This interview came about as a goose chase. I was reading a blog about
symmetrical lamps and saw this picture:
and that image led me to Angie Hranowsky's
site, where I found this image:
As I wiped the drool from my chin, I contacted Angie wondering where I could find that coffee table, foolishly hoping it was $20 at Target...alas it's a vintage Paul McCobb table and well past my price range, tragic for me but happily Angie consented to doing a interview with me:
Which came first for you; interior design or graphic design and how do you relate one to the other?
In terms of formal education graphic design came first. I am trained in graphic design, but I've been doing interiors in some form or another since I was a kid. Not professionally of course, but it always came naturally to me and I've always loved it. After a while people were asking me why I wasn't doing it for a living.
When did you know this is what you wanted to do?
I've always loved designing interiors, but decided to incorporate into my existing graphic design business about 5 years ago.
What is your creative process with an interior project? Do you see a space and go home and start thinking and planning or do you see all the potential immediately?
That depends on the project. Sometimes I see the potential immediately, especially if the house has great architecture to begin with. No matter what the space is there is a lot of thinking, research and planning. Even if I have an immediate grasp on the over all vision there is an immense amount of time and thought that goes in to each project.
What is your number one pet peeve you see people do in their homes?
Bad furniture placement and hanging artwork to high or to randomly.
What is the hardest project you've had to date?
Honestly I don't have one project that stands out as being hard. Most jobs are challenging in some way, as they should be, but it's always good. The only way to keep growing creatively is if your continuously being challenged. My biggest project to date was the Coastal Living Idea Home that I designed last year. I designed the entire house so it was hard in terms of the scope of work and had to be completed in a very short period of time. That said it never felt hard. It was one of the best working experiences that I have had to date.
Every era has a revival, Mid-Century, 70's Groovy pads...what do you think will come back of the 90's and 2000's?
I don't know if I have a good answer for this one. Maybe I'm still to close to those periods. I will keep thinking and get back to you.
Do you have any favorite resources?
ebay & 1st dibs
I notice a lot of turquoise accents in your rooms, is that an intentional signature from you or like me, do you just love the color and it just happens?
Probably intentional. I love turquoise, the color and the stone. You will probably notice a lot of shades of purple as well, my other favorite color.
Do you have a favorite style that you lean to, like Mid-Century or Hollywood Regency?
Yes, I love mid-century
How often do you change up your own home?
Not that often actually. I might add new artwork and pottery and move small things around a bit, but I haven't been in one place long enough to really change it a lot. Fortunately I get to do this for a living otherwise I would probably be changing my own house constantly and that gets very expensive very quickly. I do have an addiction to art. I have more art than I actually have wall space. I have lots of things that I love to buy like lamps and chairs, but I can often sell those to a client. Artwork, however, is the most personal to me so I don't' want to let go of it. Someday I might just start rotating it out every once and a while.
I want to thank Angie again for letting me pester her and I
urge you strongly to check out her
site and check out all her amazing work.
all photos courtesy of Angie Hranowsky
