Cosmopolitan Designer

Interior designer Mim Phillips, IIDA associate, brings a fresh, broad palette to her clients’ spaces.

Text: Edited by Vicki Pickle
Photos: Colin Miller/Strauss Peyton
March 2009

“Get bold. Mix it up with the old and the new, and use color that you absolutely love.”

 

DESIGNER SKETCH
Hometown: Lots of places – home is where you make it!  That said, I live in O'Fallon, Illinois right now.

I am inspired by: Anything really. I'm very visual and kinesthetic, so anything that catches my eye, whether it's in nature, great architecture, good art, great fashion design, jewelry, ancient relics; the feel of tree bark to the touch of mink!

The newest wallcoverings are: Awesome. Great graphics. Large scale. Old but desirably new. Dramatic in color such as fuchsia, blue-greens, gray browns, bronze and black. And RED. I love red.

One spring change to consider: Just make it fresh and happy.

 www.mimphillipsinteriors.com

How do you bring the taste and style that comes from your degree and experiences from the KLC School of Design in London to the spaces you design in the Midwest?
I think taste and style are acquired. I could go to KLC and live in London and be a bad designer. What I've acquired through the years from living in Iran and England – from attending a design school in London and traveling to over 30 countries, and living in 6 states – is an appreciation for the arts and cultures both historically and architecturally. I've lived in it. I know what works. Besides the design basics, all of these experiences – living and traveling throughout the world – are just part of me and because of that, I try to bring it into the process whenever I can.

Do you consider the new styles of London, for example, and other trendsetting cities when thinking about design in the St. Louis area?
Of course. St. Louis has incredible architecture and history. Living in the Midwest, we mix more traditional American or contemporary transitional. Which is okay, but I like to mix it up a little more and add a few trends wherever I can. I don't like every house design to look the same because people aren't the same. Styles in London vary just as they do in St. Louis or New York.

How do you tailor your designs to involve your clients from the start of the plan?
I watch my clients. I listen to them, a lot. I get to know them. It's important to me to emanate what the client is all about in the design. One of the things I love about this business is that I get to make art from the client's tastes, character and personality. I work with the client – calling it side-by-side. I'm not pinned down to one style. I love it all and can design most styles.

Are there any design trends on the horizon that you look forward to incorporating in your work?
Yes – great wallpapers, mixing period furniture, using eco-friendly products if possible. And don't be afraid to use color. But use it tastefully. Bring some boldness to your home and mix it up. And, most importantly, use color that you absolutely love.

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