Meet Clare Anderson

Today we’re excited to be connecting with Clare Anderson again. If you haven’t already, we suggest you check out our prior conversation with them here.

Clare, we are so thrilled to be connecting again and can’t wait to hear about all the amazing things you have been up to. Before we jump into all of that, some of our readers might have missed our prior interview, so can you take a moment to reintroduce yourself?
My name is Clare Anderson of Clare Anderson Designs. I specialize in residential interior design, with a strong focus on kitchen and bathroom renovations, also I do love a whole house makeover as well. I offer full scope interior design services, meaning I provide everything from the initial mood board and floor plan, through overseeing the construction, to the very end when I get to do all the fun styling. A little over a year ago I became a member of the GFDA (Good Future Design Alliance), which is an organization dedicated to green and sustainable design. Becoming a member and pulling inspiration from my decade long career in the wellness industry is what led me to practicing sustainable design in my work. This means looking at sourcing, how the product is made, which toxic-free ingredients they may or may not be using, how it is shipped and really focusing on a holistic outcome. This year I have made amazing relationships with other designers as well as created close knit trade partnerships with other brands (cabinetry, flooring, tile etc) who are in alignment with my design values and lifestyle values. This process has brought so much joy to me and how I work and operate with clients. Focusing on green design has opened up doors to so much more creativity and allowed me to produce some really meaningful designs. I’m looking forward to continuing to expand my network of likeminded individuals in the industry to see what next year brings.

Great, so let’s jump into an update on what you have been up to since we last spoke. What can you share with us?
Since establishing myself as a holistic designer, it has brought a different clientele. A more meaningful clientele. In the beginning of working for yourself you do what it takes to get clients, which is a natural part of building your business. But the beautiful part of staying committed and getting through those hard early years, is that you get to be a bit more picky with who you work with. I have a completely different process now with onboarding new clients to ensure that values are aligned and that we just generally share a similar mission. Trust is a huge part of the designer/client relationship. This year I actually made several mistakes with client purchases because of simple oversights, and while they were stressful and expensive, I learned so much from those experiences. Those failures are part of what led me to connect deeper with other designers. This year I was able to dial in a much more efficient order of operations and set better systems in place to ensure those silly mistakes don’t happen. Since working with the new clients I have been getting who share a similar mindset as I do, it’s given me the opportunity to be more bold in my selections and a bit more risky with things; playing with texture, color, organic materials, and seeing if I can even push more for upcycling in my design. For this next year I am really looking forward to taking more risks, developing deeper relationships, and expanding my services.

We have now arrived at one of our favorite parts of the interview – the lightning round. We’ll ask you a few quick questions to give us all some fun insights about you.

Favorite Movie: Pretty Woman

Favorite Book: A Little Life

Favorite TV Show: Gilmore Girls (simple nostalgia)

Favorite Band or Artist: Metric

Sweet or Savory: Savory, but I used to be sweet!

Mountains or Beach: Mountains

Favorite Sport (to watch): Track and Field

Favorite Sport (to play): Rock Climbing

Did you play sports growing up (if so which ones): swim team, tennis, crew, and I start rock climbing in college and have been addicted ever since

As a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up: Didn’t every kid in the 90’s want to be a marine bioligist?

French Fries or Onion Rings: French Fries

Chuck Rhodes or Bobby Axelrod: I don’t know who these people are.

Favorite Cartoon growing up: Hey Arnold!

Favorite Childhood movie: Paper Moon

Favorite Breakfast Food: scrambled eggs with roasted sweet potatoes

Life is often about tough choices – can you talk to us about your thought process, strategy or philosophy when it comes to making difficult choices or tradeoffs.
I think it is so important to know yourself. I’ve had a lot of hurtles and obstacles I’ve had to get through in my life but having a strong sense of self has always gotten me through it. I’ve relied on a lot of tools in my life to get to know myself. Daily movement, talk therapy, close female relationships, and a curiosity about the world. My relationship with nature has remained a constant since I was a kid, and that’s something I got from my parents. My personal mantra is “you never know until you try.” This mantra has truly allowed me to take risks and then navigate whatever the outcome is, knowing that no matter what, I am going to grow from the experience into a better version of myself.

Image Credits
All photos are by Sara Ford Photography