Rita Orland
Wings, Inc. Design
wingsincdesign.com
858-759-4923
B.S. Northwestern University – Business and Organizational Behavior, B.F.A. Design Institute of San Diego, NCIDQ - Certified Interior Designer, Founder and President of IFDA SoCal, ASID, IIDA, NEWH, NKBA, SITE, WWI
Guest Critic – Design Institute of San Diego for senior design projects
Judge – Window Fashions Envision Design / Ingenuity Workroom Competitions for the International Window Coverings EXPO in Atlanta, May 13-16, 2009

What is your personal favorite color combination?
Jewel-tone midnight or marine blue and the soft, subtle, patina color of copper

Do you collect something?
I collect matchbooks from around the world. I started my international travel career with Pan American World Airways, Inc. when I was 21, and I began collecting matchbooks. I never smoked, but, matches are useful and are given away complimentary in establishments. I continue to travel internationally in my business, and, still collect matchbooks. I have a huge basket full of them from all over the world. Whenever I need a match to light a candle, I reach into the basket, pull one out and see where it is from. It brings back wonderful memories of my travels abroad.
I also collect paperweights. They are sculptural, which is my favorite art medium. Even though they are very dense and heavy, they are small, and easy to transport. (They are well packaged and I put them in the bottom of my carry-on which has wheels.) I have paperweights from the Art Institute of Chicago, England, Finland, Italy, Ireland, Sweden, Turkey, etc.

Do you have a “lucky” local establishment where you always find the perfect piece?
I have my favorite showrooms, and I also source architectural artifacts and consignment shops. I attend several trade shows and markets throughout the country, as well as abroad. This type of exposure is the most time-efficient method of sourcing the worldwide design markets for the perfect pieces. Once I purchased a set of French gates that are more than 100 years old from an architectural salvage company. I did not have a place for them at the time, and I put them in my inventory for several years. I had the opportunity several years later to install them.

Do you have a signature technique or piece that one would recognize in your work?
If you call it a “signature technique,” I prefer to use authentic products and methods in design – nothing “faux.” I always interview the client to determine “where” they want to go in the feeling that they desire for their home. I like to keep in the “vernacular” but, it also works to have the interior design a surprise from what is viewed from the exterior of the home.

Going Green is all the rage — how do you incorporate environmentally friendly practices into your work?
I use local manufacturers and fabricators whenever possible. Universal and environmentally sensitive design are incorporated into projects wherever possible, fulfilling the client’s desires and requirements.

Do you have a tip for hiding multi-media & technology so it doesn’t undermine your design?
For flat-screen televisions on the wall, I like to recess them in a shallow niche in the wall. They can also be incorporated beautifully into custom-designed cabinetry. Also, there are several products out now that come in various styles of frames to surround the television screen, and/or are covered with a piece of art.

Describe your dream job? Dream client?
I have my dream job! I am, and always have been passionate about architecture and design, as well as world cultures. I started collecting international costumed dolls when I was three years old. My business fulfills both of these passions. My dream client is someone that understands that my job as a Professional Interior Designer is to guide a client in making the right decisions for their home. By consulting with me, an educated, certified and experienced designer, clients can avoid making costly mistakes. They also end up with what they felt they wanted, but did not know how to get there.

When it is time to relax, what is your favorite room in your home?
My Living Room . . . we live in our living room. When I lived on a lake in Illinois, I built house that included a screened-in porch that cantilevered out over the bubbling brook that headed towards the lake. I loved relaxing in that porch – enjoying the fragrances of nature, feeling the breezes and listening to the brook. It involved all the senses.

What is your opinion of TV shows like Bravo’s Top Design?
As a designer, I appreciate that the design and home improvement shows on television are educating the public and making them aware the “Interior Design” is for everyone -- at every budget. However, I would prefer it if they also educated the public on the difference between a “designer” and a “decorator.” I understand the importance of these types of shows for their market – the young college students, first apartment, just married, on a budget etc. However, these shows typically make a project look easier than it is, not take very much time, and they are portrayed as less expensive than the actual cost in these projects.

Can you give us a trend prediction for 2009?
A few months ago, this past September, I attended “Abitare il Tempo,” in Verona, Italy. It is the International Exhibition of Interior Design and Décor. It is the most exclusive trade fair for Interior Designers. It is an event which reaches across the entire product range at the highest level, where traditional and avant-garde, and classical and contemporary exist side by side in perfect harmony.
Here are just a few highlights from the show:
• Palettes – white, purple, silver
• Patterns – Crocodile patterns on EVERYTHING!
• Flexibility of space – moveable walls; moveable, stone clad cabinetry and countertops
• Lighting - LEDS used in unique applications such as at the ends of string curtains; a lot of under-cabinet and under-counter lighting
• Lamps – very large scale floor lamps and table lamps;
• Lamp Shades - large scale lamp shades in interesting materials such as laser-cut leather
abitareiltempo.com