Two Designers are Better Than One

Atelier Interior Design is unusual in that business owner/designer Katherine Schroder and designer Erika Rundiks work and create in tandem. While some might think this is a waste of energy this dynamic duo has found that in such a creative and demanding field working together closely behooves both them and the client. How does it work? Both Katie and Erika attend all client meetings and work on design development together. Often clients are surprised to have two designers working on their project but they soon find they feel a higher level of trust by having two opinions rather than one. Strong opinions are an integral part of both designers but respect and honesty weigh out. Katie tells us that, “Sometimes one person is having an off day and the partner can then step up to the plate.” Design takes a lot of time and thought. Instead of getting bogged down in the decision-making process Katie and Erika constantly bounce ideas off each other. On a trip to the Denver Design Center Katie and Erika can be found rifling through some of the thousands of fabrics making quick decisions and having a good time while their at it. Lots of quick yes’ and no’s can be heard and “too traditional, that’s not the right hue or the pattern needs to be larger.” The fabric and words flying so fast that there isn’t time for hurt egos. “I’ve worked with other designers and have never had such a collaborative, enjoyable experience. Design is an artistic field where a creator often doesn’t want to share the lime light or enjoyable aspects of the work.” Says Erika.

Katie and Erika both bring different talents to the table. After years of working in retail and as a showroom saleswoman at the Denver Design Center, Katie has a firm grasp on the realm of furniture, the various lines the showrooms carry, pricing and space planning. This experience has also helped her greatly as a businesswoman. When it comes to conveying a design idea to the client Erika can easily put her thoughts into words. Working with architects has helped her to understand mass and scale to a greater extent. Color, texture, lighting and design flavor are passions that both Katie and Erika share. Their differences in opinion actually make the designs more cohesive and less stringent. Katie tells us that “Often one of us will come up with the piece d resistance that brings the entire design together even though the other person may have initiated much of the design concept.” Erika responds, “When I was in design school my professors were always encouraging us to collaborate but the nature of the beast was for all of us to be covetous. Everyone was always afraid someone would steal his or her idea. We are better designers and our creative energy thrives because of each other.”