little black book: Dorothy Collins

My obsession interest in interior design did not happen by accident. It happened by DNA. I am so lucky to be a member of such a creative and talented family. As one of the original game-changing interior designers in the Midwest my grandmother was recently featured in Minneapolis, St. Paul Magazine and coined a "Doyenne of Design." 

In case you aren't familiar with the term "Doyenne" is means a woman who is the most respected or prominent person in a particular field. My grandmother worked incredibly hard to build her business and deserves every bit of honor that title holds. She was also nice enough to let me interview her for the blog and here are a few highlights from our conversation: 

My grandmother has worked with a plethora of clients from all demographics over the years. Some had 20,000 sq. ft homes they wanted to completely design and furnish, others were taking it room by room. As someone who is a first time homebuyer on a budget I sought out her advice and came away with five great tips: 

1. Invest in furniture, not in built-ins. This way you are putting money towards assets you can take with you, rather than sinking it into the home. 

2. Think about angles in your home, can you view a corner of your office from your dining room? Always design based on viewpoint rather than just room boundaries. 

3. When purchasing furniture think about at least 2 rooms your could see it used in. The first, in your current home. The second, in another home or 5-10 years down the road. This test allows you to only invest in pieces that will make transitions with you and your family and as your style evolves.  

4. Never go the cheap route on things that you use everyday. 

5. Re-imagine furniture and be creative!  For example, even though an armoire is shown solo on the website you can pair two of them together in a bedroom giving the illusion of high end built-ins. You create not only a place for your TV but double the storage for your clothes. 

I'm so lucky to have a wonderful mentor in my grandmother and someone who inspires me to continue pursuing my passion. If I had to describe her it would be simple, she's one of a kind.  She is a self made woman who always knew the value of hard work. She's an entertainer who can throw a mean dinner party and she loves fashion almost as much as design. Her favorite color is lavender and if you see her out and about she loves being social, so don't be afraid to buy her a drink. Just don't get it wrong, she's rather specific: vodka on the rocks, wedge of lime, splash of soda in a brandy snifter. 

Love you Grandma.