Monday 8 June 2009

In Conversation with Angie Hranowsky

Angie Hranowsky is the principal of Angie Hranowsky Design Studio and much like Meade Design Group, she runs a multidisciplinary design firm specializing in both interior and graphic design services. This combination is very advantageous to commercial clients who are looking to have a cohesive flow through their stationery, website and office space.

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Angie Hranowsky

 

Angie began her career as a well respected graphic artist, she graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a BA in Art History and further refined her craft when she graduated from the Portfolio Center of Atlanta, specializing in Graphic Design in 1997. Angie worked at Miami’s renowned firm Pinkhaus before opening her current firm in 2000 where she began to incorporate interior design into her portfolio using her knowledge of the elements and principles of design. Since the business’s inception she has been able to work with such elusive graphic design clients as Mercedes-Benz, Atlantis Resorts, and Perla Anne and has had her interior design work featured in Metropolitan Home, Domino, and House Beautiful.

Both of Angie’s design skills (interior and graphic) embrace a wonderful flair for a mix of vintage and new, bold colours, and clean lines. She always achieves a fresh, modern, and comfortable outcome. I have always said that the transition between graphics and interiors is actually a very small gap to bridge; it is simply applying your style and re-thinking it to work cohesively between different dimensions of space and I love that there is another designer out there that is filling that niche. I believe it is a true testament to how enduring, and versatile one’s design sense really is.

I encourage you to view Angie’s portfolio on her website [http://www.angiehranowsky.com/] and to learn more about this talented designer below…

Iván Meade – What was your first experience with design?

Angie Hranowsky When I was little I would create houses for my barbies using my mother's record albums for walls and my grandmother would sew me little bed spreads and bolster pillows. I had little wicker furniture and I made drapes that I taped to the walls of the albums. I was also very much in to fashion. By the time I was in high school I would spend hours each night creating outfits. I would take things like tapestries from Pier 1 and using them for skirts.

 

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Photograph courtesy of Angie Hranowsky

 

Iván Meade – Who or what has influenced your style?

Angie Hranowsky - Mid-century design and architecture is probably the biggest influence. I have always been drawn to it.

 

image Photograph courtesy of Angie Hranowsky

 

Iván Meade – How would you describe your style?

Angie Hranowsky  - Modern, comfortable and colorful. I love to mix things up. I think a house feels much more interesting if there are different styles and different textures. A home should feel like you've been collecting things over time not like it was decorated from one store at one time. I want the unexpected. It should make the owner feel happy and unique.

 

image Photograph courtesy of Angie Hranowsky

 

Iván Meade – What designers of past and present do you admire most?

Angie Hranowsky  - David Hicks, Saul Bass, Eero Saarinen, Gio Ponti, Steven Gambrel, Billy Baldwin

 

image Photograph courtesy of Angie Hranowsky

 

Iván Meade – How did you find the transition from graphics to interiors?

Angie Hranowsky  – Fairly easy, but interior design just comes naturally to me. It's been more about working out the transition on the business side. I think my graphic design training has allowed me to come to a job with a different and fresh point of view.

 

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Iván Meade – What do you consider to be your greatest strength and your greatest weakness?

Angie Hranowsky – I have a very good instinct for design and what works and I'm good with people. My weakness is that I tend to procrastinate some times. Although I'm usually on fire when it gets to be crunch time. I also tend to be a yes person, which is not always a good thing. I have to force myself to slow down and say no sometimes.

 

image Photograph courtesy of Angie Hranowsky

 

Iván Meade – Some graphic designers would not call themselves illustrators or typographers; do you do all of your own illustrations with your graphic design work and do you enjoy creating or customizing typography?

Angie Hranowsky - I do not do much illustration work. If it needs to be fairly complicated I hire an illustrator. I do not create typography, but I love working with it. I have worked with graphic designers who are really more illustrators or artists and typography bored them to tears. I love the graphic aspect of typography and playing with letters and form.

Iván Meade – What books are currently on your bedside or coffee table?

Angie Hranowsky  - The Believers by Zoe Heller, When You Are Engulfed in Flames by David Sedaris and a ton of design magazines.

 

image Photograph courtesy of Angie Hranowsky

 

Iván Meade – What are you excited about right now in the world of design?

Angie Hranowsky  - I think like most people I am excited about where we are headed in the world of green design. Really good eco friendly design choices are becoming much less limited all the time.

 

image  Photograph courtesy of Angie Hranowsky

 

Iván Meade – I love that you are not afraid of bold shots of colour and pattern in your interiors. How do you encourage your clients to take that leap?

Angie Hranowsky  - So far there has not been a lot of coaxing. My clients are great and very open to ideas. If it's a client that is not as crazy about pattern or to much color then we just find the right balance. There has to be a trust there between you and the client if the space is going to be successful.

 

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  Photograph courtesy of Angie Hranowsky

 

Iván Meade – What would be your dream project?

Angie Hranowsky  - A small boutique hotel or a classic mid-century house like an Albert Frey or Richard Neutra house.

 

image Photograph courtesy of Angie Hranowsky

 

Iván Meade – What project has given you the most satisfaction?

Angie Hranowsky  – Every new project that I finish gives me the most satisfaction. Truly, when I finish an interior I think this is the best one yet and then I move on to the next one and think wait this is the best one yet.

 

image Photograph courtesy of Angie Hranowsky

 

Iván Meade – What are your favourite or most unusual printing techniques for your graphic design projects?

Angie Hranowsky - I am pretty straight forward when it comes to printing. I focus on clean, beautiful design, top notch printing and usually top of the line uncoated paper. I love letterpress and try to do that as much as I can. Right now I'm working on a wedding invitation suite that will be sold through a friends retail letterpress business.

 

image Photograph courtesy of Angie Hranowsky

 

Iván Meade – Your mixtures of modern and vintage in your interiors are always seamless and appear effortless; although they are obviously from different eras when you look at each piece individually, together they have a perfect consistency. What is your secret when combining multiple styles?

Angie Hranowsky  - I don't have a secret. It's just instinctive. It's always about finding the right balance between styles, colors and finishes.

 

image Photograph courtesy of Angie Hranowsky

 

Iván Meade – What is your next design venture?

Angie Hranowsky  - Right now I'm working on an Idea Home for Coastal Living and I'm concentrating on building my interior business. Charleston is a beautiful historic city, but has no roots in twentieth century or modern design. It attracts people from all over the country and my style offers something original.

 

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  Photograph courtesy of Angie Hranowsky

 

Iván Meade – Lastly, you have already created a stunning body of work with many mediums and styles. What would you like your legacy to be?

Angie Hranowsky - That I created beautiful and original work. Rooms that were long lasting and made an impact in peoples lives. That my graphic design work contributed to the strength and longevity of people's businesses. 

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5 comments:

Brillante Interiors said...

With clean lines and mostly soft colours she creates a very soothing atmosphere.
The bathroom with mid 40's tiles looks great (glad it was not redone)and I love her choice of wallpaper there. The purple dining room is also my favourite, no fear and no need to feel safe surrounded by beige!

Unknown said...

I like the modern colors, furnishings and lightness it brings to the rooms. Very comfortable and easy to relax in.
Very close to hotel room look.

Bette

Unknown said...

Love love love her use of color. Mid century is the way to go. It oozes style and sophistication. I also love that she is a multidisciplinary like myself. It creates more business and multiple streams of income. In todays economy everyone needs to branch out and add on!

Echito said...

I love Angie's style, she has such a feminine flair to her work that is not too overpowering and I love the way she mixes pieces. Plus - she has a pink logo which is super cute!

Unknown said...

Wow! I love how natural yellow and other bright colors are presented here. She is really a talented designer!

Nicolette
http://www.furnitureanddesignideas.com