Candid Design Talk with Anthony Saracino
LeeAnn Sauter: Good looking, talented, recently engaged, and living his best life. Tell us how you became you. Give us a little insight behind Anthony.
Anthony Saracino: I was a creative kid from the beginning, I loved drawing and painting. I have this fond memory of my brother and I drawing these beautiful homes as children with these markers. I was making this beautiful neighborhood day by day. I feel like that’s where my creativity began. At the end of high school, I began working part-time as a sales associate at Guess and then started doing visual merchandising. Working that retail job helped me deal with people and that is one of my strengths now, I’m a people person.
LAS: Absolutely, people respect what you have to say. It’s one of those things where you are so genuine. Have you ever been disappointed with feedback? I just don’t know anyone who has given you negative feedback in styling, visuals, etc.
AS: I think having real criticism - you first of all need to be able to accept it because you're not always right. It helps you grow and evolve into a well-rounded person, and goes back to the people person thing. It was being a good people person and being able to showcase my talent that took me to LA. When I was still at Guess and going to university, I decided to take a year off and work full-time. I needed to figure out what I was going to do in university, so I interviewed for interior design and fashion communications schools. It was after those interviews - accepted to both - where what happened during those interviews and the projects given in school, that I decided I’d further my career in fashion. Which is funny now because I work in interior design.
LAS: Describe your business a little bit because it’s not just an interior design company.
AS: It’s more of a lifestyle company, a mix of interior design, floral arrangements, cooking, and food presentation. That’s why I feel like my profession is a visual presentation professional.
LAS: Ooo, I love that,
AS: I just made it up!
LAS: And you create #NoOrdinaryMoments. If you’re doing something, why not make it special where someone can really take it in and have an appreciation for the love, care, and time you put into it. We have very different aesthetics. How do you approach working with a client that might not have the same design aesthetic?
AS: Everyone has their own taste level and aesthetic. There are clients that will find a designer that they absolutely love and say yes, make it look just like that. But then there are clients that have their own aesthetic that they love and are true to. So this is a matter of being able to work with them on making their design dreams come to a reality. I’m a design chameleon, I can help a client even if the design aesthetic is not my own. In the end, you want to make them happy.
LAS: I feel like you take them on a journey. You’re the curator that says ‘Well look, you have never seen this and I will explain it to you in a way you can hear and understand it. You can trust me that it’s going to be better than you thought it could be, and I'll bring it to life for you’. What are some tips on getting out there and stepping into the design world on our own?
AS: I love pulling images that speak to me, images of amazing color, arrangements, furniture, art. You can start a Pinterest board. I do it from instagram, taking an hour every night and screen capturing things that speak to me. It might not be for a specific project but something that I love. Create a mood board of what you love, your aesthetic, and what you hope to bring to life. Second design tip, spend money on timeless pieces. I think there are certain pieces you need to spend a good dime on. My last design tip is to mix old and new pieces. I love buying new items but I also love second-hand shopping and going to flea markets. You can find such amazing vintage pieces. That also creates character - you can go into a room and realize you didn't just shop from a catalog or just from one store, there's dimension to the design. You want to curate certain things in your home that no one else has. Make your room an expression of who you are.
If you would like to find Anthony, visit his Instagram @AnthonySaracinoDesigns and go show some love!