The design team, consisting of Joe and Yumie Britt (homeowners), Big Sky Design (interior designer Leslie Stachowicz), Mark Saulnier (thoughtful and wise architect), and Dave Thomas (DPT Construction specializing in historic restoration and renovations), worked together to bring this once grand old beauty back to life.  Aside from the structural, water, and aging issues, the interiors demanded lightening and brightening. My only direction from the Britt’s was to keep it simple, “do what you think” and be thoughtful about the cost impact. This was not a home they were going to live in, this was a home that, we at Big Sky realized, they were restoring out of love, and this is how we approached the project.  The Britt family set the tone of this project by the way they completely trusted us as interior designer, builder, and architect, to do what we do and I believe we all took this trust as a gift and worked in that spirit.

Our approach to the interior design was to “keep it simple” but keep in mind the “grandness” of the home. We removed all the wall to wall carpet to expose the hardwood floor beneath it which we had refinished and stained a dark tone.  We salvaged, at the owner’s request, a portion of Granny’s carpet to bind into a rug to be reused in the Music Room.  The Entry foyer flows up to the grand upstairs hall so we had a faux finisher come in and add a beautiful pattern to the walls, based on a wallcovering design, that would help manage the scale of the space while adding subtle color and pattern.  The first floor ceilings were 11’6″ so we wanted to emphasize the height of the rooms by bringing the custom window treatments above the windows to direct the eye upward. As self-described “tile junkies” we were in heaven selecting the tiles and stone for the nine fireplaces as well as the for the renovated bathrooms. I could go on and on…..

When interior finishes started to go up, Dave Thomas emailed the Britts that the “Grand old lady is getting her lipstick on!”  I thought that was great!  Well, after 14 months of renovation we completed the interiors and are so proud of our work! We lightened and brightened, we updated, we refinished and faux finished, we reupholstered and even did some dusting and washing, and “Granny Alma’s house” came together beautifully.  Everyone was thrilled with the results!  It was truly a “labor of love.”

We are so anxious to share with you what we love to do, interior design, our BIG ideas and resources.  But first let me tell you who we are.  I believe it is true that a great business starts with great people so let me make the introductions.  I would say we are a pretty down to earth group of professionals that share a passion for helping people dream about the places they live and work.  We practice both residential and commercial interior design for that reason (and so that we can get our hands on all kinds of interesting materials!).

As founder of the company, I started Big Sky Design in 1997 so that I could practice interior design full- time and follow my dream of enhancing public spaces.  Having a studio art background, I was interested in rendering interior spaces towards a chosen aesthetic, believing that you did not have to visit a gray box when you went to see the doctor.  We are straightforward and visual communicators, good listeners and advocate following a concept driven design process.  We base our design concepts on client input and are open to how design evolves during the course of every project.  We have fun while we work (though we could use some new office music ideas…) and offer creative solutions with the many wonderful materials that are available to the trade.  I feel especially lucky to have a job that provides such a creative outlet and a meaningful career hoping that the interior spaces that Big Sky Design is a part of will have a positive effect on people’s day-to-day experiences.  

I was so lucky to convince my good friend Leslie Stachowicz to join me at Big Sky just a few years after it began.  It has been a pleasure to work with a friend all this time and someone who is equally committed to strong design practices.  Leslie is a very articulate and thoughtful designer.  She has a talented eye for pulling together the elements that make each project unique and beautiful.  She has a fetish (yes I am going to tell all!) for exquisite fabrics, contemporary furniture, fashion and pointed shoes.  She constantly monitors the quality of elements within Big Sky’s designs as well as the final installation of these items.  She has been known to ask for “perfection” and have things redone when needed so that the client gets the best quality in the end.  And why not? 

Susan Forshaw joined the firm five years ago and has become an integral part of our design team.   Susan helps Leslie and me get each job done.  Within each project, there are brainstorming sessions for ideas, selection of materials, presentation of materials, revisions of materials, documentation of materials, selection of furnishings, spreadsheets evaluating cost of materials and furnishings, ordering of all of these items, phone calls to check on items, coordination of installation of these items etc!  The open studio nature of our office requires that all of these things are accomplished by a team effort.  Susan’s love of Excel has helped solve logistics of keeping track of these things (thankfully!)  and has helped us all to become more efficient.  Susan is also a great event planner, a creative cook and is an Adobe Illustrator wizard.

Our bookkeeper, Julie Hardison has also been with Big Sky for five years.  She  not only helps us keep our books straight and taxes paid but also keeps us tuned into Wilmington.  Her involvement with her family and activities typically furthers the discussion of job opportunities in town and often leads to hilarious stories.

Before the recession we also had another great design assistant who we hope might return when the economy improves.  Our office has been a solid staff of five and runs well with the great team we have had in place.  I hope you can tell that we enjoy working together and that we love what we do.  We are looking forward to sharing more with you soon!  

Thank you,

Jennifer K. France