by Sammye C. Hamilton
Luisa (Lu) Puerto is a force to be reckoned with in the field of interior design. Lu’s determination to create designs that are functional and aesthetically pleasing comes directly from her own preferences and experiences and is joined by her knowledge of functionality that is accommodating for others. Lu’s designs are stylish and modern but simultaneously reflect unique, detailed aspects that evoke a blissful sense of nostalgia for both her as a designer and for her clients. While Luisa Puerto does follow the traditional steps of the design process such as planning a vision board and inspiration pictures, schematic planning, wayfinding and life safety plans, reflected ceiling plans, material selection and placement, and rendering and presentation board preparation, she also adds her own flair that ensures an original design like no other.
Like many interior designers, Lu begins her project by brainstorming ideas. She uses the guidelines supplied to her for the project as a basis and builds on the requests and requirements necessary. She typically scours the internet for color scheme inspiration, which helps lead into material selection, and furniture selections. This brainstorming helps her better plan when she begins creating multiple bubble diagrams. Lu uses software programs such as Canva to carefully plan out where specific spaces will be located, whether the space is public or private as well as how occupants will navigate through the space. Luisa is conscious even in the planning stages of details such as how a person in a wheelchair or differently-abled would navigate through specific spaces or over flooring changes.
After planning where spaces will be located, Lu begins placing walls, doors and windows. She places utmost importance on clearance space throughout the building but especially in areas such as corridors, and entrances. While Lu does not have first hand experience with needing a special accommodation to navigate a space, her empty for others shows through in her work. In Luisa Puerto’s Senior Exhibition she plans on displaying a project she designed for her Advanced Residential Class. The project required a 4000 square foot minimum home for a multigenerational family consisting of two parents, a child and elderly grandparent. The home is meant to house a variety of ages simultaneously and withstand wear and continue providing protection for the family for many years. Luisa drew inspiration for this project from her own preferences, by deciding to locate the home in Alabama, the state she plans on residing and practicing in post graduation. She feels that a designer can create their best works when they can relate to the needs of the client as much as possible. Luisa found other ways to relate to the clients’ needs through her own relationship with her family. She knows that each member has their own individual needs,but are stronger together.Because of this factor, Lu decided that the home needed a balance of private spaces for an individual family member to retreat to for rest and relaxation as well as public spaces for the family to gather together and socialize. Luisa prioritizes these bonding moments in her own life so even details in her project are fully thought out. Some of these details include a open shelf in the kitchen to display family heirlooms or to supply quick accessibility to commonly used dishes. This openness is reflected in the open ceiling above the kitchen which allows family members to easily look down from the above balcony onto the activities taking place in the kitchen.
Luisa’s thoughtfulness towards others allows her to put herself in the shoes of each member living in the home she designs to meet their wants and needs as accurately as possible. However, her altruism is directly contrasted by her expansive knowledge of the design requirements. Luisa’s attention to detail is not limited to the humanistic aspects of the project, but to the placement of design elements such as furniture, fixtures, and lighting. The cherry on top of the functionality of the projects Lu creates is the aesthetic choices she makes to enhance the most prominent features. She carefully selected paints, upholstery, and other material finishes to highlight her hard work. The fixtures and finishes she selects are also chosen based on their longevity and durability.
Lu’s empathy, application of personal experiences, and design knowledge allow her to create spaces that are both functional and aesthetically pleasing. Her research and preparation is an essential component to her success. Her time management skills and communication skills allow her to develop her design by discussing the client’s needs and applying solutions to meet those needs within her design. Her creativity allows occupants to experience a space in a new way that is better than they could have planned on their own.
