Episode 12 | Keely Lange with Resin Interiors
Transcript:
00:00:05 Greg Croft with Resin Architecture
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00:00:12 Greg Croft with Resin Architecture
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00:00:51 Greg Croft with Resin Architecture
Our guest today is Keely Lang. Keely is actually with our office. She's an interior designer. She graduated with a Bachelor's of Science in Interior Design and Construction Management and is also NCIDQ certified which is which is actually really unusual for interior designers.
00:01:12 Greg Croft with Resin Architecture
That's actually a really a big accomplishment, and she's going to talk to us today about the role of an interior designer in a commercial project. Keely, will you give us a little bit of your background in interior design, how you got started, and what brought you into that industry?
00:01:30 Keely Lange with Resin Architecture
I got my start in interior design in college. I was exploring different majors and options and I'd always been drawn to architecture and design and the creative world. And the more research I did, the more I realized how good of a fit interior design would be for me to pursue, so I jumped into the major.
00:01:58 Keely Lange with Resin Architecture
And went through that and graduated. And then after I graduated college, I was working for more of a residential firm. And I did some custom furniture design and things like that and got a feel for that world. And then about three years ago, when I started at Resin, I got more into the commercial interior design world. And that's where I've been, and that's what I've really enjoyed so far.
00:02:25 Jamee Moulton with Resin Architecture
Tell us about the role of an interior designer on a commercial project. What's your function? 00:02:32 Keely Lange with Resin Architecture
Interior designers focus on the inside of buildings, and they are always thinking about the people who are going to be inside the building. Their purpose is to understand what the owner's goal is with the project. Who is he or she designing the building for? Is it employees that are working in a space? Is it doctors that are seeing patients? Is it retail customers that are shopping or people seeing a play or a show for entertainment? Interior designers come into the project. They get a feel for who the occupants will be, and then they create project goals that align with the function that those occupants need to be able to perform and to be able to have inside the building.
00:03:27 Keely Lange with Resin Architecture
All along the way they redirect the project and make sure it stays on course to actually achieve those goals and really serve the occupants of the space really well at the end of the project.
00:03:44 Greg Croft with Resin Architecture
Something that's interesting is a lot of the things that with your background in interior design working at an architecture firm and then also having a construction background like you're pretty well rounded.
What advantages have you seen in in that realm? 00:04:02 Keely Lange with Resin Architecture
I think a common misconception about interior designers is that they kind of walk into a space and call out a bunch of orders and don't really know how that's going to be fulfilled or how to get that done. And that was always something that, like the designers that I interacted with were not that way. And there were so many people that I met that had a really good grasp of constructability and how the how the design turns into a tangible, real thing in the building. And I wanted to make that a priority that I was that kind of designer too. So having a construction element to my education, understanding some of the architect's priorities and seeing how architectural projects come together and then also having the focus of interior design really was something that I always wanted because I wanted to be a good asset to a project and be able to see how all of these pieces fit together at the end of it.
00:05:05 Greg Croft with Resin Architecture
Yeah, and now you get to touch every single project that we do. What are some of the specific project elements that you actually design?
00:05:17 Keely Lange with Resin Architecture
It's kind of a spectrum and it's a range based on every unique project. Every project is different, but anything from space planning/floor plans so rooms actually within the building footprint, the size of rooms so that they can function well and be usable, finish selections of the surfaces of a building so flooring finishes, walls, ceilings and then cabinets/casework including layouts of the cabinets or the surface of the countertop based on the use of what that cabinet will be, and then any kind of custom built-in elements in a building so reception desks, ceiling accents, detailing on the walls, wall panels and things like that. Lots of different stuff. Anything inside a building.
00:06:20 Greg Croft with Resin Architecture
I would probably point out too, as you're selecting those materials, this is something that I think I've come to realize as I've watched you work. It's like, what do they [do there]? How long do they want it to last? What's the wearability? How many mils is it in terms of like a flooring? If you're looking at a fabric, you know there's - I don't remember what the tests are - but there's tests like where [they test] essentially how much can this be rubbed before it starts to look bad and starts to fray? And I don't think that's something that most people would really ever consider, and that's something that an interior designer, is actually being like, hey, like, we're going to make this last for as long as you need it to so that you are going to spend a little bit more upfront.
00:07:07 Greg Croft with Resin Architecture
But it's going to look good the entire life of, you know, however, however long you want to spend which over the life of that is going to save tons of money. We were picking out some things in our office and it was like, OK, it needs to be staying rated. And you know, there's three or four different criteria just in the fabric alone that you were considering.
00:07:34 Greg Croft with Resin Architecture
And so then it was like ohh now we've got a small palette to pick from. We can't just run to the ne arest furniture store and just be like, yeah, let's grab that. And I've noticed now at home, I'm like, oh, our furniture is crap. I think that's an interesting aspect because especially when it comes to a commercial space. You don't want it to look like crap after a year.
00:07:56 Greg Croft with Resin Architecture
You want it to be like, oh, this has always looked good. It will continue to look good. And I think there's a lot of different little aspects like that, that an interior designer is looking at.
00:08:08 Keely Lange with Resin Architecture
There's a lot of research that goes into selecting what kind of material you put where and it's understanding not only how is it going to look in the long term, but what other characteristics does it need to have? Like in a medical facility, you need antimicrobial properties and you need this extra cleanability than what you would need in an automotive showroom.
00:08:37 Keely Lange with Resin Architecture
It goes beyond even looks. What actual properties of this material do we need to think about so that it's safe and cleanable and functional for the whole life of the project for the purpose of the project too?
00:08:54 Greg Croft with Resin Architecture
A really simple example of that actually. There was a product they were out of on the on the tile. And it was like, hey, here's the options. And you were like, well, if they want to be able to mop it, then there's actually this little detail. And do this, and then you've got that built up in a way that they don't have the product in stock. It's not being made apparently anymore.
00:09:19 Greg Croft with Resin Architecture
And so we have this great solution that solves it and somebody else like if it was me, I would have been like, yeah, just do the just do the one like it's not a big deal, but you're thinking about things that I don't think about and I don't think the contractors necessarily thinking about either.
00:09:39 Greg Croft with Resin Architecture
It's really great to work with somebody that's thinking about these other things. This is not in the questions, but I feel like it's actually a major topic that I'm going to pull in. Another thing that I know that you look at is lighting design. And it's really interesting to walk into a space where lighting design has been considered and when it has not been considered. So I'd like you to talk a little bit about that. And then I have another question.
00:10:08 Keely Lange with Resin Architecture
OK. Yeah, lighting design. That's kind of a big topic, but interior designers work alongside electrical engineers that are considering foot candles and the photometrics and how to light a space basically to meet code and to be safe for people to be inside of it. And then interior designers can come in and work alongside those electrical engineers to say, OK, this is a restaurant that we want to have a really cool ambiance. So what are our minimum levels that we can do and then how can we start to layer it so that we're highlighting a stage area that we want everyone's attention to be drawn to. We want the booths to feel really intimate, so they have their own little lamp that they're eating dinner by. Lighting is a fun topic. And I think it is one of the things that makes an impact the most in a commercial space
00:11:12 Keely Lange with Resin Architecture
When you walk in and you see a really, even if it's a really great accent, like pendant feature light, it's like a wow factor that you remember where you were when you walked in. You remember that business or that place and it has the power to transform the feel of any commercial space.
00:11:36 Greg Croft with Resin Architecture
Another one I want to bring in is the indoor environment so thinking of noise, fresh air. And I know that there's no real numbers that go behind this, but if I was a building - if I was essentially one of our clients and I'm like, hey, I'm going to build an office space for my business and I like the open layout style.
There's good things about it and there's bad things about it. 00:12:14 Greg Croft with Resin Architecture
One of the good things is like more collaboration and one of the bad things is like canceling out the fact that there's collaboration going on all around you. But I'd like you to talk a little bit about the return on investment in terms of creating a good indoor environment. I know that there's studies. I'm not asking you to quote any of those studies, but I know that there's actually a substantial financial gain in businesses that are actually considering these things and you might be able to speak more to that.
00:12:47 Keely Lange with Resin Architecture
I think that comes back to prioritizing who's using the space and that it's human beings that are occupying a space. When we're making an office that's wide open, there's going to be people who can't focus because they can hear every single word that their cubicle next to them is saying on the phone all day.
00:13:13 Keely Lange with Resin Architecture
Or they're looking out the window watching the birds fly by. I mean, there's all these different distractions that can happen when you put a bunch of people into an open space. And so thinking about, OK, we want it open and we want it flexible. But what can we build in that isn't a permanent fixture that will start to block sound and create these spaces where someone who needs four walls still to focus can still find success in that work environment?
00:13:43 Keely Lange with Resin Architecture
So there are partitions that we can put up that are on wheels and lockable that you can start to kind of build these little cubbies and cubicles that can be moved and there's still that flexibility, and there's still that opportunity for collaboration. And then that starts to help with the sound transmission. And all those other distractions.
00:14:14 Greg Croft with Resin Architecture
And then the healthy air. I'm going to make you talk about that today. 00:14:19 Keely Lange with Resin Architecture
Yeah. Yeah. Well, there, that's like the sick building thing that some of the buildings have become so energy efficient that there's no outside air coming in and it does affect the people that are inside. Then they get sick more often. And then for a business owner, if you have employees that are sick all the time that's a problem.
00:14:44 Keely Lange with Resin Architecture
There's, you know, obviously ventilation things that help with healthy air. We have lots of plants in our office, which is great. That purifies the air. Also seeing green things changes your psychological perception of things. So seeing a living thing is great from that perspective. There's a lot of different things you can pull in to interiors that help people on multiple levels and I think that's always something great to think about.
00:15:18 Jamee Moulton with Resin Architecture
Will you explain to us the difference between an interior decorator and an interior designer like you are?
00:15:26 Keely Lange with Resin Architecture
Yeah, the major differentiator is certification. That's what it comes down to. There is a national qualification institute called NCIDQ, which stands for National Council of Interior Design Qualification and they regulate the profession.
00:15:53 Keely Lange with Resin Architecture
And give certification to qualified interior designers. Qualification is based on education from an accredited university. It's based on a minimum number of hours of experience which is around 2,000 to 3,000 working hours of experience.
00:16:19 Keely Lange with Resin Architecture
Then it's also examination and testing on your expertise and your knowledge. So with those 3 components an individual is qualified to apply for interior design certification. That's really the strongest benchmark between an interior decorator and an interior designer.
00:16:42 Greg Croft with Resin Architecture
What are some of the things that they're testing you on? Because it's not like color selection, I'm assuming.
00:16:47 Keely Lange with Resin Architecture
No there's no aesthetic component to any of the testing. It's all code based, so it's the same building code that architects are designing off of and building officials are permitting against and inspecting against. It's the same building code that's used throughout the industry. It's understanding life safety of occupants - so how they would get out of a building in the event of a fire.
00:17:22 Keely Lange with Resin Architecture
There are questions on firewalls between tenants. There's a lot of questions on the material performance, so flammability of wall coverings and fabrics and carpets and understanding the different tests that materials have to undergo and what those tests mean when we're looking at specifying them. So it's very technical and very little of the aesthetic side of interior design that a lot of people associate with the profession.
00:17:59 Greg Croft with Resin Architecture
Why is it important to consider the interior design of a commercial space? 00:18:04 Keely Lange with Resin Architecture
Yeah, it always goes back to the occupants, the inside of a building is where people are. It's where we spend almost all of our time sometimes. It’s where we live and work and eat, and it should be a priority on every project because we design buildings generally for people. There's some exceptions to that, but most of our projects are designed for people who are going to be using them.
00:18:34 Keely Lange with Resin Architecture
So that should be kind of at the forefront of everything when we start thinking about a project is who the end user is going to be and that inherently brings interior design onto the project.
00:18:49 Greg Croft with Resin Architecture
It's kind of interesting to think about, as you were saying that I was like, I probably spend more waking hours probably at the office as opposed to anywhere else. So anyway.
00:19:07 Jamee Moulton with Resin Architecture
How do you help a client stay true to their branding and create a space that is consistent with that branding or to pick out a style that is consistent with their branding?
00:19:22 Keely Lange with Resin Architecture
Yeah, if they're coming to us with no grasp of what they might like, they don't really know. First I try to kind of just observe sometimes what their existing space might look like, what their logo and what their branding currently is if it's staying consistent in their new project. Then from there that might inform some of the direction of options that we can present.
00:19:50 Keely Lange with Resin Architecture
If that's not a starting point that we can use, then it's always easy to pull a few different options of looks or styles that are just inspiration images and put them in front of them and say OK, is there anything here that you like and they might say yes or no.
00:20:10 Keely Lange with Resin Architecture
And usually I think three to five options is a good starting point that is digestible for someone to look at and to say, OK, I do like that one and I don't like that at all. And then from there we can figure out, OK, what do you like? Do you like the wood color? Do you like the geometric shapes? Do you like the textures? And then that starts to inform and shape kind of the visual side of the direction that we go with some of the interiors.
00:20:42 Greg Croft with Resin Architecture
Do you have a particular thing that you like to try to integrate into every project? Do you have a favorite?
00:20:50 Keely Lange with Resin Architecture
Every project is so unique and it's hard to pick a favorite thing. I think that like I said, lighting is the most impactful thing that can be incorporated into a project. If there's ever an opportunity to use that in some way, whether it's through creating layered lighting and shadow and things like that, or bringing in a fun fixture, I think on every project that usually there's an opportunity for that and that tends to be the most impactful and fun thing to bring into it.
00:21:30 Jamee Moulton with Resin Architecture
Is there a time that you'd like to be brought onto a project? I think I have a biased perspective. I assume that there's some value in bringing an interior designer on at the beginning of a project, but I don't think I can identify the advantages to the client. Can you fill in some of those gaps?
00:21:50 Keely Lange with Resin Architecture
The earlier the better is definitely a safe assumption. Interior designers can bring a perspective into the concept or schematic phase when you're kind of putting the puzzle pieces together and creating a floor plan. There's a really valuable perspective that an interior designer can bring to that. Also, like directly for the owner, when construction starts, if an interior designer is able to be part of the project while the design is still being developed then things like a basis of design for the type of carpet or ceiling or cabinets can be integrated into the construction drawings so that when bidding time happens and contractors and vendors are looking at the documents, they're not making assumptions or taking the least expensive option and trying to apply it to the to the project.
00:22:47 Keely Lange with Resin Architecture
They're saying OK, we have this benchmark that we're either going to have to go with this product or probably an approved equal. And so it makes for a more accurate budget at the end of the day, fewer change orders for the client and it's a huge benefit in the end for the project because there's less surprises in construction and gives them an accurate number to budget towards.
00:23:20 Jamee Moulton with Resin Architecture
I think the no surprises motto is a big part of everything we do at Resin. We're really trying through visualization and through your services to get rid of those surprises.
00:23:33 Greg Croft with Resin Architecture
Before my last question, do you have any questions that you wish that we had asked? No? OK. So based on your experience what is the one piece of advice that you would give somebody that's looking at building out a commercial space and that that might be interior related or it might be something else?
00:23:56 Keely Lange with Resin Architecture
I think invest in a design team that you trust and that aligns with your vision. I think for someone coming from like a first time perspective, there might be some confusion about what things cost or like where to save money and where to spend. And there's all these different considerations that a person might be making, but the design team is an investment in your project. A good design team wants to see your project be successful and fulfill all the needs that you're you have and you're asking for, so vie wing that as an investment and selecting a team that you value and you trust them and their expertise and their ability to communicate with you and help you make decisions along the way. It's huge and it changes the trajectory of the project when you know the owner is partnering with the design team for the success of that project.
00:25:06 Greg Croft with Resin Architecture
Well, thank you. It's been a great conversation. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing to Vision Driven on your favorite podcast platform so you never miss an episode. And don't forget to leave us a review. Your feedback helps us grow and improve our content, and it also helps others discover the podcast.
00:25:23 Jamee Moulton with Resin Architecture
Remember, at Resin Architecture we are dedicated to teaching and learning and are committed to helping business owners like you navigate the exciting journey of building. Stay tuned for more episodes where we'll continue to bring you engaging conversations, expert insights, and actionable advice to fuel your real estate aspirations.
