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Meet the Design Dream Team

  • Written on November 11, 2019

Purchasing a Stanley Martin Home is just step one in creating your dream home. The next step, and a crucial one, is taking a trip to the Design Center and bringing ideas to life with the help of our interior design experts. It’s in this step where home buyers can pick and choose what they want their space to look like, from aspects like color schemes, types of flooring and more. By using an interactive floor plan, home buyers can virtually design rooms for a convenient way to map out their dream home and see how they can incorporate their style.

We spoke to some of our top designers to hear their tips and tricks - learn more from the team that helps make our homes stand out below:

  • How did you get into the design field?
    1. Jennifer Shoemaker-Hummel from Maryland: After graduating from Radford University with a bachelor’s degree in Interior Design/Merchandising, I began working in furniture sales, where I learned a lot about the styles and construction of furniture. From there I worked in the kitchen and bath industry for a few years before landing a job as a designer for a flooring company. In that role, I was able to design showrooms for major flooring expos in Las Vegas and Virginia and help customers visualize what their entire room would look like.
  • When designing, where do you draw inspiration from?
    1. Courtney Parmentier from Northern Virginia: Much of my inspiration actually comes from sentimental feelings that I try to recreate in homes. Anything from a rich color or a textured material can remind me of a special place or time in my life that drives a certain sensibility in my approach to a project.
  • What is one of your favorite rooms in a home to design?
    1. Vaiana Williams from Northern Virginia: The owner’s bathroom is definitely my favorite room in the home to design, as this space can vary in size and therefore is easier for the home owner to unleash their personalities and make the space unique. Whether they are trying to obtain a certain look with clean lines, keep the space light and bright, or create contrast with color tiles and an accent wall, the room can truly be personalized.
  • What are your favorite trends for 2020 so far?
    1. Courtney Parmentier: I’m very excited to get back to warmth. The cooler gray colors that were very popular over the past few years are now trending toward warmer browns and beige colors.
    2. Jennifer Shoemaker-Hummel: The colors of 2020 are greens and browns, which is one of my favorite trends to incorporate into homes. These colors bring a warm and tranquil atmosphere to most spaces. 
  • What is your favorite accent piece to incorporate into a home?
    1. Vaiana Williams: For something so small, decorative hardware for your cabinets can make a huge visual impact! I am loving pulls that look rustic and are rubbed bronze because it is not as harsh as a matte black, and it adds texture!
    2. Jennifer Shoemaker-Hummel: My favorite accent piece to incorporate into a new home is a family picture. This really sets the tone for the house and officially makes it a home – it says who you are and how you want people to feel when they enter.
  • What has been your most memorable project?
    1. Courtney Parmentier: My most memorable project was the one where I met my husband. Yes, believe it or not, my husband and I met when he walked into the design studio after purchasing a Stanley Martin home. We spent weeks working on the house together, which resulted in months of dating, marriage, and eventually moving into the home we designed together. I loved that house, but since he made many of the choices, we had to buy another Stanley Martin home, so I could have a bit more input in the final design selections!

 

Want to learn more about our design team and studio? Read about all the aspects you can choose to make your Stanley Martin house feel like home here.