Feature in Fairbanks Living’s Sponsor Spotlight
Coleen Choisser, owner of Anna Rodé Designs in Rancho Bernardo, is one of the top-rated interior designers in San Diego County and it was her choice of an elective her freshman year at Southern Methodist University that sealed her fate. “I had planned on becoming a Spanish professor, but my first year I took an elective in Interior Design and fell in love with it.” Coleen was born in Dallas, and grew up in Burlingame, in the San Francisco area. Her dad was an executive with I. Magnin, and her mom was a musician and teacher, so she grew up with the arts; fashion and music. She moved to San Diego where she graduated from SDSU with a degree in Environmental Design, which covers both interior and exterior design. Since her college days, she has lived in San Diego. After College, Coleen worked for a few retail companies in interior design before setting out on her own. On the side, she has been a model, a fashion designer, and a jewelry designer. But interior design is her passion, and although most of her work is residential, she has also designed offices and restaurants.
The name Anna Rodé Designs, Inc. was invented when Coleen first when into business, because there were already a Coleens in the business. Anna is an elegant version of her middle name Ann, and Rodé is intended to invoke a subliminal vision of Rodeo Drive.
We can’t help but notice that Coleen’s most distinguishing characteristics are her eye for color and style. Many of her designs have appeared in publications, both local and worldwide. Listening intently to clients, and finding way to understand their likes and dislikes so that the end designs make them happy and satisfied are her first priority. Sometimes that requires negotiation, as when a husband and wife have different tastes, which requires paying attention to what is important to include in their design, such as a favorite art or accessories, furniture, or colors.
Asked what advice she has for Fairbanks homeowners (especially those looking to transform their dated Tuscan interiors), Coleen stated that everyone should get help from a good designer, wither for remodels or new construction. Homes are typically people’s most valuable asset, and yet the value can diminish greatly by making uninformed or amateurish design decisions. Even architects do not design interiors (and some exteriors) that can’t be improved. She often works on projects before the blueprints are final, and makes changes and suggestions that greatly improve the appearance, style, and value of the residence.
The goal should always be to make people happy, and the joy she gets from seeing people smile at their new surrounding is always a rush. Asked about current trends, Coleen adds that the Pantone color of the year is green. Bring green inside by using plants. People are looking now for cleaner lines, less clutter, and lots of texture. Grays are still in. Here in San Diego, people want soft colors, they want their home to look like they’re on vacation. And it’s important that the design is pet-friendly and low-maintenance. Hardwood flooring is very popular.
As for her downtime, it is clearly all about her family; along with a son and daughter, husband John has two sons and two daughters, so they now have lots of grandchildren and family gatherings are great parties!
