December Member Spotlight: Louisa McGregor

Louisa McGregor, Lolita Interiors - Boston, Massachusetts

When did you realize that you wanted to become an interior designer?

I realized I wanted to become an interior designer actually after graduating college and receiving my B.S degree in Business Administration before enrolling in design school. This epiphany came to me after realizing how my early years had already shaped the love of design I had within me and how natural it came.

In my early school years, I remember taking part in coloring contests within my classroom and while other students were scribbling on their color sheets and passing it in, I in turn meticulously made the colors pop on my sheet.  My coloring always moved in the same direction and tone, I outlined every object, and always stayed within the lines.  Needless to say, I always did win those contests.

Another early school year memory was helping the school librarian at the end of the school day with putting returned books back on the shelves.  My task was to only place the books back in their correct order however I took it as far as organizing each book on the shelf and made sure they all lined up and pushed up to the edge.  By the time I was done with each section the entire library looked like a gallery. 

During my high school years I landed a part-time job afterschool at the  local Homegoods store.  I remember being mesmerized with everything the store carried.  I would jump on any décor items that were marked down and decorated my bedroom with all sorts of newly purchased comforter sets, curtain sets, décor pieces.  My entire part-time paycheck basically went right back to the store.  😊 My parents were also champions during this time-frame because they allowed me to experiment painting my room as well.  I experimented different colors and various techniques and I remember choosing some wild colors over the years. 

Who was the first interior designer to make an impression on you?

I would say my parents had a major first impression on me, my dad was always renovating, fixing, and remodeling some area of our home.  Top that with my mother’s Italian taste in furnishings where she was always vested in making sure every corner of every room had something beautiful to look at).  She always ensured items were strategically placed in certain area of our home.   Between both my parents pursuits and efforts, the end result always looked like a million bucks

What are some of the things that influence you, aside from furniture and décor?

I am deeply influenced by Architecture!  I love looking at buildings and homes of all styles, periods, and geographical locations.  I’ve collected a library of images and photographs of all things architectural over the years whether it’s interior architecture (like beautiful millwork or archways), elaborate exteriors, to the most modern and clean-lined forms.

What are your go-to basics?

Form meets functionality.  Every piece to a room should add some sort of functionality and beauty second.  This is key to every one of my designs. 

Are you seeing any particular style requests trending amongst your clients?

Trending lately is “comfortability”.  Clients are spending a lot of time in their homes in these times and they want to feel comfortable and relaxed with room for family members to spread out.

What’s been your career highlight to date?

I must say that my career highlight has been opening my own design firm.  But to get here, there was much progression and hardwork put into learning and practicing my craft early on in my career.  My past work experiences in the furnishings industry (working in local showrooms) along with working in the window treatment industry taught me so much.  In my early roles, I was taught about the different quality of furnishings (i.e. not everything that shines is gold) and how durability matters with textiles.    I’ve worked with many clients with various styles of tastes (from coastal, modern, and traditional) and learned what has mattered most to them.  Learning the behind the scenes business side (that clients don’t see) was a major highlight in my career development as well.  From Client, to vendors, delivery, and installation, it all has to be a seamless, detailed oriented collaboration to ensure success and client satisfaction. 

What’s the most treasured item in your own home?

Taking it way back to my teenage days of working at homegoods, My very first purchase with one of my very first paychecks was a framed artwork piece.  The piece was of a golden globe cut in half showing 2 sides of the world, the frame was made of natural stained oak (a bit outdated now).  I still have this artwork as a reminder of my past.  I may eventually update the frame to bring into current times but for now it’s definitely being treasured in its original form.  😊