Jan Showers desk. Image from janshowers.com via tobifairley.com

5. I see sunburst mirrors recurring in several of your projects. What is it about this piece that makes them such a successful part of the design?

Funny, I just mentioned the Baker mirror and now this question! J I am pretty consistent in the things I love. They are typically classic pieces rooted in traditional design even if they are clean in their presentation. I rarely tire of things even if they experience a popular phase, the things I look are always classic in my opinion! Things that fit this bill for me are the greek key motif, the sunburst mirror, and classic animal print if done well like the Bergamo and Brunschwig Leopard velvets! So for me, sunburst mirrors are classics! I especially still love the antique versions from the 18th and 19th century. I often buy these for clients on 1st dibs! I love the round and graceful lines of these mirrors and they are often a nice accent to my interiors which are often filled with straight lines. They also seem to be a perfect fit for some hard to accent places like over beds, so they are good solutions to some challenging spots. But like anything else that is popular, there are gorgeous and sophisticated versions of the sunburst and then there are imitations that get the scale and proportions all wrong!

Image Courtesy of TobiFairley.com

6. Which of your projects have been the most memorable to date?

I love the bedroom for the 2007 Susan G. Komen Build for the Cure Designer House. Not only was this project for a great cause that is dear to me and my family, my husband’s mother died of breast cancer, but it was also my first project published in Traditional Home Magazine! I would say it is also one of my most admired interiors. The cool color palette is appealing to almost everyone!

Image Courtesy of TobiFairley.com

7. Do you have any advice for interior designers in the beginning of their careers, and what do you think are the main components to stay competative in today's market?

Those who know me know that I always have tons of advice! J I come by it honestly from my mother! I am a fan of formal education and certification. I know that there are many, many great designers that did not take this path and I admore them and their work. But for someone who is starting out in this field, I think a design education is so helpful and I think it is beneficial for the public for designers to be educated in the health, safety and welfare of their clients.

I give talks on how to stay competitive in this market and the top 3 things I discuss are:

1) building a unique brand
2) extreme customer service
3) building a strong company infrastructure.

As you know, I am a huge proponent of using social media and networking to build your brand. It has worked beautifully for me. I think customers are no longer willing to pay high price unless they get personalized service to match and I have learned the hard way that it is impossible to successfully grow a design firm without setting up a sound infrastructure for your company. I am a huge fan of using business consultants and experts to help make this happen. But the very first place to start of you are opening your own firm is by reading the book The E-myth revisited by Michael Gerber! And they all need to keep in mind that opening a firm is about 90% business and 10% creative! Many creative people are not great managers and I think this is the hardest part about owner your own business. I have an MBA so I have a good deal of management training. So getting some experience manager others in a large design firm would be great practice for managing your own firm.