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<h1>Q&A with Leanna S. Farrell</h1> <p><font size="1"><span class="title"><i>Reprinted from <a target="_blank" href="http://spacesonline.com/">Spaces</a> Magazine, January/February 2007 issue.</i></span></font></p> <div align="right"> <table border="0" cellpadding="4" style="border-collapse: collapse" id="AutoNumber1" align="right" cellspacing="4"> <tr> <td><A HREF="JAVASCRIPT:openPopImg('images/leanna1a.jpg','Photo','193','310')" onMouseOver="return setStatus('Click to display picture.')" onMouseOut="return setStatus('')"> <IMG border=0 SRC='images/leanna1.jpg' ALT='Spaces Magazine Photo' width="125" height="201"></A></td> </tr> <tr> <td> <font size="1" color="#FF9933">Click image to enlarge.</font></td> </tr> </table> </div> <p>Never one to take the traditional route, Leanna S. Farrell enjoys finding creative solutions to design dilemmas and has sustained an enduring career by drawing inspiration from her gratifying clientele<br> <br> <span class="title">Story by Karen Hufford</span><br> <span class="title">Photos by Rob Downey</span><br> <br> Leanna S. Farrell, senior designer and office manager for Porter Baxter Interior Design in Melbourne, brings over 20 years experience in the interior design and visual arts industries to each project. Prior to her current position, Farrell, who attended Shippensburg State College and Indiana University at Pennsylvania and became a licensed designer in 1990, was highly involved in business development aspects of the art industry, including serving in positions such as an art director and buyer for various well revered galleries. Her experience also extends to the commercial design industry where she owned and operated her own firm, Phoenix Design Group, in Orlando for 11 years.<br> <br> </p> <div align="right"> <table border="0" cellpadding="4" style="border-collapse: collapse" id="AutoNumber2" align="right" cellspacing="4"> <tr> <td><A HREF="JAVASCRIPT:openPopImg('images/leanna2a.jpg','Photo','600','470')" onMouseOver="return setStatus('Click to display picture.')" onMouseOut="return setStatus('')"> <IMG border=0 SRC='images/leanna2.jpg' ALT='Spaces Magazine Photo' width="125" height="98"></A></td> </tr> <tr> <td> <font size="1" color="#FF9933">Click image to enlarge.</font></td> </tr> </table> </div> <p>Porter Baxter Interior Design is set apart by being a full-service interior design firm celebrating 50 years in Brevard County in 2007. Farrell takes pride in the creation of exquisite window treatments, and excels in color selection. She thoroughly takes pleasure in her client’s satisfaction and contributes a huge amount of her success to building trusting relationships with her clients.<br> <br> Spaces recently met up with Farrell to talk about the longevity of her career, current projects, and where she sees her profession heading in the future. Here’s what she had to say:<br> <br> <span class="title">Q: When did you discover your gift for interior design, or is it something you’ve always been passionate about?</span><br> I guess you could say I evolved into my career. I’ve never taken the traditional route starting college at 29 years old with three kids. Looking back, my creativity was always showing up in things I did, whether cooking, gardening, or sewing. I didn’t realize what a gift it was until others affirmed me. If solving design dilemmas in my sleep and wishing the night was over so I could go to work is considered a passion, then yes, I do have a passion for design.<br> <br> </p> <div align="right"> <table border="0" cellpadding="4" style="border-collapse: collapse" id="AutoNumber3" align="right" cellspacing="4"> <tr> <td><A HREF="JAVASCRIPT:openPopImg('images/leanna3a.jpg','Photo','600','450')" onMouseOver="return setStatus('Click to display picture.')" onMouseOut="return setStatus('')"> <IMG border=0 SRC='images/leanna3.jpg' ALT='Spaces Magazine Photo' width="125" height="94"></A></td> </tr> <tr> <td> <font size="1" color="#FF9933">Click image to enlarge.</font></td> </tr> </table> </div> <p> <span class="title">Q: Although you design for your clients’ tastes and preferences, what is your favorite style of design?</span><br> I feel that the more one is exposed to different styles, over time one’s taste level increases and classic styles become favorites. I appreciate all styles and use several in my personal design. Dramatic colors and unusual accessories and artwork are more exciting to me then any piece of furniture.<br> <br> <span class="title">Q: Are there any cultural influences that seem to reemerge in your designs?</span><br> I would say the Asian culture has most influenced my design. I have always loved oriental accessories, lighting, and most of all, artwork. I’m not a fan of Asian furniture, however. But I find myself leaning toward the primitive qualities of the pottery and art.<br> <br> <span class="title">Q: I’m aware that you are completing a full-design project of an 8,000 square-foot home on Lansing Island. Where do you begin a project of this stature when starting from scratch?</span><br> One must literally start from the ground up! I interview the client to determine their lifestyle, what is important to them, the size of their family, and how they like to entertain. These answers give me clues as to the types and styles of furnishings, fabrics, and functions these items will have to perform. A project of this magnitude could easily overwhelm one, but I find that breaking it into phases works well for my clients and for myself. Experience helps!<br> <br> </p> <div align="right"> <table border="0" cellpadding="4" style="border-collapse: collapse" id="AutoNumber4" align="right" cellspacing="4"> <tr> <td><A HREF="JAVASCRIPT:openPopImg('images/leanna4a.jpg','Photo','600','444')" onMouseOver="return setStatus('Click to display picture.')" onMouseOut="return setStatus('')"> <IMG border=0 SRC='images/leanna4.jpg' ALT='Spaces Magazine Photo' width="125" height="93"></A></td> </tr> <tr> <td> <font size="1" color="#FF9933">Click image to enlarge.</font></td> </tr> </table> </div> <p> <span class="title">Q: From a different angle, how would you design a space building on family pieces that the homeowner will not part with?</span><br> Family pieces and collections actually help a designer develop a room focusing on what is meaningful to a client. A lot depends of the scale, color, and function of the piece. Sometimes it can be a great focal point in the room or the design may require incorporating other like pieces to complete the look. When using an eclectic palette that mixes several styles in one room, it is certainly easier for the piece to look as if it was meant it to go there. Other times we just have to “hide” it in a room that is not seen. Be sure to bring it out if Aunt Martha comes!<br> <br> <span class="title">Q: In your opinion, what is the most fun design accessory to incorporate into a space?</span><br> For me, I love whimsy or a little unexpected surprise in a room. Art or sculpture is the most fun for me to place. You don’t see much sculpture and I love the controversy it can cause, from love to hate.<br> <br> <span class="title">Q: From your experience, how important is choosing the“ right” window treatments? And how does a homeowner’s lifestyle affect which window treatments they should use?</span><br> The right window treatment is like frosting on a cake. It leaves a lasting impression and can overshadow everything else in the room, and that’s good if the furniture is ugly! When I do a window I want to know many things about what the client expects the window to do. The comment most often heard is, “I don’t want anything too heavy.” You really have to explore what“ heavy” means and translate that into what the space requires. It is not just about the window, but how the window balances the rest of the space.<br> <br> </p> <div align="right"> <table border="0" cellpadding="4" style="border-collapse: collapse" id="AutoNumber5" align="right" cellspacing="4"> <tr> <td><A HREF="JAVASCRIPT:openPopImg('images/leanna5a.jpg','Photo','600','732')" onMouseOver="return setStatus('Click to display picture.')" onMouseOut="return setStatus('')"> <IMG border=0 SRC='images/leanna5.jpg' ALT='Spaces Magazine Photo' width="125" height="152"></A></td> </tr> <tr> <td> <font size="1" color="#FF9933">Click image to enlarge.</font></td> </tr> </table> </div> <p> <span class="title">Q: When it comes to flooring selection, what are the first things to consider?</span><br> Function, function, and function. That’s the number one consideration, and if it doesn’t perform it doesn’t matter what color you choose. A designer needs to be an expert on different types of flooring today because there are so many choices and such diversity in prices. You have to help the client wade through the choices.<br> <br> <span class="title">Q: Wallpaper seems to be making a comeback recently. How would a homeowner go about choosing the best wallpaper for their décor?</span><br> The first thing a homeowner should do is call their designer! This is a hard one and again the space and scale are most important, not just the color and pattern. The function of the space is important, as you would not want to put grass cloth in a steamy bathroom. You can really create an instant atmosphere<br> with a wall-covering.<br> <br> </p> <div align="right"> <table border="0" cellpadding="4" style="border-collapse: collapse" id="AutoNumber6" align="right" cellspacing="4"> <tr> <td><A HREF="JAVASCRIPT:openPopImg('images/leanna6a.jpg','Photo','600','431')" onMouseOver="return setStatus('Click to display picture.')" onMouseOut="return setStatus('')"> <IMG border=0 SRC='images/leanna6.jpg' ALT='Spaces Magazine Photo' width="125" height="90"></A></td> </tr> <tr> <td> <font size="1" color="#FF9933">Click image to enlarge.</font></td> </tr> </table> </div> <p> <span class="title">Q: What things do you take into consideration when designing a commercial space, such as a restaurant or hotel lobby, versus a residential space?</span><br> Commercial spaces require special attention to the function of the space and the materials used have to meet certain fire codes and all kinds of other tests. How many people will use the space at any given time, and how the space is being used are a couple among the many, many design considerations. I feel fortunate to have experience with commercial projects because I basically use the same process with my residential clients and am always considering if a design will work over the long haul.<br> <br> <span class="title">Q: To date, which of your completed projects do you feel is the most unique?</span><br> The State Headquarters for the American Legion in Orlando was very rewarding, but the St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church in Altamonte Springs was a labor of love. I took the job on a pro-bono basis, as so many professionals do, because I wanted to give something back to my parish. Part of the renovation and new building project was to design a senior day care facility that became somewhat of a prototype in the state because there were virtually none at that time. It is a great tribute to visit a site 16 years later and find it still functioning great and servicing the client.<br> <br> </p> <div align="right"> <table border="0" cellpadding="4" style="border-collapse: collapse" id="AutoNumber7" align="right" cellspacing="4"> <tr> <td><A HREF="JAVASCRIPT:openPopImg('images/leanna7a.jpg','Photo','600','418')" onMouseOver="return setStatus('Click to display picture.')" onMouseOut="return setStatus('')"> <IMG border=0 SRC='images/leanna7.jpg' ALT='Spaces Magazine Photo' width="125" height="87"></A></td> </tr> <tr> <td> <font size="1" color="#FF9933">Click image to enlarge.</font></td> </tr> </table> </div> <p> <span class="title">Q: As someone with extensive experience in the art industry, do you have any tips for successfully choosing and displaying art pieces?</span><br> There are very few investment art collectors. Most of us just buy art because we love it! Some people buy art that matches the sofa. Others buy the sofa to go with the art. I knew I was the latter when I hung all the art I owned in my new apartment and didn’t own a sofa. Buy what you love and you’ll find a home for it—just ask my husband. Big tip! Try to hang a big picture on a big wall and tiny pictures on a small wall. My pet peeve is to see these little tiny pieces on a huge wall. It looks ridiculous.<br> <br> <span class="title">Q: What colors and pieces would you suggest to a homeowner who would like a “sophisticated” look?</span><br> Sophistication comes in many colors but a neutral palette is the most sophisticated and hardest to achieve. Why? Because people do not realize that many shades of beige can go together, and should. Texture is the key to this type of look.<br> <br> <span class="title">Q: Do you feel it is beneficial to incorporate different textures in a room?</span><br> Well, I guess I got ahead of myself. Texture is always important. It’s boring to have all smooth surfaces. One must mix to achieve interest. Texture also gives bulk and can create the illusion of weight when you need it. It makes smooth look smoother.<br> <br> </p> <div align="right"> <table border="0" cellpadding="4" style="border-collapse: collapse" id="AutoNumber8" align="right" cellspacing="4"> <tr> <td><A HREF="JAVASCRIPT:openPopImg('images/leanna8a.jpg','Photo','600','816')" onMouseOver="return setStatus('Click to display picture.')" onMouseOut="return setStatus('')"> <IMG border=0 SRC='images/leanna8.jpg' ALT='Spaces Magazine Photo' width="125" height="170"></A></td> </tr> <tr> <td> <font size="1" color="#FF9933">Click image to enlarge.</font></td> </tr> </table> </div> <p> <span class="title">Q: “Green” design and resource conservation focusing on the idea of using environmentally friendly products has come forward as an important design consideration. Why do you feel this is significant?</span><br> Yes, we’ve all been hearing about “green,” but not many people are interested, understand the importance of it, or can afford it. Big corporations are forced to get it and they can afford it. Then there is the availability factor. Where do you find it? We are being exposed to it now but it has not been a big player in mainstream design for the above reasons. But when it becomes more affordable we will all be buying.<br> <br> <span class="title">Q: What are some of the most common mistakes that people make when doing their own decorating?</span><br> People spend lots of money on mistakes. It is just as easy to spend it on the right things! People often do not take the whole room into account. They may see something they can’t live without and/or buy on emotional impulse, or worse, because it’s on sale. Buying pieces that are too big, selecting the wrong paint colors, selecting items with no regard to function for their family, and buying lots of trendy accessories that that are too small and actually cheapen the furniture, are just some of the mistakes I deal with on a daily basis. My motto: “Good design doesn’t cost, it pays.”<br> <br> </p> <div align="right"> <table border="0" cellpadding="4" style="border-collapse: collapse" id="AutoNumber9" align="right" cellspacing="4"> <tr> <td><A HREF="JAVASCRIPT:openPopImg('images/leanna9a.jpg','Photo','600','454')" onMouseOver="return setStatus('Click to display picture.')" onMouseOut="return setStatus('')"> <IMG border=0 SRC='images/leanna9.jpg' ALT='Spaces Magazine Photo' width="125" height="95"></A></td> </tr> <tr> <td> <font size="1" color="#FF9933">Click image to enlarge.</font></td> </tr> </table> </div> <p> <span class="title">Q: How important is building a solid relationship with your client during the design process?</span><br> Communication and listening are the most important factors when building any relationship and it is even more crucial to a successful project. Trust is built over time and with consistent, good rationale, a designer will gain that trust. Every meeting builds trust and this is the foundation to a good relationship. Without this you will never be taken seriously. If I feel a client doesn’t trust me then I stop the process and re-evaluate the expectations of the client, with the client! Sometimes it’s best to “ un-hire” yourself.<br> <br> <span class="title">Q: As someone who has enjoyed many successful years in the interior design industry, what advice would you give a new designer fresh out of school?</span><br> Well, the most important thing to ask yourself is, “Do I have talent?” When I started in this field very few schools offered interior design as a course, let alone something you could get a degree in. It was not considered a serious profession. Today schools are accepting students without regard for talent. A designer must play many roles and glamour plays a tiny one. Take some courses in business management because each project takes management. The knowledge that comes with experience is required to do a project and they can’t teach that to you in school. If you have a passion for the field then get the experience any way you can. Don’t go into the field if you want to be a millionaire. Don’t expect a large clientele in one year. Longevity counts in this field. Have fun working and don’t take it so seriously that you lose your sense of humor. You’ll need it.<br> <br> <span class="title">Q: If you had the opportunity to design or re-design any space in Brevard County, which would you choose?</span><br> I have always dreamed of transforming The Ice Plant, on US 1 in Melbourne. I envision the first floor divided into working artists’ store-fronts and a gallery downstairs with a private club for dancing, and dining upstairs. The interior would be an Art Deco design. Fabulous wood floors and period chandeliers<br> would grace the club with white tablecloths and jazz bands playing soft music. In the evening guests could browse through the art galleries with a glass of wine and passer-bys could see couples dancing below the wonderful chandeliers. That would be a dream project.<br> <br> Leanna S. Farrell of Porter Baxter Interior Design in Melbourne can be reached via phone at 321-724-4777 or by visiting the studio at 404 S. Babcock Street, Melbourne, Fla. 32901. For more information, please visit <a href="http://www.porterbaxterinteriors.com">www.porterbaxterinteriors.com</a>. </p> <p><a href="index.php" target="_top">[home]</a></p>
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Porter Baxter Interior Design - Melbourne, Florida
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404 S. Babcock St. Melbourne, FL 32901 321-724-4777
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410 Palmetto Place Indialantic, FL 32903 321-676-1769
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