According to Christine

I’m not a Designer

I say it all the time, I’m not a designer. Naturally, people would assume that I am, because after all, I do work for Bria Hammel Interiors. However, let me clarify. I am the Operations & Marketing Manager. My job, is to make sure our interior designers have systems and processes in place so that they can design, create and install beautifully crafted spaces. I won’t bore you with the ins and outs of my job. Although, I will say that prior to joining this Saint Paul based interior design firm, I had no idea what an interior designer’s job really entailed, so my position became a whole lot more dynamic than what I anticipated. Due to this, I’m constantly learning about the trade.

Most people would agree that when they think of interior design, lavish, luxurious spaces come to mind. Large scale homes, with extravagant finishes, high-end appliances and extraordinary decorating is what interior designers are known for. I certainly thought of them this way. These perceptions are accurate, but selecting beautiful pillows, vases and paint colors are a minor responsibility of a designer. With that said, I anticipated tracking product, scheduling furniture selections and managing our client communications. What I didn’t realize is how meticulous the designer has to be. Every square foot and item calculated to scale, thoughtfully designed and carefully selected. The process starts from the moment we meet a client, and if we do our jobs right, we nurture the relationship through the lifetime of their home.

Since I am in the throes of learning the interior design industry, I thought our readers would appreciate my non-designer insight. Sharing what I’m learning, how I support my design team, and my perspective of this fast paced, ever evolving interior design industry seems to help our clients understand the larger picture. It’s the one thing I can actually scale for them. With that, I will wrap up my introduction into the design world, with much more to come. Till then.