Each month we get the opportunity to spotlight designers, ask them about their style and design philosophy, and find out how they incorporate Sarreid into their work. We love to see the creative ways designers use our furniture in ways we could never have expected. In this month’s feature, we wanted to find someone who uses their talents in an inspirational way. So when Sarreid Sales Representative, Clyde Barnard, shared his client’s work for The Fisher House Foundation, we knew this was it. Susan Sutherland is an interior designer based in Texas and has had the honor of furnishing multiple homes for The Fisher House Foundation.
Fisher House Foundation Designer Susan Sutherland
Susan Sutherland, Revision Design LLC
Growing up in Dallas and earning a history degree from the University of Texas, Susan intended to continue schooling and become a lawyer. However, after spending the summer working in her father’s design showroom, going back to law school didn’t hold the excitement it once did. Working with manufacturers and interior design firms, both residential and commercial, she found selling textiles and furnishings made going to work each day fun.
Along the way, she learned how to plan and manage large projects and conquer the design and logistical challenges that come with them. Designing beautiful yet practical spaces is the result of thirty years of experience working with the best talent Texas has to offer.
Tell us a little about yourself?
I’ve been in the design business for over thirty years in lots of different capacities, from sales to manufacturing to design. I have been working exclusively on the Fisher House projects since 2010.
How would you describe your design ethos?
It’s my goal to make these spaces beautiful and unique, but also inviting and relatable. No one should be intimidated to sit in a chair that looks too special to enjoy.
Fisher House Festive for the Holidays
What is one of your most meaningful design projects?
The Fisher Houses are designed individually so that when a guest enters the house they feel as if someone has opened their private home to them. No two are alike inside. Every house is special to me because of who I am designing it for—our veterans and their families who have sacrificed so much in the name of Freedom.
Exterior of one of the Columbia, SC Fisher House
Can you tell us more about the Fisher House Foundation?
Fisher House Foundation was created more than 30 years ago by philanthropists Zachary and Elizabeth Fisher. Fisher Houses provide a home away from home for military and veteran families while their loved ones are receiving care at VA or military hospitals. There is never a cost to stay at a Fisher House. There are now 96 Fisher Houses located around the world. Three are in design and the Foundation will break ground on the 100th Fisher House in 2024.
How do you make the Fisher House feel like a home away from home?
We use residential and hospitality-rated furnishings that add character and function to the houses, as well as performance fabrics whenever possible. High-quality bedding and sheeting are also critical so guests feel pampered and special. The kitchen is fully stocked with all the guests need to make a meal or have one prepared for them when our wonderful volunteers come by to support the house guests. Most importantly, there is a caring and supportive team of people on-site to help the guests get through whatever challenges they are facing that day.
Renowned interior designer Mark Hampton once said, “Real comfort, visual and physical, is vital to every room.” The goal when designing a Fisher House is to make each guest space comfortable, beautiful, and inviting—but it is the house managers and our guests who really bring each house to life!
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