Suzanne Lovell.

For three decades, Suzanne Lovell has been known for her unique approach towards designing personalized environments that express her clients’ passion for their home. As Principal of the Chicago-based architectural interior design firm, Suzanne Lovell, Inc. (SLI), her work has been recognized across the world for its intelligent integration of architecture, sophisticated furnishings, and magnificent fine art.

Suzanne Lovell is one of the industry’s most influential figures, and has been named one of Architectural Digest’s “AD100: The Top Talents in Architecture and Interior Design”. She also serves as a member of the Director’s Vision Council at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago; the Society for Contemporary Art at the Art Institute of Chicago and the Advisory Board of Virginia Tech’s School of Architecture and Design.

InCollect had the chance to sit down with Ms. Lovell on the eve of SLI’s 30th anniversary and talk about her inspirations, her design, and her new curated accessory offerings.

InCollect: How did you start your career in interior design?

Suzanne Lovell: I started my career as a professional architect working for Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in Chicago. Before that, I had a Bauhaus influenced education as a professional architect at Virginia Tech.

IC: Did any living spaces from your childhood influence your style?

SL: Family history is to be respected – that is at the core of my upbringing. It allows me to individualize each of my clients with their story. They are each unique individuals and I create environments for their life story . . . it’s not about me, but it is my job to create spaces reflecting their histories, likes and dislikes.

IC: What is your favorite room to design? What about that room appeals to you?

SL: The dining room! It’s the heart of family conversation and the meeting place for friends. Tabletops are such a wonderful way to create change and joyful messages within a more static environment.

IC: What elements do you find are most essential to a welcoming interior?

SL: Easy flow of space and furniture. Feng Shui exists for a reason – it promotes engagement. The easy flow of a space creates an inviting seating plan and good flow in architecture.

The Fort Sheridan Adaptive Re-Use Project. Photo courtesy of Suzanne Lovell, Inc.

IC: Can you tell us about a particularly interesting or difficult design job and what made it so unique?

SL: One of my most memorable jobs was designing an adaptive re-use of an artillery building built in the early 1900’s in the Town of Fort Sheridan, IL and creating a home that honored that architecture. It was such a privilege to be able to work on such a beautiful and unique space. The building had these large arched openings on both East and West sides – sixteen of them measuring 10’ x 10’ – which brought in amazing light.

IC: We recently featured your Astor St. Duplex on our homepage. Can you tell us about the inspiration for this project?

SL: The inspiration for the Astor St. residence came from reflecting the dynamic personality of the owner with a vibrant space.  We needed to create a very strong interior while keeping the public areas bold and spirited and the private areas peaceful and subtle.  We used gold and red hues in the design to divide the private and public portions of the residence, giving them their own identities.

IC: You’ve recently launched The Arts Décoratifs Box, a new service that provides personalized luxury accessories for residences. Can you tell us about the genesis of this new offering?

SL: For our clients, we offer full accessories and turnkey items for all of their new residences. With this and our care manual, we make it easy for the home to be used immediately upon arrival – and we help to train those who take care of the residence. Our clients would often tell us that their friends would love to have one of the pieces we used in a project for their own homes. Our business is service, service, service, and The Arts Décoratifs Box is a natural extension of that.

Accessories are the finishing touch and personal stamp to any refined décor. They are an integral part of interior design, requiring the same professional skills, same understanding of a client’s way of living, and the same attention to details. Designing a bedroom includes the specification of a bed and naturally the recommendation of linens, while designing a living room includes specifying pillows for the sofa and magnificent vessels for the flowers to come. Each room has its own set of influences for decoration. Accessories are everywhere.

A selection of the accessories available with The Arts Décoratifs Box. Photo courtesy of Suzanne Lovell, Inc.

IC: The Arts Décoratifs Box Box includes a range of items including side tables, lamps, linens, pillows, and fine art. How do you go about personalizing the offerings in the Box for each client?

SL: Through conversation and listening, we can do pretty well to understand their needs. We also ask for photos of their existing spaces. The boxes are not one size fits all; they are designed to reflect each client’s unique style and personality.

IC: What is your personal favorite accessory within The Arts Décoratifs Box?

SL: I am a tabletop fanatic, and I am constantly mixing brands across that canvas to create new and interesting messages. For sterling, Jensen, Puiforcat and Hermès are some of my favorites, and Ercuis for stainless flatware, but I am always looking for dessert and salad plates, often antiques, which are great for creating unique tabletops.

IC: What’s coming down the pipeline for you?

SL: I am opening a satellite office in Naples, Florida! Also 2015 will be our 30th year in business!

 

Suzanne Lovell is an active member of the InCollect community; visit her profile, HERE, to see photos from The Astor St. Duplex, along with more projects, collections, and articles. See more of Suzanne Lovell’s interior design work, including residence tours and a copy of the Architectural Digest spotlight on the Fort Sheridan Adaptive Re-Use project, at her website, www.suzannelovellinc.com