Inspiration with a side of sass from Meredith @meredithheron

27/05/2012

Resourceful women fascinate me, women who believe in themselves and without fear pursue what they want regardless of the odds against them, lets face it not all of us can do this and we all wish we could. I love women with humour and sass. Ambitious, driven and determined to succeed. Its the womanhood movement all over again and I love a woman who takes no prisoners yet steps on no toes unless of course you push her to it. Meredith Heron is such a woman; fearless and funny. Building a business on pure gut and hard work having to rebrand her vision and find her footing in the midst of it all, and coming out on top, is just one of the things I find most fascinating about her. Also striking that balance between work and family life, marrying the two so well so one can’t be without the other is just another reason and of course her adorable son Luke…I could go on. Teaching was never going to be enough, she knew there was more out there for her and knew what she wanted to impact with her focus, on a grander scale. She wanted it, she went after it, and even with hiccups along the way she just kept on going because when your eye is on the prize there really isn’t anything that can stand in your way. And she really is too much of a Diva to sweat the small stuff. Whether its an old restaurant or new home, nothing should lack in your own aesthetic, there should always be a personal touch to it. She’s a champion of beautiful spaces and great aesthetic. Her designs ooze personality, the colours come to life, her brand vision of passion and distinct personality speaks volumes and you get a sense of her personality immediately. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg.

What is the concept behind Meredith Heron Design Inc?

I’m a former school teacher who struck out on her own 10 years + ago now committed to making the world of Interior Design all the better. At the time I thought I needed a company name, so went forth as Red Heron Essentials but quickly learned that our clients regarded the business as me. That probably is one of the reasons why my former business partner became a former… ya think? We spent a few years rebranding – it was like intense therapy. Our brand pillars as Meredith Heron Design are Personal Distinct Style & Passion. That pretty much sums up our raison d’etre.

Why did you decide to strike out on your own?

I struck out on my own immediately. I’ve never worked in design for someone else, unless making paint at Home Depot counts. I’m too much of a diva to ever work for someone else in Design. I would permanently be an insubordinate.

How easy was it to set up shop?

Setting up shop is a piece of cake. It really is. Staying in shop, growing one’s business and making an actual living at it a whole other ball of wax. I went back to school before I officially set up shop though. You have to study if you are going to be a designer or a consultant. It may not be at a formal institution but if you don’t know the basics and learn them, hone them continually you can not call yourself a design professional. Blogging and sharing the work of others doesn’t count either as learning about design and the business of design. Just going to put that out there so there is no misunderstanding. I will also add another complex layer to that by saying I rarely hire professionally trained designers. I love Art History students. I love to teach them about design, the way I see it. But I always recommend them to take college level courses on design to get the basics.

How would describe your design aesthetic?

My own personal aesthetic changes. If it’s trendy, I probably am over it. That’s a safe bet. I like to be ahead of trends. I tire easily of things too. I’m very much a lover of layers. I also am a firm believer in that I filter the personal taste of my clients through my aesthetic so I have to be open and continually evolving my own looks. This question is probably harder to answer than my other hardest question to answer – “What’s your favourite colour…?”

What are the most important things to consider when building a home?

You need to have a game plan. Hiring an architect and a builder are not enough. Interior Designers design spaces to fit with how you live. They incorporate what you already have and they help you to curate new acquisitions to fit the space and not stick out like a sore thumb. Depending on the project, I’d say you could easily lose the architect (sorry just being honest) and hire a designer and a structural engineer…. but hey I’m biased. Designers and Architects often don’t share the sandbox as good as they should.

What is the most important room in your home and why?

The fact that I am unable to answer this is probably a good sign. Our home works so well together as a whole it’s impossible to choose just one room. The foyer/living/dining/kitchen are pretty much one room too so that compounds things just a bit. This main living space is definitely the heart of our home… though my private dressing room is kinda sweet too…. (also practical because it keeps my mess & new acquisitions hidden from my husband so really it’s a marriage saver…)

Career and family; how do you marry the two?

Well my husband became my business partner for starters… that’s kinda obvious right? I’m a workaholic. Marriage would be much different if we had different jobs. I shudder to think of what that could look like (unless my husband was Christian Grey rich and well then I’d have house staff which would be rather sweet) Because I’m living my passion as a designer, work infiltrates everything I do. So I integrate the two wherever I can. Luke – my almost 3 year old has mastered the Step & Repeat walls at openings/events, he’s also a great appetizer consumer at the same events. He’s become a mini celebrity in the design world.

A day in the life of Meredith; paint a picture;

Wake up at 8am ( I hate mornings)

Check my iphone before getting out of bed – tweet, facebook, load my blog, check my email

Shower/Dress/Blow out my curly hair to make it straight

Husband cooks breakfast – he’s the best!

Drop off Luke at Nursery School

Arrive at office

Meetings with my team

Emails

Phonecalls

Meetings/Installs

Designing

Repeat

Pick up the lil man from school

Dinner

Blog

Watch a lil Trash TV

Bed

And now about that book…#50shades x