Our home should be an oasis, a sanctuary that lets us escape the world and its turmoil for a little while. A place that makes us smile as soon as we walk in the door, and brings a feeling of joy and contentment.
“A home should also reflect the personality of the homeowner,” says Michael Anschel, owner of OA Design+Build+Architecture in Minneapolis. He and his team of in-house architects, designers, and carpenters strive to create spaces that embody the client’s story and are not merely generic or follow the latest trends. “Sometimes this personality is reflected in the colors that are chosen, or in adding a sense of whimsy.”
To create these unique designs, it’s important to take the time to get to know clients. “We make sure that they're brought into the process to [truly understand what they want.]”
A client may ask them to incorporate some handmade mosaic tile, or a little reading nook because reading is their favorite pastime. “The client is infusing some emotion into the design that we then get to respond to,” he says. “That energy builds on itself and gets our creative juices flowing, allowing us to create something beautiful and perfect for them.”
Designs that are monochrome and soulless do not inspire a sense of comfort. Instead, a design should feature a combination of colors and textures that add diversity and warmth. It may also mean incorporating some special pieces that the client owns and wants to display.
“We had a client who had this wooden carved statue that their father brought over from Bali back in the 60s,” says Michael. “We had to design a space for it to live. They also had this massive, nine-foot-long carving from a monastery in India that had to be integrated into the home.”
Other clients included a husband and wife who had spent a considerable amount of time working on economic development in Sub-Saharan Africa, and had a collection of woven baskets from Ghana. They wanted those in their kitchen design.
OA prides itself on avoiding designs that resemble those cut out of a catalog or that reflect a one-size-fits-all atmosphere. “A lot of our clients come to us because we're interested in that investigation into who they are and that desire to tailor the space so that it really fits them,” he says. “It then feels joyful to be in it because it's actually designed for them.”
Michael and his team love the challenge of meeting clients’ high expectations, and he says it makes coming into work every day more exciting. “We're not a factory. There are projects that look pretty, and then there are projects that clients love being in, where their personality has been incorporated. We focus on creating these types of spaces.”
To transform your home into a personalized and joyful sanctuary, visit
OAdesignbuild.com.