The All Designer Issue
This month we thought we'd do a little something different and celebrate some of the fine designers who regularly use Patina Furniture in their projects. We lead off with a new interview of
Atlanta interior designer Patricia McLean and then take a look back at recent interviews with designers Laura Blanco of New York and Tish Key of San Francisco. We hope you enjoy these interviews as much as we do.
Designer Profile
Patricia McLean
Sometimes you just don’t where your big break is going to come from. That one project that puts you on the map and really gets your career going.
For Atlanta interior designer Patricia McLean that break came from the opportunity, as a young designer, to design a single room in a charity show house for the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra.
A graduate of the University of Georgia, majoring in Interior design, Patricia began her career working at the Design Center at ADAC.
“I learned the business from the inside out,” she says, “I started in one of the showrooms and sold fabric and furniture. I worked with the fabric mills, the furniture manufacturers; I saw how different designers worked and I got a good business background as well.”
“I told them when they hired me that I wanted to have my own design firm. I never wanted to work for another designer. I just always wanted to work for myself and one day I just struck out on my own.”
Starting out with just a few clients she got her “break” when the Atlanta Symphony Show House decide they would “take a chance” and allow a new, young designer to design a room.
“These days, they have a lot of new designers that take part but at that time it was a real break with tradition and I just thrived on it. I loved it,” she said, “It helped me build a nice portfolio and it was a real springboard for me as far as my career.”
Seven Symphony Show Houses later, Patricia is an established and very busy Atlanta Interior designer known for her traditional / transitional designs.
“I usually like to base my designs on a historic preference. I like to use antiques, wood floors and antique rugs. Then everything needs to function, so if I have to make a piece of custom furniture to serve the purpose of the room I will.”
Patricia finds a kindred spirit in the furniture pieces she chooses from Patina, Inc.
“One of the things I like about Patina is that they are historically oriented as well. There furniture is based on true lines, the scale is right for the piece, they use pretty hardware, and they take into consideration every detail.”
“When it comes to replicating antiques, which is what they do, the finish needs to come out looking like it’s been there forever and they achieve that. That’s what attracts me to them. It’s done right.”
“I’m used to dealing with artisans and I can tell all the steps that are involved in creating a convincing faux finish and they’re one of the few that get it right.”
You can see Patricia’s portfolio of Symphony Show House designs online ather web site - www.mcleaninteriors.com
Patricia McLean Interiors, Inc is located at 3179 Maple Drive, Suites 8 & 10Atlanta, Georgia 30305404-266-9772
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