Northshore Magazine

October 2014

Northshore magazine showcases the best that the North Shore of Boston, MA has to offer.

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some of the world's best auction houses. I've found that what I learned there still informs my design decisions." With a meandering path through the world of art and history behind her, Gil- mour launched Grace Interiors in 2002, after putting her Winchester home on a Christmas tour. "Even before then, my friends would come to me asking for de- sign help. It wasn't until the response my home received on the tour that I thought I could make a business of doing what I had loved to do in my own home and with friends," she says. Gilmour's designs for clients are often quite different from what she does in her own home. Grace Interiors' mantra comes from Gilmour's commitment to each client's individuality: "Your home is a canvas for living. It should reflect your lifestyle, your interests, your passions, Design ne 58 nshoremag.com October 2014 and your favorite styles." Equally impor- tant, she explains, is the need for your home to represent "the texture of your life." Rather than imposing her own tastes on a client, she takes the time to discover what matters to them, and then consid- ers how to transform their passions into a beautiful design for their home. "I am inspired by what inspires my clients," she says. "I love to bring things from their world into their home." Gilmour's design process allows her to tailor her methods to the tastes of her clients, creating designs from the fusion of their own tastes with her expert input. "I always begin with my Lifestyle Design Quest Methodology," she explains, "a set of questions I ask each client to deter- mine everything from their personal tastes and passions to the concrete details of when they need their project finishe and what their budget might be." She asks, among other things, what they love about their homes; what needs chang- ing; how they want guests to feel when visiting; how involved they wish to be in the design process; and whether they are going for a formal or more relaxed feel. The questions are meant to help her un- derstand "where they are in their lives," Gilmour says. "My design for a family with children will be quite different from my design for a retired couple in their second home." Gilmour prefers to conduct the design quest in the client's home to get a feel for their current style and gain insight into what their style may become. "I derive inspiration from the physical space," she notes. "When I walk in a room, I can see endless design possibilities." Gilmour's sense extends beyond just photographs by cydney ambrose "Long after I've finished a oom or a home, I still have it in mind if I see a perfect piece in an antiques store or a gallery. I've called up clients two years after I finished their p oject to show them a painting they could put over their dining room table." Tasteful Treasures Gilmour's home is warm and welcoming.

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