HARKER DESIGN BUILDS ON STRONG RELATIONSHIPS
Pat Harker, founder and owner of Harker Design, has seen trends come and go in her 30 years in the interior design business. This perspective has only solidified one of her fundamental understandings about her craft. “Interior design,” she says, “shouldn’t be about emulating the latest trend; it’s about getting to know your client, the way they live, and the styles that will work for them in a timeless way.”
Harker and her team at Harker Design have a wealth of experience working with all interior design styles—from classic and traditional to modern and minimalist. Harker says, “We are committed to understanding what our client’s vision is and helping the client realize that vision.” But the testimonials from the clients reveal a little more than that. Typically, Harker’s clients say that the end result is better than they ever imagined it could be. So it’s no wonder that much of Harker’s business has been built on repeat clients—the greatest testimonial of all.
A full-service interior design firm with offices in Idaho Falls, Salt Lake City, and Jackson Hole, Harker Design has worked with clients across the globe, on beaches and in the city, but their roots are in the resort towns of the West. Harker says, “We have done projects world wide, but much of our business is in the resort market. Many of our clients have built a number of homes and understand the process.” And working in resort markets means that Harker is often doing a second or third home for a client—often the dream home they’ve been planning for many years. “Many of our projects in areas like Jackson Hole are for clients who want the perfect mountain refuge. Sometimes this means really focusing on the romance of the mountains in the design and at other times, this might mean bringing what our clients love about their urban lives to their mountain home.”
“YES, OUR CLIENTS HAVE A VISION, AND IT’S UP TO US TO PRESENT THEM WITH CHOICES THAT HELP REFINE THAT VISION OR ENSURE THAT THE VISION FITS THE FRAMEWORK OF THE SETTING AND HOUSE.”
The key, for Harker, is versatility. “We don’t specialize in one specific style of interior design. We do aim for timeless designs that won’t feel old or outdated in a few years. We want our clients to love the spaces we help them create for a long time.” To do this, Harker has put together a talented team of designers and project managers. “Our team is really top-notch and very skilled. We can take a project from inspiration to completion, and we work well with not only clients but also the architects and contractors on every project. One of our designers, Scott Adams, for instance, is a trained architect who has chosen to put those skills to work in the interior design field. He is able to really focus on the architectural detailings in a home—the nuances that make a home unique. And our project managers work closely with our design team and with the subs and clients to keep projects on track. The project and the process should be seamless, timely, and on-budget.”
Whether they are designing for a beach home, a mountain home, or an urban home, Harker says, “We want the home to make sense in its environment. If we’re doing a beach home, that means choosing materials and textures that weather well in humid climates. If we’re doing a mountain home, again, our choice of materials, colors, textures, are conversant with the setting. Yes, our clients have a vision, and it’s up to us to present them with choices that help refine that vision or ensure that the vision fits the framework of the setting and house.”
“WE WANT THE HOME TO MAKE SENSE IN ITS ENVIRONMENT.”
After 30 years of creating beautiful and highly functional spaces for clients all over the world, Harker has a hard time choosing a favorite style or project. “I have loved each project we have worked on for different reasons. Always, we love seeing a client’s vision become a reality—and a reality that far surpasses what they had dreamed it could be. But we also love getting to know our clients and working with them again and again.” For Harker, yes, it’s about great design, but more than that, it is about building and honoring strong relationships.
