EL Questionnaire 2021

 

Name: Schuyler Pratt
Company: Dyer Brown
Concentration: Bachelor in Architecture
College/University: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Year(s) of Graduation: 2015

What is your strongest personal quality?: My loyalty to the people closest to me and also my curiosity, I am always willing to try new things and go on new adventures and meet new people!
What is your strongest professional skill set?: My hard work/determination and my follow through.
Why did you choose to become an Interior Designer?: After working at an architecture firm, I was tasked with helping coordinate between the interior and architectural portion of a project, and I ended up really enjoying it. Which caused me to shift my career into interiors. I also always enjoyed interior design growing up watching HGTV, flipping through interior design magazines, etc. So it ended up becoming a very organic shift in my career. 
How would you describe your personal style?: My personal design style is fairly modern, but I still really appreciate antiques and details in old building so this ends up being a fairly eclectic design style.
What three things do you most geek out on?: Plants, working out/hiking, craft beer
What are you looking forward to as an IIDA Emerging Leader?: Growing my network, and meeting like-minded individuals in my field that I may not have crossed paths with outside of this organization. (Especially during COVID!)
What has been your go-to for de-stressing this year?: Working out, I’ve been working out in my living room, going for run and long walks around Boston! Also got into the sourdough trend!
What Advice do you have for designer students graduating?: When I was looking for job right out of school, I had hoped to land a position at a fancy star-chitecture firm… but in retrospect those careers entail long hours and essentially being a work horse where you are producing someone else’s vision. I have found so much enjoyment in working on small teams, being able to design and be extremely involved in project at young age and come into my own. 
What is your favorite annual IIDA event?: Fashion Show
How would you explain the difference between a professional Interior Designer vs Interior Decorator to a stranger?: An Interior Designer works with/ manipulates more than just the surface of a space. We work to move partitions and are more like Interior Architects developing the entire form of the inside of a space as well as all of the finishes/ furniture etc. While a Designer is more surface level, selection furniture, curtains, paint and accessories.