I really love what I do. I love all the people I meet, and all the beauty I get the privilege of creating. The joy on my customers’ faces when we solve a dilemma or create just what they wanted fills me with delight. Here are a few of the kind words I heard today:
“Dear Ann, I want to thank you for all of your help on the paint renovation of our kitchen and family room. The kitchen is much brighter, and I believe that the color brings out the granite and back splash better with the paint I chose for the cabinets. The family room has a new vibe which I think will create a more updated aura for our home. I also appreciated your monitoring of the painting job in progress. Sometimes one needs that support. My fractured texts just did not express the proper gratitude for your assistance. Much success in the future. Warm Regards, -S.”
“The best investment I’ve ever made is having a well-known designer come to my modest home just before moving to a new home. I was deeply complimented that a designer of her caliber agreed to work with me. Having photographed her work, I was comfortable with her vision and knew I could trust her to understand my needs.
As a traveled multi-cultural individual with a collection of just plain “weird things” from literally one end of the earth to the other, the old house was a blank palette to place things. It was entirely white, with pops of color and very large prints of our work. Bright, uncluttered, and open – but not livable, and a cold hodgepodge with nothing connected. In every facet of home design I am utterly clueless; I cannot create a beautiful living space that’s, well, livable. I cannot make the connection between form, fit, flow, and function. I am embarrassed to admit that I had purchased 4 dining rooms sets in 5 years because I could not figure out what worked in the space.
As a photographer, I’ve cultivated a well-defined concept of composition, and because of my particular field of expertise, product placement. My job is to make a home look great in photographs, to take what’s there and make it work, hide what doesn’t, avoid the unattractive, capture a delightful moment of color. Again as a photographer, I carefully craft and capture, I do not create.
The value of a professional interior designer like Ann is that they take a detailed look at the way you live, what you like, what you have, and create functional beauty. They know what works and what doesn’t in a particular space. They understand that color, texture, space, and comfort impacts how you live. I understand a two dimensional world, Ann Bridgman, as an interior designer, understands a three dimensional world.
The process was empowering! We spent time identifying the way I lived in my old home, my preferences, my furniture, my art, my things, and importantly, how my family lives. We visited the new home with its sand colored walls, dark floors, and dark stained kitchen cabinets. It was a startling change from the old living space. I simply could not envision myself there. I needed Ann.
Hiring a professional interior designer was an investment that paid me back by saving me days of time, frustration and a significant amount of money by preventing bad choices. I now love the colors and warmth of my new home. Ann encouraged me to paint my dark on dark kitchen a beautiful alabaster and install hardware pulls and lighting that are a perfect complement to the counter tops. She worked out the placement of the major furniture pieces and pointed me in the correct direction to add what we needed.
I now have a welcoming design thread that moves you from the front door to the kitchen that is bright, open, and most importantly – functional. My new home exactly fits my personal tastes, displays my collection of “weird things”, and is completely functional for the way my family enjoys living. It’s well-lit, comfortable, and we live in every bit of it.
Stagers do a similar thing by editing what is there. Stagers capture your vision and work with what you have to create a feeling and function for the space. Real Estate Stagers are really product placement specialists. They understand it’s not about the sofa in the foreground but the window, walls and flooring in the background. From the moment you make the purchase to the moment you decide to sell, trusting your design professional is an investment with great financial return. You’ll save thousands in not making a poor furniture or paint choice. When it’s time to sell, they recognize that a house is an investment and merchandise for maximum profit.
Design professionals are gifted with the ability enrich the way we live and work. As a home owner, I am grateful for their ability to capture a vision not their own and focus on how we live to create a beautiful and livable space. As a photographer, I am grateful for the stager’s ability to work with clients during a stressful time to create an inviting photographable space for me to capture. ” -J.
