RICHARD Photos by: David Blank <strong>LIVE</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> exclusive by Sean Borg READ Richard Read has created elegant, timeless and inviting rooms for more than 10 years. As a leading figure in the industry, interior design has been the lifeblood of Read. Read’s work is where grandeur and luxury begin. “As a designer, I don’t feel the need to simply fill space,” he notes. “In Mid-Century Modern homes especially, the design element I feel most strongly about is the use of color.” Obsessed with design for as long as he can remember, one of his earliest memories was at the age of eight. He recalls his father, who worked in construction, coming home with sets of floor plans. “I loved his floor plans. I took them up to my room and opened them on my drafting table. Yes, I had a drafting table at age eight,” he said. Now at the top in his field, Read has an unparalleled knack for identifying what will make his clients happy. He listens very closely to their needs, then uses his design education and in-depth guidance to help them forge their own stamp on the places they call home. His ever-expanding interior and custom furniture design business based in Palm Desert has clients from all over the world. He has built a body of work that deftly injects a jolt of pop-culture sensibility into a market that is so often more mundane. Having grown up in an era when fashion is both high and low, Richard Read knows that people want to live the way they dress: luxuriously, and minimally. Sounds perfect for Palm Springs, right? Drawing inspiration from many areas in history, this Desert-based interior designer is responsible for designing some of the most celebrated luxury homes. He has created sophisticated and impressive spaces for the most demanding clients. He connects interior design and people in a seemingly effortless way. Each project creates a deep emotional chord for his client, imbued with life and vision. Through this exclusive interview we give you more about Read and some of his renowned projects. “I think a decorator can really be anybody that has a passion for design and great taste.” Read tells me. Passionately and humbly, Read aspires to make each new project better than the one before. On top of that, his revered, exquisite taste has consistently seen him become the go-to guy for high-end design in the Coachella Valley. Read is an all-in or all-out kind of power man and has instilled that philosophy into his company. No matter the challenge, there is always a solution. He is known throughout the Desert and beyond, but his name was on everyone’s lips earlier this year when a car collided with an SUV that crashed through the front of Richard Read Interiors in Palm Desert sending two people to the hospital. Luckily, the store is closed Sundays and there were no customers inside. But Read had just left the building minutes before the SUV crashed through the wall. Richard told the press at the scene, “I have seen accidents happen all the time here so it has crossed my mind that one day someone may crash into the store, and they did!” But we’ll let you find out more about him in this enticing interview. So <strong>LIVE</strong> <strong>Magazine</strong> fans... ‘Read’ on! Sean Borg: When did you discover you had a flair for design? Richard Read: As a child…My family is in the construction business and my dad was always coming home with sets of floor plans and I loved taking them up to my room and opening them on my drafting table. I had a drafting table at 8. Also, I had a bookcase with floor plan books and would spend hours looking at them. I loved it. Not to mention I can’t even tell you how many times I rearranged my room!!! SB: How did you get started in Interior Design? RR: I got my BA in Interior Design from CSU Sacramento and worked in a commercial design firm and also took on some projects of my own. After graduating, I came straight to the Desert to work for my Aunt Linda Martin, who is a La Quinta based designer specialized in custom furniture. I worked on and off with her for five years. Then 4 years ago I started taking on clients and created my own business. SB: What inspired you growing up? RR: Frank Lloyd Wright when I was a child. And Steven Ehrlich, who I discovered here in an exhibit at the Palm Springs Art Museum. He was a big inspiration during my college years. Also, my grandmother. She was very artistic herself and had her ceramics degree from Berkeley. She had impeccable taste and was always rearranging and inspiring me. SB: Your style is often described as quietly elegant. Do you see it that way? RR: I haven’t really thought of it, but I guess I can see what you mean. I love elegance and that word. I love to present something that’s classic and timeless. I am not persuaded by a current trend. SB: What’s your typical workday like? RR: I work a lot. I am up by 6 and usually on my computer in bed until I’ve had three coffees and out the door by 8 or 9.. I am with a few clients a day and checking on various jobs or my showroom… I am always on the go, a moving target. My day is typically long and usually continues through the evening with client dinners or working late. SB: What are the major differences between an interior designer and an interior decorator? RR: I think a decorator can really be anybody that has a passion for design and great taste. An interior designer is usually someone who has an education or degree in Interior Design, certified with space planning, AutoCad or various computer programs. Although an education doesn’t make a great designer, you either have it or you don’t. SB: What do you love about Palm Springs style? RR: Indoor/Outdoor living. We are in one of the few places where we celebrate living outdoors as much as indoors. With the gorgeous mountains and palms trees, we always have such a beautiful backdrop. There is always something to look at. Also, my two
I love elegance and that word. I love to present something that’s classic and timeless. I am not persuaded by a current trend. 27