This week's Q + A is with Samantha Hand, Unscripted Rockstar since March of 2022 and Design Assistant for our Residential Design Studio. Samantha graduated from the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design, where she studied Interior Design and Sustainability. She brings more than three years of experience to the studio, and we are grateful to have her as a part of our Unscripted family!
All Things Unscripted
Q: When did you start at Unscripted?
A: I started at Unscripted March of 2022. This is my first job at an interior design firm after college. I graduated in the middle of the pandemic. Before Unscripted, I was fortunate enough to design an office remodel for Guarantee Electrical and did some contract work for one of my college professors. Working for Unscripted is exciting for me because I love residential design. In school our studies were highly architectural based, and we were told we would end up doing more commercial projects. To be given the opportunity to learn more about the residential side of interior design is amazing.
Q: What is your role in the company?
A: As the design assistant I help the designers from start to finish on each project. This includes drawing detail drawings of custom furniture and floor plans in AutoCAD, and helping re-select furniture and materials, and purchasing accessories. As the DA it is also my job to build relationships with product representatives to keep the designers up to date with new finishes and product lines. The sample library is extremely large at Unscripted, and it's crucial to allow our designers to see and feel what will work best for their designs.
Q: What does being a good human mean to you?
A: It is extremely important to me to be self-reflective to ensure that I am helping and improving the lives around me. That is why I love residential design. At the end of a project, we get to see how we've helped improve the home and life of our client.
"To me, being a good human means upholding the golden rule. Treat others the way you would like to be treated."
Q: What is your favorite type of room to design + why?
A: My favorite room to design would be the living room. The living room is where everyone gathers to decompress after a long day and make memories with family and friends. Work-life balance is extremely important to me. I always say, we work to live, not live to work!
Q: What is one thing that can tie a whole room together?
A: I think lighting plays a huge part in tying a room together. You can have the most beautiful finishes and furniture in a space, but if the lighting temperature is off, the room can look unfinished. There are three different types of lighting: ambient, task, and accent. I believe you need to layer all three in order to make a room beautiful.
Q: When you want to mix things up and step outside of the box, what paint color
is your favorite go-to?
A: I have to say right now I am loving a dark, moody specialty room. Whether it be a wine tasting room or an office, I think a dark black or green adds a serious mood change that can be very soothing.
Q: If you could buy one piece of furniture right now (with an unlimited budget) what would it be?
A: I would buy all the furniture right now if I had an unlimited budget! I love furniture and my dream job would be to have my own furniture company where I could design and help make the furniture. But if I had to choose one piece right now it would be an office desk. I currently work in my kitchen when working from home and do not have my own space. I have an office, but no furniture to actually use it!
Getting Personal
Q: Outside of work, what are some of your passions or favorite hobbies?
A: I love working on house projects and building things with my hands. When I was in college I was able to build a round coffee table, which I loved! My husband and I have a few acres, and we worked hard to revamp our front yard last summer. Even though that was a lot of hard work it was fun for me. Other than building and creating, I love spending time discovering new restaurants and having game nights with friends and family.
Q: Do you have any favorite artists, or look to any particular artists for inspiration? A: There is a newer influencer who has an amazing eye for design. His name is Arvin Olano, and he previously worked in fashion. He is not afraid to explore his interior design journey and share his findings with his fans. He has a wonderful eye and has a love for antiques. I believe adding antiques to a space helps create a sense of history and gives a personal, unique touch. This helps individualize the design and Arvin knows all the best places to find the best antiques!
Q: What inspires you?
A: I think it’s fun to look at a material and try to find a creative new way to use it. For example, using rocks as hanging wall art! Fashion also inspires me. People express who they are through what they wear, and most times you can find similar patterns, colors, and textures throughout their home.
"I try to find inspiration everywhere I go!"
Q: One destination on your bucket list is ________________________.
A: Paris!! I realize I have a very romanticized vision of Paris as it is known as the city of love, but I still want to go! The history of the entire city is enticing, and I would love to sample some authentic French patisseries and gelato!
Q: Tell me about a favorite trip or places you've visited...
A: The best trip I have taken so far was to the East Coast to visit my family in Pennsylvania. I know it doesn’t sound very exciting, but I love my family! And one particular trip out East was my favorite. We were all there to celebrate my grandparents 55th anniversary, and while we were there my now husband conspired with my mom to get a tour of the Pentagon. He proposed to me there in the beautiful courtyard. That was the most memorable trip of my life!
Q: What would your dream project be?
A: I don’t know if I have one dream project—I feel like it is a dream to get to work on residential projects. But I will say, I would like to be able to experience many different types of projects—even commercial projects. I believe in order to become a better designer you need to be able to bounce from client to client with different design prompts. This helps push your creative mind and continues your education.
Q: How have you evolved as a designer since working at Unscripted?
A: Since starting at Unscripted, I have been able to learn more about the construction administration side of things. I never had too much experience with that before. There's so much of the business that people don’t see. Everyone here at Unscripted is so talented, and I feel like I have been able to gather information from each person here. I have learned how to better my relationships with other industry professionals, manage a budget, and have definitely developed my organization skills! I also love seeing everyone else's projects because collaboration is so important to stimulate and enhance my design development.
Q: Anything else you want to share?
A: My fur babies!!!
Thanks so much, Sam for spending some time in the spotlight with us! Want more? Follow our blog to keep up with good humans, good design and get to know our Unscripted Rockstars.