Teresa:您在为您在中国的家进行设计时候是如何考虑的？因为在进行一般的设计工作时，设计师通常要考虑客户的需求，我很想了解您在为自己服务时是如何构思的，
Anna:我喜爱温暖、阳光、明亮的色彩、和西班牙式的建筑，我是如此想念我在欧洲的家，那缤纷而又特立独行的大房子，我决定要设计一幢西班牙式的黄白相间的有屋面瓦的别墅，在单调重复的社区邻里当中独树一帜，对我来说，瓷砖属于浴室而不仅仅是门面的装饰

Teresa:当时您的家人是不是也提了很多意见。
Anna:我的丈夫在我的设计工作当中发挥的作用有限，他总是关注微小的细节，我很尊重他的意见，如果我们对一件事情有不同意见，我们会坐下来讨论所存在的问题直到其中一个说服另外一个

Teresa:在您的家里，我看到了多种不同元素的混搭设计。您作为设计师，是如何对此进行协调规划的？
Anna:一幢房子里的所有物件都必须井井有条的日子已经过去了，现在的潮流是让设计更有趣更原创的混搭风格，而且对我来说设计的最终目的是温馨舒适的感觉，我喜欢将欧式和中式的环境在室内进行混搭，就像任何一幢美国的大房子里总是可以找到来自中国的东西，不是家具就是装饰件。
色彩也是一个重要方面，人们因为害怕向别人打开自己的心门，所以很容易选择中性色，但是对于一个房间来说只有色彩才能营造出独特的氛围

Teresa:现在有越来越多的人可以购买到漂亮的配饰，并进行比较不错的搭配，但设计师与普通人的差别就在于他们具有专业性，请问在大众都可以进行合理设计的时候，设计师该如何才能显现其优势？
Anna:对于人们为什么不愿意找设计师有两种答案
第一， 他们认为他们自己可以做得更好
我的一个熟人向我抱怨说，她几个月都不能把她的新家安置好，我建议她应该找个设计师。 她充满怀疑地看着我说：“安娜，我自己都搞不定的房子，难道我会允许一个陌生人来替我进来做吗？”她的错误就在于设计师不是进来做他自己喜欢的室内，而是会引导你创造一个你自己梦想的家，他们不会住在你的家里只有你自己会。
人们总是促使自己选择那些已经习惯了的，所以他们总是不断重复同样的东西很难会有意想不到的效果。而且大多数人对于家具的尺度没有很好的把握，当把家具拿到计划好的空间里时不时太大了就是太小了，而且不知道如何把全部的家当做统一的安排，总是奇怪为什麽最终的结果总是和预想的不一样，或者总是后悔自己买错了东西
设计师总是会画一幅带有色彩和肌理的整体图纸，当他们去到市场时，是根据图纸框架来进行，而不是挂一漏万地去考虑单独的东西
第二，大多数人认为找一个好的设计师是很昂贵的。其实根据不同的工作内容，设计师可以提供从一个简单的建议到全部的艺术品购买，好的设计不一定需要昂贵的预算，有时一个小小的尝试努力就能带来令人惊喜的效果

Teresa:在您的家里进行了哪些对建筑结构上的改造？这是出于什么考虑的？
Anna:首先也是最重要的，我新设计了门廊，就是当人们来到你的大门口能够表达主人的身份，我认为中国的建筑师对门廊没有足够的重视
原来玄关里的楼梯的摆放也是完全错位的，而且楼梯平台下部的空间不足使人担心会碰头，我把整个楼梯调整到沿墙的位置，同是扩大了玄关的空间
原来厨房非常小旁边带有一个储藏间，我把这两个房间打通形成一个较大带有早餐区的厨房
原来的外立面非常不均衡，一半是两层半高而另一半只有一层，所以我在车库上增加了一间房间作为步入式更衣室，与主卧室打通，这里可以放置一些临时性的杂物，当更衣室的门被关闭时，即不必耽心无法安排这些杂物又保持了整幢房子的整洁

MY ECLECTIC STYLE
---The crossing of the history and the future

Teresa:What is the main design concept for your house in Beijing?
Anna:I love warmth, sunshine, bright colors and Spanish architecture. I miss the color and individuality of European houses.So, I decided to design a Spanish style villa in bright yellow and white, which stands out among the monotonous, tile covered houses in the neighborhood. For me, tiles belong in the bathroom, not to decorate facades.

Teresa: How do I consider family members' opinions?
Anna:My husband is an invaluable partner in my design work. He has an eye for minor details and I respect his opinions. If we have a disagreement about something, we sit down and discuss the problem until one of us convinces the other his idea is better.

Teresa: How do you work with clients?
Anna:The first meeting with the prospective client is very important. You find out whether or not you can work with this client, as my goal is not only pleasing the client, but expressing myself as well. I need to ask a lot of questions to get to know the functional requirements of their house, as well as their aesthetic preferences. I also show them a lot of images, from formal homes to casual, so they can respond to styles, ideas and inspirations.

Teresa: How do you manage to coordinate different styles in your house?
Anna:Gone are the days when everything in a house had to be coordinated. For several years now the trend has been to mix styles in order to make design more interesting and original. Besides, the ultimate goal in design for me is comfort and a sense of warmth. I love to combine Western interiors with Chinese accents. You can hardly find an American upscale home without a Chinese piece, be it furniture or decorative items.
Color is also of major importance. People very often go for neutrals, afraid to express themselves openly. Color brings individuality to a room, creating a specific mood.

Teresa:What is the difference between a designer and a normal customer choosing furnishings?
Anna:There are two reasons why people do not seek a designer's advice.
First, they think they can do it themselves better.
An acquaintance of mine complained that she had not been able to arrange her new home for months. I suggested she should seek the advice of a designer. She looked at me incredulously:"Anna, I cannot do it myself, do you think I would allow a stranger to do my own house?" That's where she was wrong. Designers don't take over and do whatever they please with your interiors. They guide you into creating your dream house. They are not going to live in your house, you are.
People very often choose what they are already used to, so they are eventually reciting the same stuff and cannot produce the unexpected. Too, most people cannot scale furniture properly - it's often too small or too big for the intended space. Not knowing how to put things together, they wonder why it doesn't work as they wished. Or they buy the wrong stuff.
Designers create a whole picture with an overflow of color and texture. When they go to the market, they choose all items according to the broad framework, not going for each separate piece without consideration for the whole picture.

Second, most people believe hiring a designer is very expensive. It all depends on the job required. It can range from a simple advice to a total boutique makeover. Great design does not necesserily require a heavy budget. Sometimes a small effect brings about a grand look.

Teresa: What did you change in the original house?
Anna:First and foremost, I created a porch. It is the place where people approach your entrance door and it should be expressive of what might be expected inside. I think Chinese architects do not give the porch enough attention.

The staircase in the entrance foyer was in a totally wrong place. It reached the second floor in the middle of the foyer, so one had the feeling of hitting his head in the staircase upon entering the house. I positioned it along the walls, so the foyer became larger and more impressive.

The living room was quite narrow, so I enlarged it at the expense of the terrace, which was moved to the other side, thus connecting the kitchen and the dining room to the garden.

Originally the kitchen was very small with a storage room next to it. I connected the two rooms to create a more spacious kitchen with a breakfast nook.
The house facade was very unbalanced. One half was two-and-a half storeys high, and the other finished with the first floor. I built another room over the garage and a walk-in-closet,connected with the master bedroom, above the kitchen.
Two small balkonies were connected to create a larger one, which can be accessed from two bedrooms.