We were lucky to catch up with Susie St John recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Susie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you recount a story of an unexpected problem you’ve faced along the way?
Ugh. Hiring a general contractor (GC) is like giving birth. You’re excited & scared to death. One project (I’m not telling you which project), there was a GC I had hired before who was a new kid on the block, learning their ways, doing great work & committed to client satisfaction. But something went wrong. Everyone wanted to hire him. The more work they got, the more slipped thru the cracks. Their growing pains were tremendous… wrong sizes being built, wrong design being installed, poor quality, no-shows for weeks, What was a 3 month kitchen remodel turned into over a year. Anger built up in my clients & myself. Something had to change. But what when we (thought) we were half way done. Who would pick up the work from someone else. The solution. Part 1: No payment until more work was complete. Part 2: We had to become the project manager & spoon feed every step. The clients were rock stars. No yelling. No threats. They remained calm & reasonable. This formula created great success. A wee bit of PTSD, but the end result was a remarkable kitchen.
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.
Birds of a feather flock together. When you hire me, you get all the awesome quality people & products I have met along the way since 1997! I find these truths to be self evident when hiring a designer (or hiring a contractor or selecting a product):
– find a designer who is trustworthy. Because when poop hits the fan, you want the entire team to find solutions & not play the blame game.
– find a designer that does quality work. Because “god is in the details” just like architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe said.
– find someone you click with. Because trying to explain yourself about everything is exhausting. Hire someone who finishes your sentence for you… not really. Interrupting is rude. Designers must listen.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
My goal is to…
… design affordable REMARKABLE spaces that will MAKE LIFE EASIER!
… design homes that are MADE TO LAST than be replaced!
… design spaces that will make you FEEL LIKE THE BEST YOU!
Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
I wish I asked more questions in science. Listened more in history. Read more in english. Ignored the negatively of others. Respected my instincts about others. Followed my gut. Analyzed more. Now, I’m making up for lost time.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.embriodesignstudio.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/embriodesignstudio/
- Facebook: https://www.pinterest.com/embrioDS/_saved/
- Linkedin: https://www.houzz.com/pro/embriodesignstudio/embrio-design-studio
Image Credits
Natalia Robert Photography
www.nataliarobert.com
[email protected]
858-245-2121