About Us Idée Chic Design is a small award-winning and published interior design practice dedicated to long-lasting relationships with our clients and design/built community, creative and practical interior design solutions, and environmental sensitivity. We specialize in interior design for residential and small commercial spaces. We are skilled in both contemporary and traditional design and offer services ranging from color consultations to complete design package for primary and vacation homes and condos, yachts and businesses.
Our Principal Designer, Natalia Smith, has owned the company for over four years, has more than ten years experience in the textile industry, and over five in high-end project management. Natalia earned her MBA from Seattle University and her Residential Design degree from Art Institute of Seattle. She is Allied ASID (American Society of Interior Designers) member; she is also a member in good standing with National Kitchen and Bath Association (NKBA) and American Institute of Architects (AIA). Natalia actively participates in "Open House" committee with AIA Seattle Chapter. In other words, she is foremost a professional within the interior design industry committed to quality, ethical professional conduct, and exceptional design solutions. Read Natalia's interview
Her work earned her Best Interior design company 2007&2008 by Citysearch.com and third place in the Large Kitchen category at the Northwest National Kitchen and Bath Association's 2008 Best of the Best kitchens and bath competition.
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Professional Affiliation: |
| @ Home Seattle, September 2007 |
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American Society of Interior Designers, Allied Member |
| Kitchen&Bath, NKBA Puget Sound 2008-2009 |
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National Kitchen and Bath Association |
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The American Institute of Architects, Seattle Chapter |
About the designer
To get to know our Principal designer, her style and preferences, we will use Architectural Digest's format for their feature publication "Designers tell all".
When I begin with a new client, I always.......Listen very carefully to what they are saying and question them about their lifestyles and things they don't like. In general, I am more interested to know what they don't like before we begin the process.
My favorite room to design...... I love doing any kind of room, from bedrooms to bathrooms to comfortable living areas, to kitchens and kids rooms. What I don't like doing is repeating that was already been done by me or someone else – the room has to be fresh and unique that's what I am hired for.
There are many rules designers should bear in mind, one is .....There are no rules, aside from the rule that the interiors have to work and to be safe for the users. The interior space has to be beautiful, of course, but it also has to be practical, livable for everyday life, and it should have a sense of unobstructed movement either through textures, patterns, or space planning. Interiors have to "flow", connect, and relate.
The order I follow when I design is.... It is not always the same, depends on the room. Sometimes it is the particular dimensions or architectural details of the room that kick off the process; other times, it is the pattern on a fabric, unique furnishings, or a family hairloom. I don't feel that the design process should start all the time from the same point, my designs are different because they originated in different ways.
Every home must have..... a place to share good food, close friends, and a place for a favorite book.
Who or what has influenced my style..... Multiple things: upbringing in Russia shaped my practicality to use the space wisely; appreciate the resources given, and try to fix things to give them new life rather than starting from scratch. Designing and making clothes from early on polished the enate abitily to combine color and texture and think throught the entire process from conception to the end before the first material is cut. I have traveled extensively in Europe and Asia – which shaped 2 different styles that I love equaly; a transitional (comfortable modern what I call it) with simple geometric forms in warm inviting pallette of exotic materials and a traditional with gourgeous veneers and abondance of textures and textiles.
Lastly, the work of Peter Marino, architect and designer, the cohesivness of the space he designs and the warms and balance it projects.
The mistakes most people make when doing their own design is....... They either waste their time researching to find a particular item; or buy it because it moved them at that time. However, at the end none of it goes together. Not many are able to see the big picture, the whole schematic of how the exterior of the house translates to the interior space and then to the room specifically.
The clients can make the design process go more smoothly by..... Trusting the designer, being honest and upfront, and making decisions promptly. The design process is about solving problems. I don't dictate what and how things should be, I guide. Consequently, the clients have some decisions to make and be comfortable with the outcome. I will provide all the support to make the decision process easy but ultimately, the final word comes from the client. So, honest and open communication is key to success.
About Us