Deb Campbell just might have the smallest shop in downtown Glenside. Yet, she has turned it into a source of some of the biggest design ideas of any retailers there.
I walked in the door wondering exactly what an interior designer does. In a world of HGTV and Fung Shui practioners and a myriad of sources for dubious design advice out there, what value does an interior designer bring to the table?
Considerable, as it happens. For the client, it starts with a questionnaire. If the client is a couple, they each get a questionnaire. Sometimes it becomes a “Newlywed Game” scenario in which husbands and wives find out even more about each other over questions of colors and fabrics. Deb stresses that working with an interior designer can get rather intimate. Someone helping you to create your living space needs to know quite a few details about a client’s lifestyle.
“I need to know a lot about where and how you live. I need to know what colors you like, what materials suit your needs.” She pauses. “I need to know where you store your underwear, even.”
To complete the project, Deb relies upon the services of a ready platoon of contractors with which she has long-standing and trusting relationships. Speaking as a designer myself, vendor and contractor relationships are some of the most important tools in the box, so she (and I) recommend allowing the designer to use them.
Interior Design is a degree-level discipline. Besides simply having good taste, designers must familiarize themselves with many technical aspects of construction, not the least of which include building codes and ADA regulations. Decorators need no such training.
The interior designer puts the final finish on the space provided by the architect. Her role in the project involves measuring for fixtures and cabinets as well as choosing the materials and patterns that balance the use of any given room with the aesthetics of the client. Sometimes these needs can conflict, which is where Deb comes in.
She packs a considerable amount of product to peruse in her tiny store, which both satisfies the tactile impulse and shows how well Deb works with any space. She expertly describes every fabric or surface treatment and even gives a convincing demonstration of the $720 rechargeable remote controlled electric window shade. All I know is that I want one now.
DC Interiors is located at 9 Wesley Avenue in Downtown Glenside. Deb tries to reserve Mondays and Tuesdays for appointments. You can usually find her at the shop Wednesdays through Friday, but it’s best to call first. Telephone: 215-962-5245 or visit dcinteriors.net for more information.