Sheila Bridges

Sheila Bridges, longtime designer and host of Designer Living, recently gave Decorati a peek into her designer life.

Q. What inspired you to become a designer?

I have always loved art, art history, design and architecture and I guess those interests are what originally set me on the path to become a designer. As long as I remember I have enjoyed shopping at flea markets and going to auctions whenever I had free time. Becoming a designer has been a great way to bring all of these interests together.

Q. Who or what is inspiring your design aesthetic now?

I get most of my inspiration from my travels. I recently just got back from a wonderful trip to Argentina and Brazil and I’m sure that sooner or later some of the interesting things I saw and the wonderful experiences I had will eventually find their way into my work.

Q. How do you see the internet changing interior design?

Thanks to the internet, design and decoration has become accessible to virtually anyone with a computer. There is definitely a new generation of homeowners and urban dwellers who use the internet to do design research as well as to shop for their homes. I recently started a free e-newsletter called The Nestmaker so that I could reach out to this ever-growing group of design enthusiasts about shoping and trends in the marketplace.

Q. Name a few furniture/textile designers found on Decorati that you love and often use in your design.

I have a few Vaughn light fixtures in my own home. They sell really classic and beautiful light fixtures, lamps and chandeliers. Antiques 202 in Manhattan is a small shop that I also frequent when I am looking for interesting antiques. I just bought a great chandelier from them for a client downtown.

Q. Find three pieces on Decorati that say something about you and your design style.

I really like the Chair Rug by Rosemarie Hallgarten which is incredibly whimsical and fun. I also like the Cowhide bench by Design Lush and the Tibilis Table Lamp by Ironies. I generally find myself drawn to furniture and accessories that can mixed with larger, more classical pieces.

Sheila’s Decorati Favorites