Rose Ann Humphrry

The best advice I ever received came from a client when I was dealing with a contractor who was using the wrong wood. I had specified walnut for an entranceway, but the contractor was putting up pine, saying he was going to stain it walnut to save money. I went crazy, and when my client walked in and I explained the problem, he said to me, 'Think of yourself as Muhammad Ali. All you need to do is dance a lot. You don't need to punch.' He said I don't have to use any force to get what I need, I just need to be clear on what is important. That was a very big lesson for me - it was an unbelievable awakening. You're dealing with men who have this view that you don't know anything and they know everything, and really, that isn't true. We have vision, and that's what we're trying to create for these people. It's very telling about what we deal with as designers - we deal with contractors, we deal with people who think that they know everything and we know very little. And it's just not true.

I would say to younger people, take risks. If you think them out - and I don't mean dangerous risks - but risk-taking is an entrepreneurial quality that not everybody has. If you take risks and they are educated risks, you can really do very well. So I would say that people should take risks if they're in our profession, and not be afraid of it. You've got to be willing to go forward. I had a young woman who worked with me, and I had to be in New York City with a client, so I asked her if she could take a delivery. She called me and couldn't believe what effort went into taking delivery on a job, especially in the mountains of Stowe on a snowy day. But you've got to do it. You've got to be willing to go forward. That is what I would say to any young designer - just be willing to go forward and take some risks, because educated risks are very smart, in my view. I would also tell them to have a wonderful website, because it creates credibility for a designer. And always listen. Always listen to what people have to say to you, because that is the main event. If you hear what people say, you can never go wrong. You've got to be humbled by your client base. If I want to have an off-white color in a house, that may be great for me because I'm a minimalist, but it may not be great for someone else. So you've got to listen. I would start with a great website, I would listen very carefully to what people say, because everyone needs to love how they live.

One of the challenges I face is with contractors who still see women as somewhat the underdog, even at this time in history. I have no problem with being a woman - I love being a woman - but women are still somewhat the underdog. You're dealing with men who have this view that you don't know anything and they know everything, and really, that isn't true. We have vision, and that's what we're trying to create for these people. We deal with contractors, we deal with painters, we deal with people who think that they know everything and we know very little, and it's just not true. But if we have a good client, they take our word for it, and that's a big part of it. I think I have become extremely trustworthy, and I work for the client. You have to walk that fine line of working for the client and working for the workman, and it isn't always easy. But if you stay true to yourself, I think you can do it. It's not an easy field, and especially now, with all of these stores that have design people, you have to wonder, do you really need a designer? But a good client understands it. Interior design is a very emotional experience for people. We think of interior design as 'oh, how lucky are you?' but it's a lot, because it's a very, very emotional experience for people.

The most important value in my work is that it has always been about the client, not about me. We worked with a marketing company that interviewed 20 of our clients, and they told me that clients love how they live - so it was never about us. Always listen to what people have to say to you, because that is the main event. If you hear what people say, you can never go wrong. You've got to be humbled by your client base. Everyone needs to love how they live. They're not going to tell people how great you are - they're just going to say 'I love how I live.' That's what our clients told our marketing people - that they liked us because they loved how they lived. It was not about us. It was not about pink flowers in a bedroom - it was what they wanted. Not every house I've done, I would photograph, because some are not the best in the world in my opinion, but it doesn't matter what my opinion is. It matters what people's opinion is. You can certainly direct, but you have to listen. In my personal life, if you're fortunate enough to do business, you have to give back.