Design Spotlight: Sharon Chase, Director of Design

December 7, 2017

Published by Pratt Home Builders | Article and Interview by Brittany Shaw Newman

Sharon Chase is the Director of Design at Pratt Home Builders! Our design team is growing as the company expands to more residential communities and into commercial real estate. In 2018, we will be sharing design trends and tips from our design team, so we wanted to get started by introducing the woman who oversees the many details of designing hundreds of homes per year with ease, grace and high-level organization skills! (Maybe we will do a separate post to see what we can glean from her organizational skills in the future!) Today, we’re getting to know the designer behind step two of the Pratt Process: personalize!

BN: Sharon, what initially inspired you to get into the design world?

SC: I knew when I was 5 years old that I wanted to design houses.  I was sketching out my dream house on graph paper and wanted to build models of my dream home.  I have always loved architecture (all styles!) and interiors so interior design was a perfect fit for me.

BN: How long have you been with the team at Pratt Home Builders?

SC: I have been with the Pratt family for 8 years.

BN: How have the styles changed since you first joined the Pratt brand?

SC: I’ve seen so many trends over the years and have been lucky enough to design homes from contemporary to traditional and everything in between!  I’ve seen the trends go from formal to now more informal and from warmer pallets to cooler pallets.  But the rule book has been thrown out the window, so now anything goes and it’s so much fun!

BN: What do you see as the biggest design trends for 2018?

SC: The biggest trend I see coming would be pops of vibrant color and lots of texture.  I expect to see more fun colorful cabinets, front doors and furniture gaining popularity.  We have seen some of this trend coming on line over the past couple of years, but I expect that to get really popular in the upcoming year.  I expect to see these colors mixed in with those traditional colors we are used to seeing so the accent color really stands out.  I also expect to see more millwork trim details on walls (this is where texture steps in).  The shiplap trend has really kicked this off in the past couple of years, but now I see people getting more creative with those types of details.  I think the worn / rustic trend will continue in lighting and furniture as well as in flooring.  The surfaces that really get used are more forgiving when they are distressed and adds great texture and softness to a home, so I see that trend to continuing through 2018.

BN: When customers purchase with Pratt, what do they receive in terms of design services?

SC: When a client purchases a Pratt home, they will meet with a professional interior designer that can guide them through the entire home to make sure it functions well for them as well as reflects their personal style.  All of the Pratt designers hold degrees in interior design and are well versed in not just the fun pretty side of design but the nuts and bolts of a home like electrical and structural options.  A well designed home should marry form and function for each individual family; our goal is to do just that.

BN: What’s a snapshot of your life outside of your work at Pratt?

SC: In one word “crazy”; but in such a beautiful way.  Luckily I have a very supportive husband to help me!  We have a 10 year old son who is very active in sports, so much of our time is spent in a gym or on a ball field.  We also have 3 sweet fur babies that are like family to us.  I am also extremely involved in my church as a member of our administrative council over education as well as volunteer with our youth ministry.  So, there is just never a dull moment in my life!

BN: Just for fun – what is a structure or feature in Chattanooga that you consider your favorite or most inspirational design?

SC: My very favorite place to go is on lookout mountain.  I love the architecture there and my husband and I love to just go riding around and looking at all the houses in that area.  Architecture is just my thing, no matter where I go, I love to ride around in the car with the top down and just look at homes and soak in the sun and all the details of those beautiful homes!

Categorised in: New Home Tips, Pratt Homes News, Uncategorized

This post was written by Sydnee Cearlock