Spaces For Home Interior Design Stresses Timeliness And Individuality By Minnie Payne
Spaces For Home Interior Design Stresses Timeliness And Individuality By Minnie Payne
As you enter award-winning interior designer Susan Gay’s uncluttered, spacious one-of-a-kind 4,400-square-feet Spaces for Home boutique furniture store, 2439 Westheimer Road in Houston’s Upper Kirby District, you find a unique collection of dining tables, sofas, ottomans, benches, chairs, rugs, chandeliers, consoles, coffee tables, mirrors, pillows, art pieces by local artists, decorative accessories, and antiques.
“I acquire my furniture at market in High Point, N.C., Atlanta, Ga, and from antique dealers,” Gay informs. “Whether it’s one perfect piece for your home or an entire living space, Spaces for Home can create the total look that reflects individual personality and lifestyle. All our merchandise is available off the floor or it can be custom ordered. I’m also getting into the business of making my home store and in the process of designing case goods and upholstery.”
After 33 years’ experience of being an interior designer, Gay decided to open Spaces for Home in 2012, because she felt Houston had enough antique stores and needed a more transitional/contemporary/traditional type store. “I created light walls for an airy look and diverse style,” she adds. “The reason I call it spaces is that within my store, I created different looks to be able to create my own design.”
When clients enlist Gay’s services, she schedules a consultation time with them in order to determine what they want to achieve. She asks the client to give her inspirational pictures from magazines, Pinterest, etc. If it’s a husband and wife, she interviews them individually. “It’s a way of getting into their heads,” she says. “I look at the way they live in their home, what kind of car they drive, hobbies, lifestyle, and the way they dress. If they like color, they will like color in their design.”
Her sincere desire is to create a home that reflects the client, bringing them joy and comfort – a home that the owners will feel good about when they walk around in it. “Good design evokes emotion, and your home tells a story about you,” she informs. “You have designers who have a ‘look.’” “I can walk into a house and immediately know the designer who did it.”
“If you don’t love it, don’t buy it. It’s like art – it takes time,” she reflects. “I wear black, white, and neutral colors – my home reflects my personality. To be effective, whether it’s home or office, you have to have timeless and sensible designs, but with comfort and individuality.”
The space that Gay is most proud of is her store. Her store allows her to bring her own passionate design to life and if she wishes, she can change it. Compliments abound on the uniqueness of it. “I’m presently working on a house on Rice Boulevard about which I’m excited,” she shares. “The client and I have become very good friends.”
“Neutral” and “timeless” are “go” words with Gay. Since she grew up in Singapore, she likes white orchids and uses them with her designs. She also likes white roses – “Guess that’s the romance in me,” she smiles. She remarks that the scale and proportion of your furniture is important. “A lot of people who design a house don’t keep in mind scale and proportion. I always say ‘less is more,’” she advises. “Keeping everything simple and elegant is important.”
When asked which color combinations she favors, she replied “Today I’m loving creamy/toasty Champaign, gray, and white. I love mixing.” Texturing and layering is a favorite feature she utilizes, so that the design looks “sterile.” She adds color through art, pillows, windows, and accessories.
Her philosophy for her furniture boutique is to provide a good service, help clients create a beautiful space for their home, and inspire them. Inspiration for her work varies from client to client. Sometimes it comes from traveling and nature. “It just comes to me. The more time I spend with the client, something just triggers me,” she says.
Gay studied fashion merchandise in school, and when she started her career in her late 20s, she worked in commercial design, but changed to interior design. “I think what happens is that people wander into my store and love it, then wind up hiring me. I end up getting a lot of work that way,” she summarizes.