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Interview with Kathie
Q. HAVE YOU ALWAYS HAD THE DESIGN BUG?
A. Absolutely! As a child, I was very involved in decorating my room and wanted to select the paint colors, carpet, and anything else for that matter and I was only 8 years old. I’ve always helped my family and friends when furnishing and decorating their homes because it is something I have just always had a natural eye for. To be able to look at a room and envision the potential and advise my family and friends on what to do when they seemed to be so lost was a very fulfilling feeling.
Q. TELL ME ABOUT YOUR CAREER BEFORE BECOMING AN INTERIOR DESIGNER.
A. I began my career working for a custom furniture store, I then worked as a civilian in the air force at the family support center, I then worked for NASA as a financial and resources analyst. After my husband retired from the Air Force we moved from Maryland to Orlando to begin the next chapter of lives. At that time, I decided to pursue my passion of Interior Design, by purchasing a Decorating Den franchise because it allowed me to do what I loved while having the flexibility to be involved with my daughter’s activities. It is hard to believe Golson Designs has been operating in Orlando since February 2006 and I am so thankful I decided to take the leap and follow my passion!!
Q. WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE DESIGNS STYLES?
A. I appreciate all the styles as they all have beauty and functionality within different spaces, but if I must pick a favorite, I can only narrow it down to two. My favorite styles are contemporary and transitional. What I absolutely love about the contemporary style are the clean lines and uncluttered feel the room presents when you step into it. I am a very organized person so clean and uncluttered spaces are where I am able to focus best. It is only natural that I am drawn to contemporary design because it mirrors my personally. On the other hand, I also love the transitional style because it does follow much of a contemporary style with the simplicity and straight lines but there’s an addition of interesting textures, wood detailing, and warm tones that add depth to this timeless look.
Q. TELL ME ABOUT THE PROCESS YOU USE WITH YOUR CLIENTS.
A. Upon the first meeting, I like my clients to give me what I call the “dream room tour” of their home. This is essentially the client taking me on a tour of their entire home and explaining what their dream vision is for every room of the house if time and money were no object. I do this with every client. No matter the budget or the design job. I will repeat for clients who only want their living room refurnished and I complete this activity with clients who want to completely furnish a new home. This “dream room” tour allows me to understand what the client’s passionate about. If they are using similar colors or design styles, I know these are important and a favorite to them. It also provides a more relaxed environment for the client to open up, be direct, and be creative in their description. I have found this activity is my go to for getting a glimpse of their vision so we can achieve their dream space together.
Q. HOW LONG DO YOU TELL A CLIENT A TYPICAL ONE-ROOM PROJECT WILL TAKE?
A. While the timeline for a project with this scope can vary, I would say the average time is about 6-8 weeks. This is the average because typically we meet 2-3 times before ordering any products. Then once everything is ordered it takes a couple of weeks to ship to our studio. Once we receive the items we are able to quickly set up a time to deliver. This timeline will be longer for custom products as the manufacture’s lead time is serval weeks.
Q. WHAT DO CLIENTS LIKE ABOUT WORKING WITH YOU?
A. They can get ahold of me, I listen to them, I take their wants, budget, and style into consideration when designing but ensure that the design is beautiful. Also, I am diligent about working within a budget. I don’t show up and show a beautiful design, have my client fall in love with it and then tell my client the design is 40% over budget.
Q. WHAT SHOULD A NEW CLIENT KNOW ABOUT GOLSON DESIGNS?
A. I truly love my team. It has become a family to me where we celebrate birthdays, holidays, and accomplishments together. This atmosphere is something I have strived for since adventuring into this industry 13 years ago and I believe that translates into the relationship we have with our clients. From their initial phone consult with our office assistant to their in-home experience with a designer, they truly are cared about every step of the way. We make sure here at Golson Designs that we are reachable and keep the client updated throughout the process. We listen and are proud that we are able to create a space the client has been dreaming about instead of taking over and creating a space we have dreamed about. I know many clients have left an impact of my life and I hope I have left the same positive impact on theirs.
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