Nancy Burfiend of NB Design Group discusses the design of the Seattle H&H office, NW design trends, and more.
We recently had the pleasure of working with Nancy Burfiend, principal of Seattle interior design firm NB Design Group, on our tenant improvement of our new Seattle office in the Bullitt Center. Nancy started NB Design Group in 1988 and, with her team, has been providing quality interior design solutions for residential, corporate, hospitality, and public sector clients.
Nancy was kind enough to answer a few questions for us about working in Seattle and the firm’s focus on timeless design. Check out my interview with her:
Hammer & Hand: How has the Seattle market changed since you started NB Design Group?
Nancy Burfiend: Our clientele has become more youthful and adventurous (regardless of age) with the advent of the tech industry.
H&H: Are there any Seattle/Pacific Northwest-specific design trends you’ve noticed over the years?
NB: The Seattle market embraces the outdoors and incorporates elements of nature in the design of interiors. The color palette of wood, water, and botanicals is reflected in the neutral tones used in our interiors.
Garden House designed by NB Design Group
H&H: What was your inspiration/thinking behind the design for the Hammer & Hand office in Seattle?
NB: With Hammer & Hand wanting to enter the market with a bold presence, the goal was to make the space a strong statement of their craftsmanship and details. Selecting Red List compliant products [Note from H&H: For more about the Bullitt Center and Red List compliancy, check out this blog post] was a priority, and it was our hope to translate elements of the well-executed branding into a refined space that considers the environmental impact, but also incorporates a higher level of sophistication.
H&H: What’s your favorite part of designing a corporate office space?
NB: Each company has a specific brand and a distinct way they hope to market themselves. Working in the office environment allows us to fully understand the company, their needs, and how they want themselves to be seen by clientele. It’s a great challenge.
Vida Wellness Spa Pan Pacific Seattle designed by NB Design Group
H&H: What are three interior trends you think will be big in 2014?
NB: We often avoid following the latest trends and gravitate more toward timeless design. Often we will incorporate some trendy design looks, but it’s on a smaller scale like in bedding, artwork, and accessories.
H&H: What’s one piece of advice you would give someone looking to hire an interior designer?
NB: It’s always helpful for us to have a client provide us with things they like (and don’t like) which makes the design process much easier to navigate. We often encourage our clients to look at design books and magazines, websites such as Houzz and Pinterest, and design blogs to seek out inspiration. Design is a collaborative process, so we appreciate clients who have initial design ideas.
H&H: Thanks Nancy!
Our new Seattle office is almost finished and we can’t wait to show it off! Check back in a couple weeks for the big unveil.
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