HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2010-05-06, Page 20PAGE 20. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, MAY 6, 2010.
Patti Robertson, an expert on
interior design, has been sharing her
knowledge with The Rural Voice
readers for more than a decade, and
her columns are now available
online.
Robertson thinks that the exposure
is great, and says it will add to the
audience she already has from her
column.
“It is really exciting. Anytime my
work can get out there, it’s great,”
she said. “I like to share my
knowledge, and it’s a very special
way I can give back.”
Robertson also said it’s a way to
give her knowledge extra life.
The website exposure, she says,
will add to the extensive feedback
she already receives from the
columns.
“I get lots of feedback from the
columns,” she said. “People call and
ask if they can use my column, I get
booked for speaking engagements
and it just opens all sorts of doors
that haven’t been open to me
before.”
Robertson says the continuing
success of her column comes from
focusing on the basics.
“We have to be logical,” she said.
“Are we having the house serve you,
or are you going to be its slave
forever?”
Robertson says that she feels most
comfortable with a job when she
doesn’t leave a trade mark.“I want a client’s home to belongto them,” she said. “I’ll talk with
them, get to know them, get to know
their colours and their desires, and
then we’ll make something that
really fits them.”
Robertson says her unique style
gives her many repeat customers.
“I’m being given a privilege when
I’m invited into someone’s house to
help them design,” she said. “The
trust is there, that’s what leads to
client referrals.”
For Robertson, simple is the goal.
“I paraphrased Deepak Chopra in
one of my recent columns,” she said.
“He talks about how we’re killing
ourselves to make money to buy
things we don’t need, to impress
people we don’t really care about.
“We need to focus on what we do
need,” she said. “If we’re blessed
with a sizable income, and we can
afford more, we can have some nicer
things, but a modest income can still
get us a nice home.”
As far as basic tips, Robertson
said, when designing, remember five
key factors:
• The best investment is to get an
interior designer, even if it’s just for
coaching.
Robertson says that having an
interior designer can save money in
the long run.
“One of my clients said he really
likes me because I was aware of the
fact that not everyone wants to spend
money,” she said. “An interior
designer definitely costs money, but
I only let people spend where it is
necessary, which will save them
money in the long run.”
• Make the design something that
could appear in a magazine, not
something that already has.
Robertson said it’s great to see
something attractive and try and
incorporate it into a home, but the
real goal is to try and make a home
something that reflects you and is
comfortable, while at the same time
being functional.
• Be yourself and make your house
reflect you.
Robertson tries to remove herself
from the equation so a home reflects
the owner, not her.
• Use colours that reflect yourself.
The owners of a home have to
look at a colour all the time, so it’s
best if it is a colour they appreciate.• Don’t break the bank.Having a nice home doesn’t have
to drain all of an owner’s savings.
Robertson’s column is the latest in
a long line of mass media that she
has used to try and get her message
out and she believes it’s the truest.
“I can truly be myself in my
column,” she said. “[Television and
radio] aren’t so forgiving, theyrequire you to think on the spot, andchoose your words, but the column
allows me to really think ahead.”
It’s a great honour, Robertson
said, to have experience in all three
media and to be trusted enough to be
on them.
“It’s great to be respected,” she
said.
Five key factors to make a house a home
Patti Robertson
Patti Robertson, an interior designer who has written for
The Rural Voice for 10 years, now has her columns
available online at www.northhuron.on.ca. (Denny Scott photo)
home & garden 2010
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Windows
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Decks
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Roofing
Gerald Exel
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Renovations & New Construction
By Denny Scott
The Citizen