Q&A with Andrew Flesher

December 21, 2010

By Laura Malloy

Q. What was the inspiration for this home?
A. We wanted to create a space that looked like it evolved over time and was collected, not like the decorator just strategically placed items.

Q. How did you marry the client’s needs with your vision?
A. The clients are both artists and have a great appreciation for good art. They also had been collecting some vintage furniture pieces over the years and their collection became quite “unruly.” He like a more clean and spare esthetic and she like more “stuff.” It was my job to marry the two visions and give them one cohesive look. The utimate goal was to make the space comfortable and inviting for everyone while still designed.

Q. What challenges did you face with this home and how did you overcome them?
A. It’s a relatively small space and the clients were moving from a large home. Being used to living in apartments myself, I understand the difference between apartment-sized/smaller-scale furniture and large-scale furniture. That becomes critical when designing a home with limited square footage. The kitchen underwent a complete remodel. When selecting the materials I made sure that everything fit the period of the architecture, and looked as if it was original to the house. The architect made sure that the space was laid out to maximize the downtown views and functionality.

Q. How do you ensure a room is balanced?
A. It’s like working a jig saw puzzle. When one part of the puzzle is changed, it affects everything else. I try to be thoughtful of balancing values of colour and wood finishes though out a space. For instance, If there is a big black grand piano in the room, it imposes a lot of weight. It needs to be balanced by something on the other side of the room that carries a similar weight. I love to mix classic contemporary furniture and art with vintage pieces. When doing this, you need to be thoughtful of “dotting the room” evenly with each: not too much contemporary on one side of the room and too much vintage on the other side. Otherwise it becomes unbalanced.

Q. What signature elements do you like bringing into a home?
A. I’m a sucker for quirky and unusual objects – things that make you stop and take a closer look. I never take anything too seriously, and am never afraid to take a risk.

Q. What trends do you see in home decorating/design for 2011?
A. I just realized how much I like using colour again! I think people are looking for something to give their house a little excitement and colour is just the thing to do it. I’m loving burnt oranges, deep indigo blues with a touch of green in them, a touch of citrus green and of course my old friends chocolate brown and white.

Principal designer, Andrew Flesher Interiors
Andrew has been designing award-winning interiors for 18 years and has recently started his own boutique residential design firm with offices in both Minneapolis and New York. He designs high-end custom interiors tailored to meet the needs and desires of his clients. He has been published in numerous magazines and was named one of the top 25 young designers in the US, as well as one of the 50 top taste makers. Visit andrewflesher.com

Filed under: STYLE FILE