding patterned wallpaper to a space or utilizing interesting fabrics to elevate a room and tell a bigger story.
Working with texture is something that Morrison and her team have mastered, and it has become a signature element in most of their designs.
“I think some clients come to us almost because of that. Layering texture is something we do really well. We’re lucky to have clients who understand that we do this well and want us to explore that in their homes.”
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: EMILY DEL BELLO ON CREATING LIVABLE LUXURY: DESIGNING TIMELESS INTERIORS THAT REFLECT REAL LIFE
Michael Bourque, Michael David Bourque Modern Designs:
Michael Bourque, founder of Michael David Bourque Modern Designs, takes the unique approach of vetting his clients to make sure he and the client are compatible before agreeing to take on a project. “I like to make sure that we’re set up for success and that we could work together well and share the same general vision.”
Photo by Daniel James Ryan Photography
Bourque values how a project makes his clients feel emotion, and that’s why his favorite design element focuses on how the client feels in their home: “It’s more about creating a space that the homeowner feels joyous and happy in,” he explains.
Crafting projects that directly reflect each client’s personality is no easy task. Bourque credits his background in psychology for his innate ability to understand and execute his clients’ visions. “My questions to them don’t revolve around me asking what they like, but rather asking how certain design examples make them feel,” Bourque says.
The result is a highly tailored space that feels authentic and unique to each person he works with.
link
