Interior design focuses on client needs, budget

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Interior designers have often been portrayed as a comedic stereotype sweeping into a room, shouting Everything must go!' and steamrolling over the client's wishes in the name of style. |ret||ret||tab|

Jeris Ferguson, owner/designer at Habersham Interiors, Commercial and Residential Design, concentrates on being the opposite of that image. She believes in helping clients use items they want to keep, fitting designs into budgets and listening to clients' wants.|ret||ret||tab|

Habersham Interiors was a franchise when Ferguson opened her store in 1981. Interest rates were high and many Habersham Interiors' stores opened that year didn't survive.|ret||ret||tab|

Hers did.|ret||ret||tab|

"My store made it, mainly because I went beyond the look they were doing and kept educating myself and moving forward," Ferguson said.|ret||ret||tab|

She attributes her continued success to three services her business provides for clients: "No. 1 they want your talent, No. 2 they want it to be presented in an organized fashion and followed through, and No. 3 they want service," she said.|ret||ret||tab|

"That goes hand-in-hand with the busy professionals we work with. If they come to us, they want us to handle everything from ordering, to getting them in a timely fashion, to making sure items are installed properly and that, if there is a problem, there is follow-up."|ret||ret||tab|

Today, Habersham Interiors has eight full-time employees and a number of part-time specialists. Services offered range from furniture layouts and space planning to custom upholstery.|ret||ret||tab|

To keep up with trends and help clients achieve the living spaces that reflect how they want to live, Ferguson visits marketplaces like High Point, N.C., several times a year places where furniture or other items are manufactured. She also attends parade of homes events in other cities to see what is being done elsewhere.|ret||ret||tab|

What has she learned from recent trips? "In the past few years, the trend has been casual, as with casual fabrics such as chenille. That's been well-received here, because that's how we live. Most people in the Ozarks aren't formal. They enjoy that casual look," Ferguson said. "But we're noticing they are coming back with a few more formal fabrics, with an element of casualness. For example, they might use a formal fabric for a dining room, but use a sisal rug underneath."|ret||ret||tab|

Other trends she noticed are a West Indies' influence, Oriental accents, and more use of reds and other bold colors. Country French decor is still popular, as is traditional. Wallpaper is less likely to be used than faux finishes.|ret||ret||tab|

Ferguson said she expects to see more people using interior designers. "In the past, there's been a bit of intimidation in using designers. People would feel, Oh, it's too expensive!' I see more people using design professionals because we do work with them and try to work within a specific budget. Most people are from families where both wife and husband are working, and they don't have the time to research."|ret||ret||tab|

That's when costly mistakes can happen, according to Ferguson. She said the best way to avoid such problems is to approach a designer when plans for a house have been drawn and before framing is started.|ret||ret||tab|

Ferguson has had builders tell her that they didn't like to use designers at one time, but now they do. "If the designer is involved early and is conscious of helping the client stay within budget, builders feel that helps them. When they need a decision like What design do you want for the fireplace,' the designer has worked enough ahead with the client that they are ready with an answer."|ret||ret||tab|

If Habersham's has a specialty, it is residential design (new construction and remodeling), Ferguson said. Habersham is prepared for commercial enterprises with an American Society of Interior Designers-certified designer, Barbara Austin, on staff.|ret||ret||tab|

"I'm an Allied ASID member," Ferguson said. "I had to present several projects and letters of recommendation from clients to achieve that certification."|ret||ret||tab|

Ferguson's background is in psychology, and over the years she has taken interior design and drafting courses. Her assistant, Marsha Davis, has a degree in interior design.[[In-content Ad]]