Why I am a Designer

I am so happy and proud to present this new series called "Why I am a Designer". It all started with a conversation with a friend a few weeks ago. She asked me, "can you imagine doing this for the next 10 years?" My answer is without question YES! But it got me wondering as to why. Even more than this, it made me wonder why other people do this. So I have contacted friends in the industry to take a few minutes and write a few words giving us all some insight into why they do what they do.

The brief was just that, write what you want, send pictures of what you want, just shine a light on yourself and give us a glimpse of the fire that burns within.

The first horse out of the gate is someone who I have come to know and trust over the last few years. She runs a great business in San Antonio, Texas and does it with such style and grace that it leaves her admirers and competitors standing in the dust, wondering how she does it. Then there is her work. Spare, elegant, and sophisticated are all words that seem overused, but in this case they definitely fall short of the mark. Check out her website to see some more examples of her work.

I was born to color.

My memories of a childhood in barren West Texas revolve around Crayola Crayons and,as I grew older, Town & Country magazine.

In a place where one 's imagination is your best childhood friend,the promise of a new BIG box of crayons at the beginning of the school year made it worth attending.My grandparents home was sheer English elegance ,and my parents was ,typical-for the era ,mid century Danish Modern,so I had an equal dose of both.

Probably because the Texas plains are monochromatic dust beige, both homes carried vivid punches of color.So,I grew up a fearless colorist.

Fashion was too limiting for me,and I was not a patient enough for life drawing classes.So,I gravitated toward the larger perspective rooms and spaces allowed my imagination.

I married young ; we traveled & lived in  Latin America ,Spain,Miami,and Chicago for almost 2 decades.The influences of so many architectural styles and historical cultures had huge emotional impacts on me.

I accepted diversity and realized my passion for all types of design was not a weakness or lack of clarity ,but a strength.I could practice the art of great interior design by staying true to the classical principals of balance,proportion,color,and scale,but I could color outside the lines when it came to style  .

Today,I find myself managing a talented group of  young design professionals under our umbrella at Baxter Design Group where the process is the same,no matter what the scope or style of the project might be.I am  somewhere back in time as I simultaneously straddle  the complete interior design of a pair of  multi million dollar ranch projects and several mid century modern homes in our area,all progressing at the same rate.

I adore my job-my profession-and the advocating of beauty,of enviroment,and of caring for ones self through the creation of a perfect,personal private space in which to live,work,and commune.