Meet the Designer: Sara Terrell

HGTV.com: How was working with an actual homeowner/room on Designer Finals different from the classroom setting?
Terrell: Working with actual homeowners was very different, but not in the way you might think. In school, we learn every possible aspect of the design experience and train to produce reams of drawings! The Kukul's living room had no demolition, so most of these technical drawings were unnecessary.

When in school, you learn how to prepare for any possible design job and this TV experience was such a whirlwind, that I didn't have time to do everything, let alone in the order I was supposed to! On the other hand, I surprised even myself at the amount of drawings and preparation I was able to accomplish. In two short weeks, I made phone calls, coordinated people and projects, sent faxes, designed and drew custom furniture, wrote schedules, slept very little and shopped at 13 stores in five cities. By being pulled in so many directions while under such a time crunch, that which was unnecessary was quickly dropped from the schedule. What remained was given the attention it deserved. The result was a "complete" room with special touches and custom elements without any excess baggage.

HGTV.com: What was your inspiration for the design?
Terrell: When looking for inspiration for a room or project, it's important to look around you. Every space/project has its own criteria (aka "problems"). In the case of Shelley and Paul's living room, there were several defining factors including very rough-hewn ceiling beams. The new molding on all the doors and windows was comparatively small to the beams (only three inches wide). Since I couldn't rip off all the new trim, I added 1x9 white-washed pine boards to it, matching the feeling of the walls to the rustic ceiling.

Another huge challenge was where to put the furniture without blocking traffic. Three of the walls had either windows or doors, and one had a diagonal slash from a staircase. There was no place to hang artwork or put furniture up against, so it needed to be away from the walls, yet not piled in the center of the room. As a result, I opted for the walls themselves to be interesting. There was so little wall space for pictures that it just seemed a natural choice to put the artwork on the wall. My mural also complemented the colors from the adjoining rooms, which was important since they all look in on each other. In the end, the mural had a relationship stylistically with the beams and moldings. This tied the room together and created a wonderful atmosphere, even before one stick of furniture ever entered it.

HGTV.com: What did you learn from your experience on the show?
Terrell: I learned that I really enjoy having a positive impact on people's lives. It means a lot to me that the entire Kukuk family uses and loves the space (they recently had a third child). Shelley sent me photos of the two oldest kids performing a play using the round ottoman as a stage. She's also quick to point out that they're perfectly trained to replace all of the pillows! The most recent photos I have seen of the room (11 months after the actual makeover), show it very much unchanged! She obviously meant what she said when she told me she loved it and the whole family feels comfortable in it!

HGTV.com: Was the Designer Finals experience what you expected it would be?
Terrell: I expected the experience to be exhausting, but how can one know until they go through it? It was an unbelievable amount of work and preparation. I was also relying on strangers to help with the execution of my vision. Basically I had to put a lot of blind trust and faith into the project. In the beginning, I knew it would be unbelievably difficult but doable. After it was over, I couldn't believe that it turned out so well and without any major disasters.

HGTV.com: Is there any fun or interesting behind-the-scenes information to share?
Terrell: There were so many little disasters, but the one that I just can't get out of my head is the curtains! I was so lucky to get such a talented group of helpers in Shelley's family. Her mother, Carole, and brother, Laine, are accomplished amateur sewers and slip-covered the sofa really professionally, as well covering other furniture and making pillows, so the last item to be sewn was the curtains. Apparently none of my drawings made any sense so the curtains were duct-taped together instead of sewn! Nobody told me, but just minutes before the reveal I happened to notice that one of the curtains was much longer than the other. I went in for a closer look and saw the (gulp) duct tape!

I told Shelly that I would fix them after the show, but she said not to worry. Carole and Lane did an unbelievably fantastic job on all of the things that really mattered so I really couldn't get mad at them for being so tired and at the end of their rope--I certainly was.

HGTV.com: What made you decide to study interior design?
Terrell: In my opinion, interior design gives me the chance to have a hand in many different situations. I have the chance to build furniture, paint and be creative in so many ways. I also am very interested in landscaping and garden design, plus I really enjoy people. I wouldn't be happy working in an office where I'd never get to interact with new people. I love to come into a pleasant home where I can relax and let the world's troubles melt away. If I can affect someone else on such a level so they feel at home in their own space, then I have really done my job and I am happy too.

HGTV.com: What four experts would your dream design team consist of?
Terrell: Most of the people who influence me and those I admire are architects like Frank Lloyd Wright, John Lautner, Antoni Gaudi, Charles Rennie Mackintosh and especially Bernard Maybeck and Julia Morgan. These master architects also designed the little things. Frank Lloyd Wright even designed the clothes and silverware for some of his clients! Mackintosh did incredible lighting and stained glass and Lautner was a master with concrete and space. Maybeck was a maverick architect and a forefather to the concept of integrating nature and architecture, as well as green and sustainable design. He was very interested in how civilization impacts Mother Earth. Of course, every architect above did too, but Maybeck was a Bay area native and is responsible for much of Berkeley’s park-like feel. Morgan, who built Hearst Castle, was very petite, but had no problem getting into the dirt while a foundation was being dug to perform a geological analysis. She also worked a lot with ancient artifacts and real antiques.

As far as someone from this time, I really have to say Martha Stewart is someone I go to time and time again. Her magazine has such beautiful photos, I find myself using them over and over. She has a very similar philosophy to mine, it's all about "living." I have every one of her magazines from the beginning and she has been my mentor for my entire school career.

HGTV.com: Who is your favorite designer?
Terrell: Interior designers are not as well known like architects are. I would like to be among those that change that! I love Tony Duquette, Eileen Gray, Angelo Donghia and, of course, Barbara Barry who also went to the Academy of Art (boy would I love to work with HER!). Another architect I admire for their contribution to interior design is Timothy Pflueger. He did the magnificent Paramount Theater in Oakland and the Castro Theater in San Francisco. Pflueger liked to employ local craftspeople and was big on interior decoration. He used Diego Rivera, a muralist and one of my very favorite artists. Pflueger injected a lot of fine art into his architecture and spaces while promoting other artisans as well.

HGTV.com: What are your favorite interior design books and/or magazines?
Terrell: I have copious amounts of books and magazines and they are invaluable (and expensive!). Among my favorite magazines are Martha Stewart Living, Western Interiors, Elle Décor, Metropolitan Home, Dwell, Abitare, Wallpaper, Metropolis, Interior Design, House and Garden, Garden Design and Sunset. The books of the architects mentioned above are my old friends too.

HGTV.com: From this experience, do you think you're prepared for the real challenges an interior designer faces?
Terrell: I am so grateful to HGTV for doing this show and giving us new designers a chance and some exposure. This experience has definitely made me more prepared for the real world of design (the whole process of having a client, working with them and trying to "get" their style while injecting your own in a complementary way). In school, you only have to please yourself. All of your work is an exercise to develop your design and analytical skills. When you work with a client, you sometimes have to put aside your own tastes (unless asked for) and translate what the client wants into something useful and beautiful.

I also found out that it isn't possible to do everything myself. I paint, sew and build furniture, but there was no way I could do all that in this instance, so it came down to how professional and talented my crew was. No matter how good my design may be, if I don't have good people working for me, then it won't get done right and I'm responsible.

The biggest take-home message I have is get good help! Most of our work as designers will be installed and done by other people so it's important to make contacts and find a good crew you can rely on.