Since the opening of our new Bellevue location, we have gained a group of amazing Designers. We want to introduce them to you and their work. so we are starting a Question and Answer area of our blog! This first Q and A is with Lori Broznowski, she gives great insight into the life of one of our Designers and also how Lori herself prepares for each of her projects. Seldens is so lucky to have Lori as part of our staff, her work is stunning.

Q: What made you want to become a designer?

This is a funny story. I was a college student, dutifully doing my statistics homework, when I happened to spy an Architectural Digest magazine on a nearby table. I had a lightbulb moment, I think. I realized that the best way to put this renaissance woman to work would be to put her in the design field. So many different disciplines come together in the world of design to make a great interior. I can live in the textile, color, rug, art, and history worlds simultaneously! What could be better?

Q: What does your typical day look like?
Typical? There is no such thing! Part of why I love design so much is that every day is completely different! I never know who may walk in the door and what they might need, or where I might go in a given week. Every day presents new challenges, new projects, and new perspectives. One day I may be working on a space plan using a client’s new and existing furniture, another I may be staging a home with a car load of accessories form the store. One day I may be choosing paint colors for a new home, or choosing fabulous furnishings. Just recently I helped choose 40 pieces of art for a client’s apartment building! I just never know!

Q: What are some of your favorite trends right now?

I love that furnishings are starting to be available in such unconventional finishes and forms. Instead of a side table I may choose a stump of petrified wood! Instead of a usual formal finish on a dining table, I can choose something more relaxed, stained, cerused, or even metal and cement. Instead of a standard grass cloth wallpaper, I may choose a faux bois in a bright color.

Q: What is your ideal client like?

It is always so invigorating to work with a client that has their own sense of style. I feel like I can feed the fire, and can make their ideas 100 times better. I have so many resources to share with a person who already has an idea of where they would like to go! My clients inspire me! I like to think the relationship is mutual. 🙂

Q: What Design Rules do you use and what do you pass on to your clients?

I worked for David Weatherford for 13 years when I first came to Seattle. He had so many classic quotes and so many design rules that he would share with his clients. One of my favorites was, “Color is what you put it next to”. Of course any color is absolutely affected by what is closest, so always choose paint color in the home, always choose textiles for a room with the actual swatches in hand and at once, always think “Big Picture”. Just because a rug or fabric looks great in the store doesn’t necessarily mean it will read well in a home!

Q: What do you believe is your strongest skill when it comes to designing the interiors of a home?

Communication is essential! I really try to listen to my clients to understand how an interior will enhance their lifestyle and current home. I like to think that I can create a comfortable, timeless, and chic interior for my clients by getting to the core of what makes them tick! I spend much or as little time as is comfortable, here in the store and in their home to really get to know what inspires them and what is comfortable for them.