ELZA B. DESIGN, INC. INTERVIEW BY H. CANDEE

Photography by Ben Gebo

Interview by Harryet Candee

If only the world can do what Oscar Wilde said: “One should sympathize with the color, the beauty, the joy of life." As you say on your website, and I agree, what is it you provide that helps this to happen when it comes to your life and your work as an interior designer, Barbara? Barbara Hirsch: I am a 3-D thinker and this allows me to synthesize color, volumes, shapes, materials, into harmonious interiors for my clients. I’ve been blessed with a great eye and the understanding that beauty is one of life’s magical gift, and that it has a profound ability to affect one’s level of happiness and mood. My philosophy is that life is very short, and one should surround themselves with beauty as much as possible on this time on earth. There is plenty to appreciate in our surroundings, and as an interior designer I work hard to create an inviting and lovely interior for my clients. On a personal level, I never cease to be amazed by skies, plants and landscapes: I find joy and inspiration on nature walks, observing colorful ephemerous sunsets, examining the complex delicate construction of petals and leaves. I draw inspiration on trips, gallery and museum visits. I appreciate architecture and all types of materials such as steel, brass, wood, glass, fabrics, wovens, All these and more contribute to feeding my creative mind as I take on new design projects.

I wonder, how do you manage to create a beautiful space if the client does not have anything you see that is workable? Beauty is ready to happen: it is always lurking quietly and ready to be shown the way. I need to immerse myself in my client’s mind to understand what is attractive to them and what works. As I walk through their space and get to understand their needs and what they are drawn to, a design vision appears in my mind and my wheels start turning. Every client has an image in their heart of what they love and aspire to, and my goal is to make sure I am the right person to guide them to their dream interior. Part of the work I do involves having potential clients do homework for me and set aside images of spaces they love or hate. This helps me figure out if I can get them to what they want.

How much input from a client do you allow into your creative process? I allow a lot of input from a client as I truly believe the work is a collaboration. I see myself as a creative guide, and experience has taught me to be a very good listener and communicator. The designed space I leave you with should function for you and your family. You’re the one who will live with it and it needs to meet your sense of aesthetics and your space planning needs. The initial homework exercises I have clients do help me achieve this goal.

This is a beautiful art that you do. With so much havoc and chaos we often find in our lives, you are permitted to take your paint brush and create layers of depth to make a space work. Can you share with us some of the insiders’ skills and principles that only an interior designer knows to follow? Thank you, Harryet, that means a lot to me! Some

Interior Design by Barbara Elza Hirsch Photograph by Michael J. Lee

insider principles that guide my work are: Always develop the master plan first. You are not just an artist and visionary in this field, you are also a project manager, and I always start with careful measuring of the space and photography and measurements of existing furnishings or heirlooms that will remain. I then develop color schemes, mood boards and CADS (computer assisted drawings) and those need to be approved by the client before we move to the creative and research phase. Good planning is key and sets the infrastructure of the design project. Secondly, surround yourself with the best of the best in the industry. When doing bathroom, kitchen or other structural renovations, work with great builders and architects and be a team player. Develop excellent relationships with gallerists, framers, seamstresses, artisans, workrooms, vendors. In this industry, we all need each other, we rely on each other and everyone has a key role to play. Finally, when using my “paint brush” to assemble all the elements together, I consider scale, function, proportions, light, texture, color, quality and comfort in all decisions. Tell us, Barbara, what is new and exciting in your life and also with your business, Elza B. Design, Inc.? I am very excited this year to announce we are working behind the scenes with an agency on a brand-new website design to be launched by the end of the year. This website will allow me to showcase my photos in larger images, offer better navigation and layout, and also explain our design process to our audience. Another important goal with the new website is to include my team extraordinaire in a more public way, with headshots and bios of everyone who works at Elza B. Design Inc. Finally, we started working on a new company online Portal this summer and it has been a fabulous tool to share documents with clients and team members.

What achievements do you find to be your biggest, can you tell us about one or two of them? My biggest achievement is raising my two sons to be warm, caring and responsible young men. Being a mother has enriched me and brought me immense joy. My second biggest achievement would be my career as principal and interior designer at Elza B. Design. Creating my firm in late 2007, at a difficult time in our country’s economy, and being able to consistently grow and weather the storms is something I am really proud of. We work closely with the construction industry and it can be challenging to be a woman in a male dominated industry. I have learned to be a team player and a great advocate for my clients, bringing empathy, humor, precision, and diplomacy to the table.

What of recent, has been your most extensive, labor intensive project you have going on or have completed? What were a few of the challenges you had to directly deal with? And, were you personally satisfied with the results? Currently, I have been working on a very large interior design project with a wonderful client in Concord, MA. We have been working together for 3 years, and I’ve seen the project blossom and grow from vision, to planning, to demolition and to renovation. I’ve helped at every stage of the project. Continued on next page...

Barbara’s sharp eye and talent seen here in this freshly designed livingroom space. Photograph by Michael J. Lee

Reviewing architect’s drawings to give feedback on placement of cabinetry or other, helping source tile and stone selections, discussing tile layout and grout selections; researching plumbing and lighting for 5 bathrooms and a kitchen, have been some of my responsibilities. We’ve helped the client source unique wallpapers, interesting and functional furniture, custom rugs and pillows, window treatments and lighting. We are working on the finishing touches now, such as art procurement and outdoor furniture planning. Some of the challenges we have encountered were due to working through the COVID pandemic. It can be exhausting at times to wear masks all day, or try to interact with trades and vendors without the ability to read their full facial expressions; but the worst has been the supply chain and quality control issues, the crazy delays and other hardships. We have had to be very patient and work extra hard. I am very satisfied with the results and proud of this project. This client has adventurous taste and because she trusts the process, she has allowed me to be very creative and play with colors in an original manner. It’s been a positive collaboration.

You work mainly around the Boston area. Have you had interior design jobs that have taken you outside of your normal parameters? Designers travel a lot for their work. I’ve done projects in Maine, New Hampshire and Western Massachusetts. I love coming to Williamstown and have immediate family there, so it’s easy for me to visit clients in that area. Typically, if the project is further out of the Boston area, it makes sense to me that it be a larger scale project, such as a few rooms or a whole house.

What would you consider to be an extreme interior design project for you? “Extreme” can mean so many things! It could be a potential client who reaches out and wants a full house design done in “less than 6 months”, in which case I have to decline. Extreme timelines are never a good thing, as good design happens when the pace is right. If you rush through it, details are missed, errors are made, and no one ends up happy. Extreme or thorny situations can arise when a client has difficulty trusting the process, or too many cooks are hired in the same kitchen by an anxious or impatient client, creating conflict and tension within the team. Some extreme situations over the year have included clients who second guess all their decisions and run everything by their mom and best friends, creating a nightmare of conflicting opinions. It’s always a good idea to know and trust yourself before you hire an interior designer. It’s also important to know if you prefer a small design firm approach or a more corporate, large design firm experience.

How does the cultural background of a client affect the way you would take into consideration the planning stages when looking at changing their living/work space? I love your questions, Harryet! I myself have a multicultural background, and hold a dual

Photograph by JessFoto

Barbara with flat lays in her office Photograph by JessFoto

French/American citizenship. I’ve traveled to numerous countries, and I’ve lived in London, Switzerland, France and in a very international city (Washington D.C.). I understand the importance of honoring one’s culture, and adore blending elements based on this. I’ve been asked to take in consideration ketubahs (Jewish marriage contracts) and positioned them prominently in the home, I’ve had clients who have elder parents live with them and asked me to plan extra bedrooms or suits for that purpose. I’ve helped create yoga sanctuaries, meditation spaces and home shrines. But it’s not just the cultural background that can affect the design plan. Empathic listening is key, as I need to know my clients to help create their ideal space. I will want to know about allergies to certain materials, any physical limitations, privacy concerns, entertaining lifestyles, and a lot more.

Is your work load getting busier now with COVID taking back stage? Quite frankly I’ve been blessed with work throughout, except at the very beginning from March 2020 to June 2020, when we all had to shelter in place and work remotely. It’s been challenging due to the supply chain issues but we just forewarn our clients, and make the time sensitive decisions as quickly as possible. This summer we had only 2 toilets from TOTO we knew were in stock, and basically anything else was backordered for months. We were at the beginning of a bathroom renovation, which comes with a specific schedule we need to follow, to work hand in hand with the construction crew, and we needed to be very upfront with the clients about their options.

Have you looked at your own personal principles of good design and gained any new insight that you will use in your upcoming jobs? Aha, you are asking me for all my trade secrets :-)! As a business owner and service industry specialist, I always re-examine our business practices and aim to learn from all experiences, good or bad. It is very important to me to gain new insight and apply it on upcoming projects. Someone who is afraid to grow this way is missing out. The beauty of life is also this: observe, listen, communicate; this will nourish you and help you thrive!

Thank you! H Barbara Elza Hirsch | Principal, Interior Designer Elza B. Design, Inc 300 Baker Avenue, Suite 300 Concord, MA 01742 Tel: 781-859-7817 Website: www.elzabdesign.com Email: bhirsch@elzabdesign.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/elzabdesign Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elzabdesign/