Tell us a bit about who you are what Curio Design Studio is?

I’m Allison and I am an interior designer and owner of Curio Interior Design Studio. We work with homeowners and small businesses to help elevate the level of their renovation project and eliminate overwhelm that is associated with such a big project! We work both locally with clients in Marquette, MI and virtually with clients all over the world (with projects from Israel to Guyana).

How did you get started? What inspired you to become and interior designer?

I have had a long path to this point! I graduated from Michigan State in 2008 with a BA in interior design and a BS in retail merchandising. From there I moved to Chicago and worked 1st for a custom furniture designer and then for an Residential design company – you know HGTV’s Alison Victoria—she was my boss . From Chicago I headed back to Michigan, taking a commercial design job at a company based out of Holland. After about a year of working there my then boyfriend (now husband) got a job offer in Europe and asked me to go with him. The quick answer was DUH YES! We packed up and moved to Norway and started what would be a 7 year adventure living overseas! During that time I worked remotely for the commercial firm but in 2012 launched Curio purely as a side hustle.

I don’t honestly know what “inspired” me to become a designer. I think I always knew I wanted to do something creative, but quite honestly didn’t really know this was a job. My first year at MSU I went to a fair to explore majors and saw Interior Design as an option and thought it looked interesting so I signed up. Thinking back to my childhood, I was definitely that kid that was always rearranging my room, redecorating my walls, trying to design my own wallpaper out of magazine clippings etc. So I think it was probably in my blood.. I just didn’t know it!

What are some up and coming decor trends?

Every year we do a trend prediction for the coming year. This year we are predicting a lot softer/warmer colors and a resurgence of beige and cream tones. We also think there will be a big move towards curved shapes, both in furniture and in architecture. Full trends prediction post is here: https://curiodesignstudio.com/interior-design-trends-2020/

Do you tend to follow trends/popular design tactics or go with your own unique style?

I tend to do a mix of trend + classic with a splash of whatever feels important to my client. My tip is to go classic with anything that is expensive and/or built-in. The goal is to have those type of items have the most longevity in your space because they are expensive or difficult to swap out. Go trendy and bold with things that are inexpensive or easier to change. This would be things like wall art, pillows, table lamps etc.—things that are non-permanent and can easily change with your tastes. For client’s I try to focus less on my unique style and more on trying to find out what THEIRS is. Some things that some people would categorize as trendy might be something another client might consider a classic design element that they know they will consistently like over time. Design is all subjective! We blogged about it a bit more here: https://curiodesignstudio.com/trend-vs-classic/

What ideas do you have to make your whole house flow smoothly?

My house DOES. NOT . FLOW. SMOOTHLY. And that is ok. It’s the reality of life. Rarely is a whole house done completely from reno down to furniture in one fell swoop. The main idea to have your whole house FLOW SMOOTHLY, is to have a PLAN! Design is fluid and we want to always be moving towards our end goal—which can be clearly defined in an overall Color scheme/ décor plan for your house. Some actionable tips to make that happen on a smaller scale are : Limited finishes. Keep wall colors between 3-5 colors total for your whole house. Try to use 1-3 types of flooring throughout. Mixing metals is fine to create depth in a design but keep finishes consistent between families, ie: all lighting in one metal finish, all hardware in another metal finish.

What advice would you give someone who is wanting to get into interior designing?

Be a dentist. Just teasing---but seriously design is A LOT more than just having the eye to match colors and patterns. The day to day involves a TON of organizational skills, clear communications strategies, ability to take criticism and think on your feet. If you want to be an interior designer I would suggest supplementing that course work with courses in finance, small business management, and even courses in building codoe or construction management, because that will really set you apart from other designers.

What is an all time favorite project you have worked on?

Probably the East Michigan Master. One, because it was the first official project I did with my husband when he joined the Curio team. And two, because the client was such a joy, was completely open to the process and let us really shine with our expertise. And also—because she let me paint a wall black in her bathroom. https://curiodesignstudio.com/project-reveal-east-michigan-master/

Where can people find you online / get in contact with you?

We are most active on Instagram! But all of our service offers + weekly blog updates can be found here: https://curiodesignstudio.com/ and the most fun space to interact with us is withi my facebook group Curio Collaborative where people can post photos off their own design dilemmas and get feedback from designers and design enthusiasts!

Feature Friday: Home Design Tips with Curio Design Studio