Hi! My name is Amie Speer and I am an Interior Designer living in Greenville, SC. I am excited to be introducing myself in this column of The Electric City News for many reasons, but the biggest is that I grew up in Anderson; it’s my hometown. As a designer, the feeling of home is very important to me. It can come from an object that reminds you of something special, a smell that brings you comfort or the sound of the music you grew up listening to. Anderson, and the house that I grew up in, will always give me all of the ‘home’ feelings.
It is my ambition as an Interior Designer to create, or help others create this feeling of home. A person's home is sacred ground. It holds our most precious memories, our most personal moments and the key to a good deal of our comfort and happiness. I believe that the blending of styles, old with new, and designing around your most cherished items are what give a space character, warmth, and a connection to the people that live there.
And from this comes my first piece of advice! Something simple that can be done today. Choose an item that brings you joy, holds a memory, or just makes you feel good. Place it somewhere in your home where it will be seen and appreciated on daily basis, and design that area around it. Whether it be on a coffee table, on a bookshelf, or on your mantle; make it the focal point.
Here’s an example. When I was in design school in Charleston, living in an apartment by myself for the first time, my Grandma gave me a blue and white vase that was her mothers. She knew my love for all things blue and white and wanted me to have it. The vase has moved with me to many different houses, giving each one a special sense of home. It currently sits on the dresser in our entry filled with fresh flowers, along with other things that I love. Every time I look at the vase I think of Grandma, that apartment, the moment that she gave it to me, and it makes me happy. Interior Design is different for everyone, and in the end, what is most important is that your home speaks to you. That it is authentically yours. So, give it a try! Pull out an item that you love that may be collecting dust. See if by doing so that your home starts to feel a little more like your own.
