We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Pam Lamaster-Millett. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Pam below.

Pam, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?

At SLH, we are committed to designing environments that enrich our clients’ daily lives. With every project we are starting over a little, as we learn what our clients are bringing: their needs, wants, memories, etc. For us, the art of a great space is the experience through it. There are elements of time and movement as the space unfolds, and it takes a lot of study and thought to create.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

I have always loved creating things, whether it was crafts with my mom and grandma, or just playing in the clay mud outside in southern Indiana. Looking back, I also was really curious about the spaces around me. Trying to figure out how to enlarge my bedroom, rearranging my great aunt’s walk-in closet, and exploring the details of all the farm buildings were favorite past times. Ultimately I decided to pursue an architecture degree at Ball State University in Muncie, which gave me a great foundation. After an internship for a sole-practitioner in Cleveland, OH, I was sold on working for a smaller firm and after graduating, came to work for Linda Searl in Chicago. After several years SLH was formed along with Greg Howe. The two of us continue to guide the small studio of architects and an interior designer. The backbone of our work has always been private residential projects (houses, condos), with tactile materials and human focused spaces. These design values have expanded over the years into many different project types, for all clients who desire a space that is truly custom, and desires to be a part of that creative design journey.
We treasure the uniqueness in every new client and location. It keeps our designs fresh. When you have a client focused design agenda, you become a very good listener. The best compliments we get are that when a project is complete, our clients walk through and know that they were heard.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

I always want to incorporate something new. I have an aversion to repeating something we’ve done before. Sometimes to a fault – good ideas are good ideas – but I like to always be open to solving challenges in new ways. It can be a small thing, like rethinking the depth of drawers for a specific client need, or placing hardware in a particular way to accentuate a different visual alignment. I’ve always been a believer that the details of how the elements come together can reinforce the design concepts as well as the big moves.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

After I had my family, I had to acknowledge that I could not spend the hours working on designs that I used to. There is a point that you just can’t be in control of every detail, and I’ve decided it’s a good thing. I love it when our team brings a solution to me that I would never have thought of. Some of my best days are when someone else wows me with an idea. Conversely, it’s even more special when I get approached with an issue and I get to be the hero, instead of feeling like I have to solve every problem, every day, on every job.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.searlarch.com
• Instagram: seallamasterhowe
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pamlamaster2searllamasterhowe
• Twitter: @pklamaster
• Other: Instagram2: searllamasterhowe_interiors

Image Credits
Tony Soluri Cynthia Lynn Kendall McCaugherty Petra Ford