When your space is properly designed, it creates a feeling of harmony and balance that positively impacts your mental health. Wouldn’t it make sense that your biggest investment should make you feel great? This is why hiring an interior designer can be so impactful.
With the support of my husband Chris, and our design assistant, Ashlynn Morey, we begin every project by defining three things: Research, Function, and Focus.
Research
With every project, we want to tell the story of the family or place. For our residential clients, we’ll begin by asking a lot of questions. We want to get to know you and your family as much as possible in order to create a space that is both visually pleasing and functional for your lifestyles. Details could include your family history, your favorite thing to do on weekends, what kind of music you listen to, and more.
When it comes to short-term rentals, the Research phase is more about the place. What is the history of the land? Are there any major attractions? When the weather has your guests stuck inside, we still want them to feel like they’ve experienced the town they’re visiting.
For example, for a recent rental project in Bentonville, we leaned into local heritage, focusing on Native American history to guide the design. The Osage, Caddo, and Quapaw nations have a heavy influence here. We purchased some of the decorations at the gift shop in The Museum of Native American History in Bentonville. We also sourced local art from the Beaver Lake area, and a huge piece of Sycamore from Timberwolf Saw Mill for a headboard.
For this type of investment property, it’s also beneficial to budget for a designer who is familiar with hospitality. The goal is to quickly capture the attention of online browsers, and once they’ve arrived, your space should offer an ambiance with amenities that will have them recommending your rental to friends and family, and sharing their experience on social media.
Our clients from that same Bentonville rental wanted to prioritize amenities that would appeal to guests visiting for the bike trails. So, we had a cedar barrel sauna, cold plunge, and hot tub custom-made for the backyard. What a great way to unwind and relax, especially after a day on the bike trails.
Tip: A great hospitality tip that works for both personal house guests and short-term rental visitors is to incorporate local goods like artwork, coffee, and bath products.
Function
For this phase of the process, we apply what we’ve learned about your family, lifestyle, and community to brainstorm functionality. We ask questions like: What are we doing in this space? How many people will be using it, and for what? How’s the lighting?
The everyday function of your space also influences spatial planning and material selections. You might be surprised by how much dedicated spaces, like an entertainment room or reading nook, can impact the organization and daily flow of your home. Considering how mess and texture have a subconscious impact on how we feel throughout the day, designing for function can also mean choosing easy-to-clean fabrics or round-edge furniture.
Tip: Overhead lighting can be overstimulating and often lacks character. Adding layers of lighting, like lamps, will make a world of difference.
Focus/Theme
When people ask what Strack Interiors’ design style is, I always say, it depends on the client's story. I like to let each project speak to me, which means each space is one-of-a-kind. For my team, having a theme is essential for executing a project. This usually comes out during the research phase of each project and offers direction for sourcing decor and selecting a cohesive color palette. The focus for the design could be inspired by the owner’s personal style or something special about the house. In some cases, like a recent rental project in Rogers, our client gives us complete creative freedom.
The home belonged to our client’s late father, and she didn’t want to sell or do any construction. There were still some pieces of antique furniture and other existing design elements that were interesting. Ashlynn started a mood board, giving the front room a Clue [board game] vibe, and I thought, “That’s it! Let’s do the entire house in this Clue theme, but tasteful.”
The living room is color-drenched in “Hunt Club” by Sherwin Williams – including the fireplace – and the built-ins were filled with old books. The bedrooms, we connected to Colonel Mustard and Professor Plum. Professor Plum’s room has purple plaid wallpaper and a desk, and we had an amazing Facebook Marketplace find for Colonel Mustard’s room: a large antique mirror with Colonel Mustard's name and picture on it.
Ms. Peacock has the master suite. We color-drenched the bathroom in “Bordeaux Red” by Benjamin Moore, and carried that color into the bedroom with the lamp shade and velvet curtains. We also found an amazing peacock print wallpaper. For final touches, we framed some vintage Clue games and hung them on the wall in the front Conservatory-themed room, plus a 1985 Clue movie poster in the entryway to give guests a hint at the design theme.
Tip: Wallpaper and decorative tile are two materials that can help have a big impact on a small area. Wallpaper installation has been a huge part of our business for the past decade; it’s one of the quickest ways to transform a space.
Stephanie Strack
Designer, Strack Interiors
@StephanieStrackInteriors
Coming into its fourth year, Strack Interiors was created on a hope and a prayer. Stephanie has been curating spaces for over 20 years, including private aircraft interiors, retail, commercial, and residential properties. Her husband, Chris, has a background in graphic arts, as well as a passion for painting.
I like to let each project speak to me, which means each space is one-of-a-kind.