by Samara Goodman

Samara's Interiors

Blog Manager's note: While reading our business partner Samara Goodman’s description of client-centered design for her company Samara's Interiors newsletter, I was struck by how closely her approach mirrors what professional organizers do. Just as she looks beyond aesthetics to understand how her clients actually live, professional organizers look beyond simply “organizing stuff” to understand each client’s needs, habits, and goals—and create solutions that work for their individual lives. I thought it would make a great blog posting! It’s this shared commitment to understanding the whole client that makes NAPO-WDC partnerships between members and business partners like Samara so seamless and effective.

As you know, client-centered design is the Samara Interiors motto. But what exactly does it mean to us? We define client-centered design as a personalized approach that prioritizes a client’s unique lifestyle, stories, and comfort over a signature design firm style. This philosophy focuses on active listening, bespoke details, and designing for daily functionality in addition to beautiful aesthetics. Therefore, rather than a "Samara Interiors" look, it is all about a "client's life" look.

Storytelling 
Design is more than just picking paint colors; it’s a form of visual storytelling. Instead of leaving a signature "look" on every room, we translate the client's personal history, style, and travels into personalized decor. Some clients want their home to feel Zen and uncluttered, others want their home to tell the story of their travels, hobbies, or family history. We craft these bespoke environments to be tailored exclusively to each client. 

Active Listening
We aren't just hearing our clients' fabric, color, and style preferences; we are listening to understand  how they actually move through their home, what their goals are for each space, and how they want the home to make them feel. In creating design concepts, we prioritize functionality, psychology, and daily habits over aesthetics-only designs or fleeting trends. This approach moves away from the social media trap of spaces that look good in photos but feel cold or awkward. Instead, we focus on creating a home that supports the inhabitants' actual lifestyle and well-being. From bird watchers and plant enthusiasts to art and whiskey collectors, we enjoy incorporating it all!

Function as Beauty
Our philosophy is that a beautiful room isn't truly well-designed unless it inspires you and makes your daily routine easier and your home more livable. A space is only successful when its visual appeal works in harmony with its practical, daily use. We feel that a perfectly styled room that is uncomfortable or impractical is an unfinished room, because it fails to serve its primary purpose: enhancing the life of the person in it.

For more information, contact Samara Goodman.