Featured: Alden Miller Interviewed on Jenny Rios Home

March 30, 2021 | Alden Miller Interiors, Projects + Press

San Francisco architect and construction manager Jenny Rios interviewed Alden Miller about her processes for working with clients in planning and designing their homes. Alden details her approach, indicating that her priority is to give clients the home of their dreams.

With a scientific education in biology and philosophy and a creative background in ceramics, Alden balances analytics with design aesthetics in each project. As a team, AMI invests time with clients to understand their needs, wants, and budgets. We value the entire process and want to work with clients who are invested in it as well.

Some of the slides featured in the video interview:

In the interview, Alden walks through our process for collaborating with clients and project design teams.

Discovery – Getting to know our clients and their style is the first step. We believe there is a natural relationship between interior furnishings and architecture, and we strive to make those connections for our clients. We also know some clients may not be able to label or name their style, so we use imagery to get a sense of their aesthetic. By solidifying the imagery with mood boards, concrete ideas start to take shape.

Exploration – Here, we use all the information gathered in Discovery and look at the possible ways to do the project. Building on an agreed-upon look and feel, we start the real design phase. We create multiple configurations of rooms using tissue overlays. This provides options for furniture placement that eventually leads to a furniture plan.

Selection: Fixtures and Finishes – Starting with a material palette, we collaborate with clients to source the materials and finishes that work in the space and speak to their style. One of our favorite steps is visiting the stone yard. We select basic materials and do tile studies and design sketches. We find it most effective when we are an integral part of the design team working directly with architects and contractors.

Selection: Furniture – We categorize furnishings into structure pieces, character pieces, and accessory pieces. We begin with rugs and furniture because of their long lead times, their significance in overall costs, and their importance to the move-in schedule. Character pieces, such as cabinets, tables, and chairs, define the space’s look and feel. Accessory pieces, like lamps, art, bedding, pillows, pull the entire room together.

Implementation – The final step is making it happen. Now that we have guided clients through the selection of all the pieces, furnishings, and fixtures, they can relax. We take care of the details and complete the project.

Watch the entire conversation between Alden Miller and Jenny Rios to understand the philosophy and work ethic that goes into each project from full house renovations to a design package for just one room.