Page 53 - Lighting Magazine October 2018

right: This sophisticated master bedroom boasts handsome details, classic lines, distinctive lighting, and luxurious touches.
decorating. Baron considers lighting – along with hardware – to be the jewelry of any room, and since she describes herself as “jewelry-obsessed,” it’s ob- viously a sweet spot for her.
“Great light xtures add personality to my proj- ects,” she adds, “but to light a room just right, I always take into account more than just the ‘look’ of the xture itself. In order for a room to feel well-lit, I make sure all areas of the room are addressed with lighting. While I’m not afraid to use recessed high hats in a lighting scheme, I always try to make sure there are decorative xtures added in one way or another. This serves not only to bring a fab piece of ‘jewelry’ to the room, but also allows for more light- ing options and for more surfaces to be lit!”
Her Design proCess
Baron has a typical routine she uses when preparing for each new job, and says it’s been the key to pro- ducing the design work that her clients love.
“I don’t believe in keeping a library of designs in- house because I think it makes most people lazy. I say that having the advantage of living in New York City, where great design and resources are at my ngertips.” she explains. “Instead, I like to start every job fresh. I go out once or twice with a client before we really get the design underway because I want to see their visceral reactions when they see styles, colors, and designs. In the rst few shopping trips, I don’t share my opinions as much as I usually would;
I watch their reactions. We’re not making nal deci- sions at that point or deciding what goes where. I wait for their natural responses and let inspiration ow from there.
“This method is advantageous because I get to spend some one-on-one time with my clients, which helps me get to know their personality and style much be er. Showing them pictures doesn’t create the same type of interaction or relationship. Being in showrooms and around clients inspires me, and there is always an ‘Aha!’ moment when we both know we’ve hit upon something that will be central to the design. It is a bit more time-consuming to do busi- ness this way, but this assures me that every project is truly about, and for, that individual client...and for me, the fun is in the hunt!”
When working with showrooms, and especially when she has clients with her, Baron prefers to be le on her/their own. “I don’t want any help unless I ask for it,” she notes. “I want to go at my own pace and in my own direction. But I do look to showrooms for all the technical specs I’ll need — size, weight, light output, delivery, pricing, special nishes, cus- tomization options, etc.”
sHowroom suggestions
“The showrooms I work with on a regular basis are great, but I would encourage all vendors to work towards a fast response time. It could o en take several days to hear back from a vendor, even if it’s
“My clients love to have special
and unique pieces, which has always inspired me to design lighting
for each project.”
Robin Baron
OctOber 2018 | enLIGHTenment Magazine 49
the Designer-showroom BonD