Bleu Bee Designs: A fresh take on traditional interiors
I am so excited to introduce a new quarterly series of Interior Design Q&As on my blog this year. What better way to understand and learn the trade than from the experts themselves, am I right? There has been several instances in my life where I have found myself running blank on how to style a specific space in my home, as I am sure many of you might have as well. In order to demystify some of these doubts, I have decided to bring in and feature some industry experts, Interior Designers to this platform and shed some of their precious tips and tricks to make a space your own in an elegant way.
This season, I have had the honor to speak to Brittany Zimmerman, owner and principal designer of Bleu Bee Designs. Currently residing in Jacksonville, FL area, Brittany describes her style as blending antiques and new items in a classic yet fun and refreshing way. She loves layering collected items and creating a unique space that reflects her client’s history and story.
Blue Bee Designs established in 2019, offers a curated selection of original art and antique furnishings or heirlooms in their design in an uncluttered approach.
I met Brittany this year through The Untamed Square, where she is the head design consultant, and I loved getting to know her more through this fun Q&A. Without any further ado, check out the interview and additional images from her portfolio below. I am sure you will fall in love with her style as much as I have.
Q&A with Brittany Zimmerman
Q – How would you describe your signature design style?
Bleu Bee Design's signature style is a fresh take on traditional interiors. We strive to incorporate antiques, original art, heirlooms, and personal collections that belong to our clients in a more youthful approach. We love to bring counterbalance into a room, whether by using fresh and vibrant upholstery on your great-grandmother's dining chairs or painting an antique piece of furniture a stand-out hue. Ensuring each room has layers of surprises, whimsy and attention to detail is one of our favorite ways to bring in our signature style.
Q – What inspires your design style? Where do you tend to draw inspirations from?
Bleu Bee Design's overall aesthetic is rooted in who we are, the people we love, and the places we come from. I tend to draw inspiration from the usual suspects such as art, travel, architecture and fashion. I often will design an entire room around a fabulous fabric print I've become enamored with or to emphasize beautiful existing architectural elements.
Q – Are there any interior design styles you tend to stay away from or dislike?
Personally, I tend to stay away from anything overly trendy. This includes mid-century modern and farmhouse. A good classic piece mixed in with modern day furnishings tends to lend itself to a timeless design that doesn't come or go with the trends.
Q – Tell us about a favorite project in your portfolio.
One of our favorite projects has been the Lawrence residence in the San Marco neighborhood of Jacksonville, Fl. They are the sweetest family of 4 who have allowed us to complete 6 projects for them to this point and there's still at least one more in the works.
Both husband and wife are open to design suggestions and trust our vision, while remaining involved in the process; while allowing us to lead them to a more creative and thoughtful solution than they could have imagined. Their style is a mix of French chic with traditional antiques, in cool moody color palettes and plenty of fabulous art that we've had custom matted and framed, from Hermes scarves to originals collected during their travels across Europe.
Q – What kind of artwork do you choose for a client’s home?
Helping guide clients to find a work of art that they love and connect with is my ultimate goal. Whether it's a piece from The Untamed Square or any other artist, my goal is to place art in homes where it brings a sense of joy and expresses who my clients are. I never select artwork solely because it "matches" a space and I would discourage anyone from doing so.
Q – What advice do you give someone who is buying an artwork for the first time for their home?
The best advice I would give someone who is looking to buy their first piece of art is to be certain it's something that they love and can relate to. I'd suggest they ask the artist for framing suggestions and then style it beautifully when they bring it home. Styling art can be done in a number of ways, from leaning on a shelf and layering with a mirror or complimentary work of art to creating a gallery wall around the main piece of art, or just simply hang it evenly and add an art lamp atop for a warm glow.
Q – Last but not the least, what’s your favorite thing about Spring?
Spring is a time of renewal and hope after cold and often gray days (although in Florida we still have plenty of sunny winter days), so I enjoy watching the earth come back to life and giving us a world of color at each turn! Our backyard takes on the heavenly scent of citrus blossoms, gardenias, magnolias and star jasmine, so these scents often bring me right back to spring at home, no matter where I am!
I am truly grateful to Brittany for bringing her creativity, services and expertise to the world and also for sharing her advices with us. Don’t forget to follow Bleu Bee Designs on Instagram here and be sure to check out their website here.
Know an Interior Designer who should be featured on our ‘Design Q&A’? Please shoot us a message at rustybrickshop@gmail.com, as we’d love to connect!