The Connect_Winter Iss 2017 HiRes

FEATURE
who can help with tasks, such as billing, only when needed. This makes
sense for a small business owner who does not need a full-time manager.
Though owning her own business requires added executive duties,
it also gives her the freedom to implement her creativity on her terms.
Unlike other designers, who most often specialize in one area, Kathy is
able to take on projects in both the residential and corporate fields. She
loves designing homes; often those clients become friends. Residential
projects can be more emotional than corporate ones. Since a project
can easily span the course of a year or more, Kathy becomes part of her
clients’ lives, sometimes going through big life changes with them. These
changes are not always pleasant or welcomed, but Kathy said she can help
a little “by making sure the client has a space that brings them comfort or
fits their needs at that time.”
Yet Kathy also relishes in designing spaces that the public can enjoy,
such as spaces of community and hospitality. She designed the popular
and fashionable restaurant Sinema, which was built inside of an old movie
theater. The bottom floor of the restaurant is a fine dining venue, while the
top floor, accessed by the original grand, curved staircase, is a lounge area
with plush seating and low, sultry lighting.
She pays attention to how a client lives, works, and
uses space. She works with a client to ensure satisfaction, and
she trains her other designers to do the same.
Sinema Restaurant + Bar Nashville, TN
One of her most satisfying projects was designing the backstage of
the Grand Ole Opry after it was destroyed by a flood in 2010 which
consumed most of Nashville. Because this was a project of rescue
and recovery, decisions needed to be made faster than on normal
projects. Everyone rallied together quickly, restoring a country music
icon. With wood finishes and a punched tin ceiling, she paid homage
to the Opry’s heritage. In sentimental contrast, she included an iron
marker on the wall, commemorating the height of the flood line in the
Opry (part of its new and continued history).
Being married to a songwriter and having many musician friends,
Kathy understood that the musicians who use the Opry’s backstage need
to feel comfortable. Kathy emphasized that the space around you affects
how you feel, so whenever she takes on a new client, the first thing she
does is listen.
“Being a good designer means being a good listener,” she said. She
pays attention to how a client lives, works, and uses space. She works
with a client to ensure satisfaction, and she trains her other designers to
do the same. Kathy’s business has grown to include four other designers.
Kathy prefers office spaces that “bring everyone together instead of being
separated and closed off from each other,” and her own office space for
her employees does just that. She added, “Usually, the employees need
each other to best do their jobs.”
Of course, Kathy’s own home falls last on her priority list. Like many
people, she’s not inspired to do job-related duties while at home. Not
only that, her house is sometimes treated like another showroom from
which she may pluck items for a design project. She told a story about a
Michael Kalish piece she once owned, a depiction of Jimi Hendrix, which
incorporated license plates for the image. She liked the artwork, but while
working on Kid Rock’s house, she decided that his project needed the
Kalish piece instead.
Then she laughed about how her bed at home currently needs a
headboard. “There’s pillows up against drapes,” she said. “You can’t even
sit up and read!”
But if there’s one thing Kathy has learned throughout her career, it’s
to be realistic. Clients usually have expectations about a project concerning
time frame, budget, and getting exactly what they want. Kathy warns of
those three to “pick two.” Having all three is virtually impossible.
Her own life is one of balance: the balance of residential and corporate
projects; the balance of designing a space’s efficiency and its aesthetic; and
the balance of thinking creatively while managing effectively. Even though,
Kathy admitted that her home falls last on her priority list, she said it’s still
an organized space. She couldn’t function in chaos.
Kathy Anderson works hard, and through all of her success, it shows.
She deserves a place to lie back and relax in her own home. As we
wrapped up the interview, Kathy said, “You know, maybe I’ll go get that
headboard today.”
I have a feeling she didn’t, but I hope that one day, she will.
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