Wherever Jeff Strasser goes, design inspires him. The travel-loving Chief Creative Officer and Vice President of Interior Design at Marc-Michaels Interior Design Inc. in Winter Park, FL, is a master at infusing everyday spaces with global influences. Here, Strasser walks us through his approach to this Naples, FL, home he describes as “warm contemporary
with an organic beachfront vibe.”
1. How does your love of traveling affect your designs?
I think traveling enables you to find unique, one-of-a-kind items that you wouldn’t normally find in your area. It provides exposure to different colors, textures and unexpected moments in the spaces. It keeps it from feeling overly decorated or curated.
2. When building a room around a statement piece — whether it’s a basket, a lighting fixture or a painting — where do you start?
If it’s a light fixture I would design and detail the ceiling around the light fixture. The light could also influence the colors and textures in the room. If it’s a painting, I would select the feature wall first and then consider the complementary colors and the aesthetics around the piece. In this particular dining room, we pulled the colors from the painting when we sourced the Moroccan basket.
3. How do you introduce global accessories into a space without overwhelming it or making it look like a souvenir shop?
We make sure we only have a few global moments with our accessories and the simplified backgrounds enhance the importance of them in the space. If the large pieces, like the dining table for example, are classic, it helps the accessories feel like a wonderful global moment instead of clutter.
