Meet Andrea Schumacher. She is the Owner of Andrea Schumacher Interiors, an interior design firm based in Denver. From starting a career in set design on a popular TV soap, she has grown to become an experienced designer and businesswoman. With a bachelor's degree in interior design from the CIDA-accredited Colorado State University, she went on to earn a certificate in Universal Design from the prestigious Graduate School of Design at Harvard University.
Since 1999 she has run Andrea Schumacher Interiors and is an ASID (American Society of Interior Designers) allied member. With such vast knowledge and understanding of the sector, we wanted to get to know Schumacher better. We interviewed her to get to know her thoughts, insights, and experience in interior design.
The most fulfilling is seeing our clients' dreams come true, and creating a home out of the house.
From TV Sets to Interiors
She explains that her firm works on projects across the country. “I am from Colorado and the headquarters is based in Denver. I also have an office in Santa Barbara, as I went to college in California and love the area.”
But she most definitely didn’t take a typical route from college into an interior design career. She goes on to comment about how she began working in California, saying “I started my career in CA as a drafts-person on Days of Our Lives.” It was this that first led her down the path to where she is today: “Being in set design opened my eyes to the design world.”
Client-Centric Design
Fast forward to 2024 and Andrea Schumacher Interiors is busy “Transforming spaces into art” as her site’s tagline puts it. But art is objective and every designer is different. So how does she describe her style?
“I would say my style is very client-centric, though I love to mix clean-lined upholstered goods with found objects and antiques to create a curated feel throughout a home that looks collected over time.”
Image by Andrea Schumacher Interiors
Inspiration can come in many forms. And while most clients have some idea of what they would like, Schumacher explains that “in the rare case our client has nothing to work with we will comb through textiles until one resonates with our client and use that as a jumping off point. Typically, a client has something to cut in their collection that we use as inspiration.”
Yet, when a client has a vision, it’s making it come to life that Schumacher finds most rewarding: “The most fulfilling is seeing our clients' dreams come true and creating a home out of the house. The difficulty can be the process of getting them from A to Z seamlessly.”
Image by Andrea Schumacher Interiors
Bucking the Trends
Getting down to the nitty-gritty of design and the industry, we asked Schumacher what some of her favorite design features and trends are. “I'm not sure if this is a trend, I love mixing metals. I don't adhere to typical rules when it comes to trends” she says.
When it comes to the process of design, Schumacher claims that it might not be exactly what homeowners may expect, commenting that “I feel in the end, similar television shows have jaded clients’ view of how the design process actually works. Good things come to those who wait”.
Image by Andrea Schumacher Interiors
And what about advice for anyone thinking about joining the industry? She advises to “at least get a two-year degree.” Her studies and experience have helped her to “understand how to get your thoughts and ideas onto paper to explain to your client what you're thinking. It's a process to have a vision and explain it with your hands if that makes sense.” When you see her completed projects, you understand that it makes perfect sense.
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Adam Graham is a construction industry analyst at Fixr.com. He has experience writing about home construction, interior design, and real estate. He communicates with experts and journalists to make sure we provide the most up-to-date and fact-checked information. He has been featured in publications such as Better Homes and Gardens, and written for various outlets including the National Association of Realtors, and Insurance News Net Magazine.