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By Contributor
PRODUCED BY KEMMIE RYAN
EDITED BY SHERRY THOMAS
EDITORIAL ASSISTANT CHEYANNE LENCIONI
PHOTOGRAPHY BY KATRINA WITTKAMP
STYLING BY THERESA DEMARIA
HAIR & MAKEUP BY LEANNA ERNEST & MEG KOMLENAC
Leslie Bowman is the founder and Design Director of the award-winning, interior design studio and retail showroom, The Design Bar, located in Burr Ridge Village Center. With an approach that streamlines and simplifies the design process at any stage, The Design Bar serves as a lifestyle brand, bringing each home’s story to life. Guided by Bowman’s creative vision and high-touch approach, the studio welcomes clients with its inspired décor collections and approachable shopping experience.
In your opinion, what qualities make an outstanding interior designer?
An outstanding interior designer is able to be malleable; not be attached to any one particular design style. I pride myself in having the ability to determine what my client’s life style is and then design from there. The way they live and what is important to their everyday life is more important to me than determining whether they like modern, traditional, or transitional design.
How do you decide which projects are a good fit for you and your firm?
It is important that I have synergy with my clients. Through the years, I have come to understand that the client/designer relationship is a two-way street. Not only is the client choosing me, but I am also choosing them. Since we work primarily on large scale projects, we are often with our clients for over a year at a time, therefore, it is important that we are able to work together as a team and have mutual respect for one another.
How do you include the client in your creative process?
My initial meeting with my clients is to go through their design inspirations to get an understanding as to what elements in their inspiration photos speak to them. In addition, I have clients pull photos of elements that they do not like as sometimes it is easier to understand what they want through that process.
Leslie Bowman Design & The Design Bar is located in the Burr Ridge Village Center, 880 Village Center Drive in Burr Ridge. For more information, call 630-734-0000 or visit thedesignbars.com. You can also follow Bowman and The Design Bar on Instagram at @thedesignbars and @lesliebowmandesign.
