Francine Gardner: Moments of Inspiration

A beach in Mozambique, photography by Francine Gardner unless otherwise noted

There is always a moment in one’s life, when a flash of inspiration comes to us, would it be a memory of someone we deeply loved, a scent, a sound, a color or a line from a book.

A designer is particularly aware of his or her surroundings and each individual looks for inspirations from impromptu or selective venues.

My designs use cues from the organic paths that exit in both the exotic and the everyday to promote a sense of serenity.

Arabian Desert, Photograph by Luke Gardner

My style combines an explorer’s wanderlust, a curator’s connoisseurship, an historian’s quest for knowledge, and an aesthete’s graceful harmony. I love life and try to live it to its fullest. I am curious about everything and find beauty in the broad landscapes of our planet but also in the minute details of a seashell.

I collect my moments of inspiration via the lens of my camera, the last book I read, magazines, textures or a visit to a museum. Literally anything might trigger an inspiration. The only necessity is that one is open to the experiences that generate inspirations.

African landscape

Travelling is my main source of inspiration, as I am totally free to explore nature. I love trekking, being in unfamiliar environments, discovering hidden spots, I must have been an explorer in a past life—from these trips in foreign and far lands I bring back collections of ideas, colors, textures.

The pages of a book—Cutting for Stone—inspired my latest furniture collection. Having read the story, I was inspired to visit these magnificent African countries, understand their culture, immersing myself in the local surroundings, its people and their crafts. I would bring back all kinds of memorabilia, hundreds of photographs, artifacts, rocks, textiles which would become the beginning of a new collection.

All these experiences are the main source of inspirations for my client’s projects as well, so the journey begins…

Amara Collection by Francine Gardner

Interior design by Francine Gardner, photography by Nick Johnson

Francine Gardner is an interior designer based in Stamford, Connecticut. Previously she owned the shop Interieurs in New York. You can read more articles by Francine on her blog.