Our Design Assistant service is celebrating its one year anniversary and we could not be happier at how well it has been received! We registered the trademark for the Design Assistant name and the service it provides. We have loved working with all of our Design Assistant clients during this first year to deliver room designs that give our clients all the tools they need to make their design dreams a reality. We are just getting ready to work on our first out-of-state project as well as completing our Design Assistant collaboration with Olivia Fierro of Arizona's Family Channel 3 for her new Family Room and Kitchen!
“Design Assistant is a great way to get organized, select materials and have a plan for a remodel of my kitchen and dining rooms. I was able to see ideas in 3d format and have drawings ready for my contractor at our first meeting. In addition, Lygia’s suggestions for finishes and furniture choices worked perfectly and Design Assistant truly helped me with my entire remodel process.”
— Lisa, Design Assistant Client
New Design Assistant® Service
When we first launched Design Assistant a year ago it was meant to be a decorating service only, but when we were presented with a few opportunities for small scale remodel projects using the service, we jumped at the chance and they were a great success! We found that there is a real need for a professional designer's help when tacking a bathroom or kitchen redesign. With that, we are so excited to announce expanding our Design Assistant services to include Remodel projects. Contact me for more information. Visit our Design Assistant page.
New Project: San Clemente
Lastly, we wanted to share our newly photographed New Construction project in San Clemente, California! The client came to us needing help from start to finish in building and furnishing a new home he was building in the coastal town. in Orange County. We loved collaborating with him on all stages of the project over the course of about a year and especially loved the coastal transitional feel he wanted. The pops of color and graphic prints really set it apart and made it feel really special. View the project.
We are so excited to share our recent television segment on Channel 3 Arizona's Family Morning Show with Host Olivia Fierro!
We were contacted by Olivia to be on the show, as she thought Design Assistant was a an innovative concept and perfect to talk about for the Spring. We could not have agreed more!
Being on the show was a great opportunity to showcase our design point of view and share our tips and trade secrets. The segment also showed how easy and user-friendly Design Assistant is for anyone to update a room in their home - with the expertise from a professionally trained interior designer. It was an amazing experience and we are so appreciative of the support from Channel 3. We are looking forward to our next appearance soon!
Watch Lygia on KTV Phoenix sharing her tips for a seasonal design refresh and her new service called Design Assistant:
For more information about our design services, head on over to our Services page.
Join us at urbAna as we celebrate the launch of our new interior design service, Design Assistant. Swing by and learn more about our service, shop amazing finds and register for a chance to win a free Design Assistant giveaway.
Today we’d like to introduce you to Lygia Harkins.
Lygia, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today. I started my “official” Interior Design career in my early 30s but I was in love with design way before that I just was not sure how to make it a real career! I had a successful career in advertising and sales before Interior Design although I had always loved helping friends and family with their homes along the way. Just when I thought I had achieved total career success with a big sales job, I left to work at a local design shop in the Arcadia neighborhood and then decided to go back to school for Interior Design full time shortly after that. Going back to college in your 30s is certainly different than the first time around!, but I am so glad I did because it makes me the professionally trained designer I am today. I worked for another large firm in Scottsdale after graduating but quickly knew I wanted to start my own business and Lygia Harkins Interiors was born in 2011. My first real client was a friend’s mom who needed new pillows and her sofas recovered and we went from there. I helped those same clients build and furnish a home about 2 years ago!
Image Credit: John Woodcock Photography, Styling Kelly Allen
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you? I wish the road has always been a smooth one! I started my business during the tail end of the housing market crash so there was not a crazy amount of work available at the time but I just jumped in and started networking and getting referrals for jobs from friends and family and no job was too small believe me! Owning your own business is the scariest and most rewarding thing at the same time. I also learned that it is important to identify your strengths and weaknesses and employ experts to help you that are good at what you are not so you do not waste time.
Image Credit: John Woodcock Photography, Styling Kelly Allen
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Lygia Harkins Interiors – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others. I am a professionally trained interior designer with that specializes in private residences and boutique commercial spaces in Arizona and beyond. I love to partner with my clients and engage in every detail from conception to creation. As a result, every project has its own unique narrative, no two are alike. As an Arizona native, I love to draw inspiration from the desert landscape of Arizona but also through traveling to cities such as New York City and Los Angeles where I love to source unique finds for projects. The best part of my job is happy clients sharing and enjoying their home that I designed with friends and family. I love the personal connection that working with clients in their home brings!
Image Credit: John Woodcock Photography, Styling Kelly Allen
Are there any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve benefited from using? Oh, so many! I have always been an absolute magazine junkie, anything and everything design related, of course, House Beautiful, Traditional Home and Elle Decor are some favorites as well as Phoenix Home and Garden locally. I am also absolutely not above throwing in some US or People Magazine for a break from reality too! I find that I spend so much time in the car running around to meetings and job sites so podcasts are perfect for me these days. Anything true crime related, the first Serial was amazing, and also some new favorites are the Second Life podcast and The Business of Home are really good too.
Image Credit: John Woodcock Photography, Styling Kelly Allen
Pricing: Full Service Interior Design Service priced upon request. Design Assistant starts at $1,500 per room for the design fee depending on the size of room and scope of project plus furnishings, fabrics, decor, etc. Visit our services page or contact us to learn more.
We are so excited to announce our new decorating service called Design Assistant. If you're interested in refreshing a specific area in your home, Design Assistant will help you discover the benefits of working with a professionally trained interior designer while maintaining your budget and avoiding costly mistakes.
Here's how it works...
Fill out our design questionnaire and we'll set up a call to discuss budget and scope of your project.
We'll either visit your home or you'll send us photographs and measurements of your space(s). There are no location restrictions because all correspondence can be done by email. Our team establishes a design direction.
A custom box is sent to you and you will receive: source list with links to recommended items, tear sheets, furniture layout drawn to scale, and samples of fabrics, finishes, and paint colors.
And...Voila! For more information about all of our offerings, please visit our services page or contact us.
