Hello there! We are back with a new edition of DESIGN SCHOOL, this time with a designer who comes from a non-traditional background (i.e. self taught). Natasha Habermann was my first Instagram crush and digital friend, who became a real-life friend! Back in good old 2015, Natasha was one of the first people I began following on Instagram for design and travel inspiration, her photos are stunning! Turns out she has family in Chicago, so we’ve been able to connect a few times IRL.

It’s been SO much fun watching her career take off. Her recent One Room Challenge (cult 6-week makeover challenge) space was chosen by none other than Sophie Donelson of House Beautiful as a winner!! Natasha and her husband (and her extremely handy/artistic parents) have been renovating their recently purchased and very chic farmhouse in upstate New York. I love Natasha’s eclectic and artistic style and I think you will too, here is the interview!

DESIGN SCHOOL: Natasha Haberman Studio

1. Every home needs: Plants. They add life to your home and purify the air. 

2. My favorite interior/DIY blogs are:

The Makerista, Chris Loves Julia, Jenny Komenda, House of Brinson, Centered By Design, Room For Tuesday, and The Gold Hive (Editors note: thank goodness I made the list!)

3. Good design is: aesthetically pleasing, comfortable and functional.

4. When I’m uninspired, I turn to:  Traveling, and if I don’t have time to travel, I peruse AirBnB dream destinations. 

5. In my childhood bedroom, you’d find: Pink damask wallpaper, a white wrought iron bed, a distressed Persian rug, a giant armoire and lots of antique toys.  

6. The trend that makes me cringe right now is: Not sure if it’s a “trend” yet, but Ultra-Violet, the Pantone color of 2018.

7. You’d be surprised to know I: Don’t own a lot of design books. My mom has an incredible collection, so I always go through hers when in need of inspiration.  

8. My best work comes out of: When I collaborate with my parents! My mom is a designer and artist and my dad is a designer, engineer, and builder. Having two additional creatives on a project always improves the outcome.  

9. My best bargain/thrift: Our farm table or the fireplace in our NYC apartment. Funny story about the farm table: I had been looking for one for months at antique stores, Chairish, eBay, Craigslist…everywhere. My husband finally says, “how hard could it be to find a farm table??” He immediately goes on Craigslist, and says “how about this one?” It’s a gorgeous antique pine table from the Eighteen Hundreds and we paid $400 for it. 

10. I’ll be happy if I never see another: “trendy” patterned tile fireplace surround.

11. The paint color I’ve used more than any other: Chantilly Lace, Ben Moore and Hague Blue, Farrow & Ball 

12. You can spot this in all of my design work: Antiques and vintage objects 

13. My all-time favorite clients are: Ones that put their full trust in me! 

14. The brand/s you’ll find in all of my projects: West Elm, CB2 & Rejuvenation 

15. My least favorite part of the design process: The amount of time spent on the computer. 

16. My design background is nontraditional because: I did not go to design school. I majored in International Relations and minored in French. After college, I had a variety of odd jobs, including working for a helicopter company. Needless to say, I was unhappy and decided I wanted to pursue a career that was more creative. I ended up becoming a footwear designer and worked in the industry for seven years before transitioning to interior design.

 17. The best decorating advice I’ve ever received is: Have patience. Everyone is eager to have their homes decorated and “perfect” in a flash, but a well-designed home is collected and curated over time.   

18. I always tell people that if you invest in one thing, it should be: Art and Rugs

19. My favorite up-and-coming designer/s: She may be passed “up-and-coming” now, but Leanne Ford Interiors.

Many thanks to Natasha for taking part in the DS series, hopefully you learned about a few new design blogs and are inspired to go for your dream whether school is in the cards or not. You can follow Natasha’s renovation on her BLOG.

Don’t miss our past DESIGN SCHOOL interviews, and leave a comment below, I’d love to know who you’d like me to reach out and interview.

XO – CLAIRE