At Your Service

At Your Service By Julie Gordon and Naomi Kenan Photos provided by Rina Carrolli Interior designer Rina Carrolli The Design Detective CREATING BEAUTIFUL HOMES YOU CAN LIVE IN, TOO nterior designer Rina Carrolli can weave colors, fabrics, and furniture into any style or fashion. A 25-year industry veteran, she works on projects large and small, seamlessly transforming clients' vague ideas into stunning homes designed to look as fresh in 10 years as they do brand new. But Carrolli digs ever deeper in her work. Like a design detective, she delves into her clients' lifestyle as well as tastes, inquiring about their routines and hobbies, children, and pets… even how many usually cozy up on the sofa to watch a movie. All that information goes into a custom-designed home, unique to each client. "I create designs that people enjoy for the aesthetic—and also feel comfortable living in," says the owner of Carrolli Interior Design Group. For large projects—like building a new home or addition—it's best to call her while the architect's ink is still drying on the blueprints. Why? Because although the architect will ensure that the house is structurally sound and handsomely constructed, he's unlikely to ask whether you like the sound of the tumbling dryer while you cook, or where your 130-pound black Lab sleeps every night. (Note to self: Choose washable bed covers in boy's room.) Carrolli begins by leafing through design books with the client, noting which styles elicit ooohs and aaahs—and which leave them cold. "Many people don't know what their style is, but they know what they like when they see it," she remarks. "Usually they like a combination." e designer listens closely, jotting down everything. And once a budget is agreed on, the questioning begins. No detail is too petty, from where the parents read the paper to where kids hold sleepovers (Do they have kids? Do the kids have sleepovers?). Next, she creates a huge, scaled floor plan with precise measurements. "I create visuals on the board, so clients can envision exactly how everything is going to fit," she says. "I bring the fabrics to touch. If they want to know how the sofa feels, I take them to a showroom, remove the pillows, and have them lay down on the sofa. "I stand in the kitchen, pretend we're cooking—and reach for the spices… will they be in the right spot?" About two weeks later, Carrolli returns with two or three optional designs, complete with floor plans, furniture (with prices), lighting… the works. " e I client has choices," the designer stresses. "I'm always open to suggestions." Clients can move parts around on the floor plan like pieces on a chess board—interchanging, removing, or adding until everything is just right. "I `live' the house with the client before it's built," Carrolli says, "so they can know in advance exactly how it will feel to live there." Once a plan is approved, Carrolli oversees every aspect, from finding furniture and selecting tile to talking to an electrician about lighting installation. She orders custom-made pieces; every piece in her designs, in fact, is custom made. en the big day arrives—the payoff for the designer's careful artistry. "By the time my guys come to deliver, they know exactly where every piece goes," she says. As it all comes together, her clients are often astonished by the stunningly perfect finished product. And nothing brings Carrolli more pleasure than the smiles on her clients' faces. " at's when I know I was truly listening to them and not merely looking at the house," she says. " ey're happy and I'm happy. It's a great feeling."  Carrolli Interior Design Group Summit: 908-514-1885 • Rumson: 732-530-3319 • Carrolli.com October 2009 VicinityMagazine.com 33

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