PHOTOGRAPHS:
COURTESY
OF
CAROLINE
BURKE
DESIGNS
&
ASSOCIATES
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A specialty of the designer is her work with real estate agents, who
bring her clients who have just purchased a home. It's a business niche
that has grown in recent times, spurred on by a design-show culture
that's raised the bar of expectation among buyers when it comes to how
a home, in 2019, should look. "Real estate agents can have someone to
partner up with and hand off their clients to," she says. "Most newly
purchased homes need either redecorating or, at the very least, a bit of
refreshing and some new furniture."
Flexibility, practicality and classic beauty are keywords of Caroline's
business and aesthetic. Her line of furniture, for instance, was
created out of a need to offer high-caliber, custom goods that were
not available in the marketplace. "If you see an upholstered piece in a
project on my website," she explains, "we designed and manufactured
it. is control allows me to offer my clients quality furniture pieces
that fit their rooms properly—and at a discounted cost." Ergonomics is
another focus. A room must not only be beautiful and transformative,
she adds, but feel good physically too.
Her Manhattan Beach studio is a creative hub where she finds clients
are most comfortable and inspired. "We'll do a working meeting," says
Caroline. "We have an extensive library of resources that include fabrics
and furniture styles, along with tile, finishes and a variety of other
materials. I'm always collecting the latest and greatest." As a client-
centric designer, she points out the necessity of knowing the desires of
her clients. "We don't just listen to them," she states. "We hear them and
understand what they want. It's the key to a successful project."
For Caroline, taking care of clients is thinking about them for
the long haul—years after the initial flash of a project has faded.
"e bulk of my work is timeless," she says. "I am not a really trendy
designer." e bigger pieces in a home are going to be classic, she
explains, while splashier touches are found in smaller pieces, such as
a side table or pillows. "Later on, when the client wants to change it
up, and add some more funk or fun," she adds thoughtfully, "it's not
costing them a lot to do that."
Real estate
agents
can have
someone to
partner up with
and hand off their clients to.
Most newly purchased homes
need either redecorating or, at
the very least, a bit of reeshing
and some new furniture.
"
"
