Susanne grew up in old houses, exposed to all of the arts (antiques of all varieties including textiles, painting, ceramics, glass, pewter, silver, music, museums and even fashion) and, though with the ability to draw she wanted a liberal arts college education vs. an art school. At the College of William & Mary, immersed in four years of 18th century, Williamsburg, Virginia., she concentrated in Fine Arts/Architecture (art history and drafting) taught by some of the formative greats on the Board of Advisory of Colonial Williamsburg, such as A. Lawrence Kocher, AIA, former Dean, School of Architecture, U. Va., Editor, “The Architectural. Record”; Howard Dearstyne, AIA, authority on the Bauhaus, student of and later associate of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, and a noteworthy photographer (MOMA); and James Coger, Curator of Colonial Williamsburg, all of whom exposed her to visiting notables in the related fields.
Encouraged by her professors to pursue further architectural study, prior to graduation Susanne was tapped by B. Altman & Co. to join other colleges’ graduates for their training program in N.Y. Simultaneously attending The New York School of Interior Design, receiving their certification, she became a designer in their Department of Interior Design. Later Susanne was called to interior design at: the industrial design firm of Raymond Loewy/William Snaith, Inc., David Barrett, Inc., Dorothy Draper and then Parish-Hadley. She now continues with her own practice. Projects have taken her to within and beyond the U.S. The ability to draw has been invaluable to her for pure pleasure and particularly in working with clients and workshops. She has been inspired by the sketches of Albert Hadley, his innate creative flair flowing with ease onto paper to express, in his own words, a “point of view”, and to show the way.
Project Preferences and Style:
Interiors meeting educated clients’ personal requirements while creating backgrounds complimenting them; a lightness of spirit; keeping the present day in mind even with antiques; simplicity over excess; an occasional element of surprise; subtle elegance; attention to what is appropriate and comfortable in proportion, function, arrangement, architectural detail, while utilizing the wonders of reliable, skilled artisans.