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104 MACONMAGAZINE.COM SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION Valerie Gae Valerie Garrett Interior Design info@valeriegarrettinteriordesign.com | 478.477.5970 valeriegarrettinteriordesign.com What does a classic VGID interior look like? Certain words and phrases immediately come to mind that sum up my firm's look and feel. Words like: refined elegance, balanced and blended, fresh and current. These key elements let me design beautiful homes for my clients. Homes that, whether my client prefers Traditional, Modern or Transitional, are unique to who they are and how they live. No matter the style, each space my firm creates captures what is most important to the client. What is the range of design services that VGID provides? From whole-home designs, to suites of rooms, to individual room designs, we have the resources and the vision to do it all. We offer everything from new builds, complete renovations and additions to design updates: we have the capacity to do it all—and we have! We create the interiors our clients envision and make them come to life right up to the last picture we hang on their wall. When a project comes to you, where do you begin? No matter the scale of the project, I always approach it in the same way: with a search for the starting point. Maybe it's a special piece of artwork; perhaps it's a fabric that a client just can't stop looking at; or, maybe it's a gorgeous antique. As long as it's something my client adores, that's all that really matters. From there, I build around that "love." That dictates the project, and defines where we're going. After that, we'll set the scope of the project, budget and timeline—always with an eye to what is reasonable for the client, and always with a vision of how the room will function. I believe that function and beauty go hand in hand; they don't only enhance one another, they strengthen each other. How does having a team allow you to support your clients? Having a team with a like-minded design sensibility is great; having a team that has that plus mastery in areas that complement mine, is a great blessing! And that's what it's like at VGID. My gifted team allows me to focus on what I do best: design. I think our clients can see the benefits of this throughout the process; our team moves efficiently, skillfully and smoothly from one phase of their project to the next. Do you have a philosophy that encompasses your work with clients? My design philosophy is about listening carefully. Listening to hear my clients' tangible wants and needs, as well as their intangible wishes. It's a philosophy that encompasses creative collaborations that lead to a journey that's full of ideas shared openly and warmly. It's a journey founded upon trust that's built on mutual respect and understanding. And it's a journey that leads to a great result—a home that makes clients happy to come home, be home, and live a life in beauty. And if we share a few laughs on that journey, then my work is happily complete! *** Women In Business PHOTOS BY MARYANN BATES