Photos by Hillary Ehlen and J. Alan Paul Photography
Q&A with Block 44 Designs
In upcoming issues, we will be interviewing members of the local home industry to find out exactly what their jobs entail. This month, we met with Jessica Christian and Holly Hagen, owners of Block 44 Designs. Read on to see what being an interior decorator means to these two women in their responses below.
Q. Can you tell us a bit about yourselves?
A. Holly Hagen – “My name is Holly Hagen and I grew up in Frazee, Minn., and graduated from Concordia College, Moorhead. I live with my husband and two girls in Moorhead. Our kids keep us busy with various sports and activities, and we all enjoy spending time at the lake. I’ve been designing rooms for myself (this is our fifth home we’ve owned and ninth place we’ve lived), family, friends and their friends for the past 15 years.”
Jessica Christian – “My name is Jessica Christian, I am from Moorhead and graduated from MSUM. My husband and I have been married for five years and just welcomed our first child. Since we have been married, we have moved four times and, with each move, I realized how much I love to decorate. I am never done decorating my own house. It is constantly changing and I am always starting new projects.”
Q. What can you tell us about Block 44 Designs?
A. Hagen – “Our focus is on room and home finishes, home decor, whether its a new, blank space or finishing touches, and creating spaces to match each homeowner’s vision. Block 44’s goal is to make the process easy and stress-free.”
Q. What is an interior decorator, and what do they do?”
A. Hagen – “An interior decorator’s objective is to give individuals “that feeling” when entering their space: utilizing colors, furniture, accessories, fabrics, etc. to align the finished product within the time and budgetary needs of the client.”
Christian – “We can do anything from helping clients pick their finishing touches or completely reworking a room with new furniture, rugs and decor items.”
Q. What does it take to become an interior decorator?
A. Hagen – “Becoming an interior decorator is something that is developed over time, as you gain experience working within various styles, budgets, timelines, and clients’ dreams for the space they wish to see created. I also believe some people are simply blessed with an eye for color and a love for decorating.”
Christian – “As an interior decorator, you need to have that desire to make a space something perfect for your client.”
Q. When do you think it is necessary for homeowners to reach out to an interior decorator?
A. Christian – “Anyone can use the help of an interior decorator. Even if you have an eye for design, it is still great to get another person’s opinion, whether you have been living in your home for many years and haven’t changed the décor since you moved in or are moving into a new space.”
Q. What do you wish people in the home industry knew about interior decorators?
A. Hagen – “We love to provide the finishing touches to a space that has been diligently created by home industry experts. Our intent is to be aware of the trends, but also to balance that with clients’ visions no matter what their design style is.”
Q. What do you wish people outside of the home industry knew about interior decorators?
A. Christian – “That we can work with anyone. You don’t need to have a huge project to hire an interior decorator. Something as simple as hanging photos on the wall or picking out throw pillows can be enough to hire help.”
