27 Sep Q&A with Pam Niemann & Suzanne Meyer of Niemann Interiors

 

About The Designer

Pam Niemann, Principal / Owner, Florida/Nevada Registered Interior Designer, NEWH
Pam started her career in 1982 in Commercial design.  She then gained experience in Kitchen design, Residential design and management, and ultimately Hospitality design in 2003.  As a firm that specializes in high-end Residential, Commercial and Hospitality design, Pam is committed to the idea of elevated and unique designs that inspire and are personal. She is licensed in Florida and Nevada, and served as NEWH’s Sunshine Chapter President in 2017.

Suzanne Meyer, Senior Designer, Florida Registered Interior Designer
Suzanne is a licensed interior designer, graduating with a Bachelor’s Degree in Interior Design from the University of Florida, and brings over 13 years of experience in hospitality, residential and commercial design. As Senior Designer, Suzanne leads the design team on the hospitality projects, bringing an unparalleled level of leadership and teamwork to the firm. She loves to research and create unique narratives for each project, then watch it flourish into real-life design.

About The Company
Niemann Interiors is honored and excited to be a part of Lebatex’ s 20^thAnniversary Collection. It is the mission of Niemann Interiorsto provide unique and clever designs, with strong involvement by the principal, collaboration of the design team, along with the depth of skill and talent that accompanies experience. Niemann Interiors is celebrating their 25^thyear in business this year. We have worked with an array of hospitality clients over the years including Marriott Vacations Worldwide, Hilton Grand Vacations, Bluegreen Vacations and Diamond Resorts. We are proud to have received 2 ARDA awards and have been selected as NEWH’s Top Interior Design Firm for the last three years.

Where did you get your start as a designer?
My career started 37 years ago. When I graduated from College, we were in a major recession!  My first job was in commercial design as an outside sales rep for a Steelcase dealership in Denver.  Business was terrible!  My job consisted of cold calling businesses in hopes of selling desks, files and chairs. Thankfully one of my clients was Seimatic, a German custom cabinet manufacturer, and I went to work for them!  I loved it!  (Hence my passion for kitchen and bathroom design)  After getting engaged and moving to Northern Michigan, I went to work for a retail furniture store as a designer, and quickly was promoted to manager of the design staff, and buyer for the showroom floor.

What inspired you to start your own firm?
I was working for a residential design firm in Orlando back in 1994.  I was being paid straight commission, (50% of the profit) and responsible for generating my own clientele.  Business was very good, and I had established a strong following with a handful of residential builders.  When I did the math, it made sense to go out on my own.  The 50% I was paying to them was enough to pay my own overhead.  (I did the math/business plan)  I really had no fear.

How would you describe your design style?
I do not think of it as a design style, but more of a design philosophy.   Design must be personal.  There should always be something unexpected, unique, and clever.  I love color, but recently have had some clients that really wanted their interiors to be “quiet”.  That was new for me.  It taught me to focus more on texture, simple silhouettes, contrast of wood finishes and subtle details.

Where do you draw your inspiration from?
Everything!  I am constantly looking for inspiration!  I love art, so that is a given.  I recommend everyone to travel and see as much of the world as they can.  Architecture, culture, traditions, nature are all inspiring.  As a design team we start every project with our inspiration images and words.  Words create emotion, emotion inspires creativity.  I am inspired by my Niemann family!  Collaborating with them is truly a gift.

Can you tell us about one project that you are extremely proud of?
Hilton Grand Vacations Parc Soliel Sales Center renovation: ARDA award winner 2018

The project consisted of two floors of an existing sales center, approximately 16,000 square feet.  The existing design was heavy Mediterranean with lots of goopy arches, and dark colors.  The scope included removing walls, heavy details and visually cleaning up the interior.  Typically my NI team would do a project kick off and then divide and concur, with each person coming back to the table with their own concepts.  We approached this differently!  We actually met in our conference room with pencils and tracing paper. Each designer had their own plan and we all sat there and sketched our ideas.  We then did a “show and tell”, gave constructive advice, and then continued.  We did this type of work session three times, each time bringing more concepts to the table.  We incorporated art and sculpture into the design as feature walls and details. (Not just art on the walls)  Special attention was paid to acoustics, specifying a floating ceiling that was both functional and aesthetically pleasing to our design.   We also worked closely with a branding company to develop HGV’s new “brand concepts” that are now incorporated into all of their sales centers.  The overall design of the space was contemporary, with warm grey, white, and dark rich wood tones with a pop of vibrant blue.  We incorporated laser cut brushed metal panels into the design of the sales desk’s walls, with the same dynamic pattern interpreted as art printed on acrylic panels.  These details lead you through the space.

Are there any trends that you see potentially altering the industry?
There are three things that are influencing the industry:
1. Virtual Reality
This is definitely a factor in the Time Share Industry in regards to their Sales Centers.  What a better way to represent a future design and stimulate sales.

2. Residential Design
As a result of the last recession, all of the hotels started looking the same.  There were a lot of brown boxes for case goods.  Gray was the prominent color.  Everything was very safe.  In my world of Time Share, our philosophy is to be more residentially inspired.  It truly is to be your “home away from home”.   For the last several years we have been really focusing on elevating our designs, designing with mixed materials, eclectic collections of furniture styles that compliment, not matching night stands, curated art packages, and much more attention to detail.  I see this influencing hotel design.

3. Technology
I am not sure where to start! There is the smart hotel room of course. As the technology improves, and this becomes easier for all generations to understand, I really think this will be very important.

Is there another designer’s work in the industry that you admire? If yes, who and what do you admire?
I admire many of my colleagues. There is so much talent out there, and I am inspired by their energy, positive attitude, and creativity.  Stacy Garcia is at the top of my list!

Inspiration For The Pattern
We were inspired by the forms and silhouettes of palm trees through-out the Floridian landscape. We took the familiar botanical pattern and gave it a hand-drawn quality to make it less contrived and more organic.  We layered in a circular pattern to give the design more depth. By playing with the different color schemes, you can utilize this pattern in many different design aesthetics, from beachy casual, to contemporary urban.

 

Check out Niemann Interiors’ textile design for the Lebatex, Inc. 20th Anniversary Designer Collection!

For more information, visit www.niemanninteriors.com or check them out instagram.