The Lifestylers: Soucie Horner

Check out Decorati’s exclusive interview with Chicago design stars, Shea Soucie and Martin Horner of Soucie Horner Ltd, to learn how they refine their clients’ lifestyles through graciously designed spaces.

Which comes first: lifestyle or product/design? Is it lifestyle that has generated the design changes, or is design the driving force that affects how we live?

We have to know what function design will have first. There is an intimate involvement with our clients from the start of a project that dictates the design direction we take in their home. Durability of fabrics is a great example. If you’re going for a damask sofa, in a household with children and pets, we may opt for a cotton damask instead of silk. The finished product is always beautiful design, but lifestyle plays a large part in that.

Was there any lesson you learned early on in your career that has stuck with you?

Build trust in a relationship with a client from day one. Always speak the truth; it takes you a long way.

How do you go about assessing a client’s/project’s needs?

We have targeted interview questions in the initial client meetings. We visit their current home to see where their start point is and what they do and don’t like about it. We discuss budget from the start. You find out quickly if this is a client that prefers 12 choices or just 2 and tailor our process to their comfort level.

What was your most challenging project and why?

When husband and wife have different ideas about what they want.

How has the onslaught of social media outlets and “design on the web” affected the world of design-for you personally, or in general? Do you see lasting change in design from this movement to new media?

It has helped to inform the consumer, our clients, and brought design to the masses. Companies now spend more time and money on the design of their product, whatever it may be. An example is the ipod; everyone has an idea of not just what it does, but what it looks like and many other products have tried to emulate that design.

What is your favorite Benjamin Moore paint color to use for walls, ceiling, and trim?

Black Bean Soup is our favorite color for cabinetry and trim. For walls, we like eggshell, for ceilings, we like matte, and for trim we like satin finishes. Aura has a great color lock system that appears totally saturated and has movement and depth.

Is the trend in green design a fad or is it here to stay?

Green design, we believe, is here to stay. It is the reaction to the need to sustain our environment which is an issue that is not going away. For it to really take off, laws will need to become stricter nation-wide and world-wide.

Do you see part of your role as designer being that of educator, expanding your clients’ awareness of green products? How informed do you feel you are on the subject?

We are here to educate our clients on many levels; an understanding of the lifestyle they desire can develop as well as a better understanding of their style and taste level. As far as architectural and furnishings products in the green realm, we have a couple of designers with a great deal of interest in the area, who bring a lot of information back to us. We also have vendor presentations on a weekly basis, such as Benjamin Moore, who explain the latest environmental advances in their product lines. Additionally, Shea is building a house right now for her own family using green materials. She is allowing herself to be a guinea pig when it comes to trying new product before rolling it out to clients. It has been a huge learning process that will aide immensely when making recommendations to our clients.

What will be different about the interior design industry in five years?

Trade cost vs. Retail. We think that there will be a lot more product accessibility and we will start to see many things once only available to the trade, going retail.

What is the ultimate goal of all your projects?

The ultimate goal of all our projects is to walk away knowing a client loves their home. It may not be the style or direction we initially had in mind for them, but they need to love it.