Q&A with Purple Cherry Architects’ Lead Interior Designers

Tell us about yourself!
In short, I am a born and raised Annapolitan, Syracuse University graduate, military wife, gym owner, health food addict, Dalmatian mom, and home renovation lover.

Tell us about your design journey. How did you get started and how did you get here?
I fell in love with art and painting at an early age and knew I wanted to pursue a creative career. I still escape to the canvas and paintbrush when time allows. However, I discovered architecture in high school and pursued a five-year Bachelor of Architecture degree with a minor in Interior Design because I craved structure in my career. After falling in love with the world of residential architecture, I found myself most drawn to interior architecture, millwork, and styling, ultimately guiding me towards my passion for interior design.

How would you describe your design ethos?
My design ethos prioritizes comfort and needs with an eye-catching aesthetic! My goal is that each and every space invites you in warmly, but always has a WOW moment.

How do you work with a client to define their needs? What questions do you ask to determine the final look and feel of a space?
I work through my clients’ patterns of living, identifying what didn’t work for them in the past as well as what did, studying wish lists, and viewing concept imagery. Ultimately, I try to form a true personal connection in the early meetings. Sometimes you can learn just as much or even more about a person through casual conversation than you can from a list of questions or a perfect formula.

The more comfortable our connection becomes, the more a client can open up about their vision and desires. Our homes are incredibly personal spaces, and it is important to recognize that my part in that process is also personal. I ask questions such as: Where do you imagine unwinding at the end of your workday? Where will everyone gather when you’re hosting? Do the accessories and art feel personal or curated?

There’s an infinite number of questions that can come out throughout the full design process.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, either personally or professionally?
Doors will open for those bold enough to knock. It is easy to get caught up in the doubts of the “age=experience mindset” or count yourself out prior to even giving yourself a chance. You will miss every opportunity you don’t take, so chase your goals with fearless pursuit – your passion, drive, and talent will speak for themselves.

What inspires you?
Inspiration for me is not static; I’m always finding new pieces and moments that I find inspiring. I find a lot of design inspiration in a unique and reinvented take on an everyday element such as painted patterns on wood flooring or an antique chest restored into a bathroom vanity.

Which design “rule” or idea do you refer to over and over?
Balance weight: you must carefully mix heavier pieces with pieces that feel lighter in weight. For example, pair a plinth base swivel chair with a sculptural open side table or layer a jute rug with a hide. Balance will create a sense of both calm and cohesion in a room.

Any tried-and-true design advice?
The scale of lighting pieces is critical. Too often, people will select pieces that are too small. Lighting makes a huge visual and environmental impact on space.

In your opinion, what’s the one thing that will never go out of style?
It’s too hard to list just one! So, here’s a few: a warm neutral palette, marble, white bedding, and monochromatic styling.

What are five things you can’t live without right now?
Sharpie pens, CrossFit, Starbucks iced coconut milk lattes, my iPad, and my dog Remy.

Tell us about yourself!
I am originally from the suburbs of Baltimore, splitting my summers between the Delaware beaches and the Eastern Shore of Maryland. I grew up surrounded by family heirlooms and and my mother’s exuberant flair for maximalism, where “more is more” was never enough! I have a love of bright colors and patterns and strive to bring the same joy into each of my projects.

Tell us about your design journey. How did you get started and how did you get here?
After earning a Bachelor of Science in Interior Design from The Art Institute, I took an internship at a small boutique firm in Baltimore where I was inspired by the historic homes of Roland Park, the preservation of their unique qualities, and the endeavor to be true to their traditional origins.

From there, I held roles in the merchandising of showrooms and retail stores and ultimately transitioned to a corporate role, designing for a high-end furniture and fabric vendor. It was during this time that I fell in love with the design process and couldn’t get enough of it! Being surrounded by luxury textiles, avant-garde wallpaper, and more furniture frames to select from than I knew what to do with, I realized my passion was for residential design, where I could bring my knowledge of pattern layering, mixing of scale, and love of color to my clients’ homes.

How would you describe your design ethos?
More is more, is more!

How do you work with a client to define their needs? What questions do you ask to determine the final look and feel of a space?
I first want to understand how my clients plan to use each space – do they love to entertain? Or do they enjoy spending time with family conversing or gathering around a large screen to watch the game? How do they live their daily life, are they the type of family that wants to snuggle with their pet on the sofa, or are they lovers of red wine? These are all aspects that will inform how furniture should be laid out, the size and scale of each piece, and the fabric selections.

I am a firm believer that it is so important to balance comfort with design details. Although I enjoy encouraging my clients to go above and beyond in their design decisions, I want to make sure that they are not afraid to actually use the space either. 

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received, either personally or professionally?
Life if not a dress rehearsal. You have to work hard for what you want, go after your dreams, and learn from your mistakes.

What inspires you?
Everything inspires me… it could be an outfit of someone walking down the street, the décor of a beautiful restaurant, the way the light hits the side of a building, or a piece of artwork from a local artist.

Which design “rule” or idea do you refer to over and over?
There are no rules. Design a space that makes you happy and that you want to live in everyday! I make an effort to design each space specifically to the needs of the client, balancing design and function. Each space should feel curated, lived in, and welcoming – just like your favorite pair of denim. To achieve this feeling, I like to balance the new with the old.

Any tried-and-true design advice?
You can never have too many pieces of “legged” furniture in a space, and always watch the size and scale of your furniture!

In your opinion, what’s the one thing that will never go out of style?
I truly think that blue and white décor will never go out of style. Think blue and white ginger jars, a classic navy blue sofa, and the crispness of fresh white linens. Blue and white have been a staple in the design industry for years and will continue to be for years to come. This aesthetic does not fit a “trend” that will stamp in time when a space was designed, but rather will always be classic and timeless.

What are five things you can’t live without right now?
Dirty martinis, my poodle puppy Jonathan, my monthly subscription to Elle Décor and Veranda, my iPad, and the smell of the air just before it snows.