Maine Interior Design Meets the Optimism of Brady-Anne Winn at Nineteen Skies

Today I have with me Brady Ann Wyn, who is the founder and principal at 19 Skies. Thanks for coming in today. Sure, absolutely. Good morning. Good morning. So tell me about 19 Skies. Um, so 19 Skies a design firm. Um, we started, uh, during the pandemic in 2020, um, in Bath, Maine. We started small, renovated part of the barn attached to our property and started it for a one person business and have been growing ever since. Why 19 Skies? So that's a little bit of an homage to, um, to Covid 19, um, that a reminder that out of every situation, whether it's the worst situation we could possibly imagine, good things always come. And the skies is blue skies, new horizons. Um, the world is open to you. So that's where it comes from. I Love that you've, you've embraced the 19 aspect of things. Yeah. Well, why not? Yeah. Um, you always, did you always wanna be an interior designer ? Yeah. Um, I was very lucky, uh, when I was in sixth grade. Um, we had a school project, uh, in a science class actually, uh, where everyone drew a job out of a hat and as a class we had to build a house on a beach, um, and pay attention to a whole bunch of environmental aspects. And I drew architect. Um, so that was my job for the project. And when I started working on it, I realized very quickly that we really could only build a square house. So the outside became very boring to me, and I spent all of my time working on the inside of the house. And that was when I had my aha moment of this is what I wanna do. And I was extremely lucky that I kept on pushing for it and got there. And once I got there, I actually liked it. So I've been doing this since I was 21 years old. So I guess what I take away from this is that teachers who are creating lesson plans never know how they might be influencing their students for the Future. Absolutely. Absolutely. Especially, it was a science class that had nothing to do with, you know, design at all. But, uh, it, that particular teacher was very innovative, um, and she was very inspirational and very encouraging. So yeah. What is the typical educational path of someone who chooses to do interior design? I think your typical path is you go to college for interior design, and then you go out in the field. But I find in Maine, often the path is more unconventional. We don't have a school in the state of Maine that has interior design as major. So, um, I think a lot of, um, Mainers who grow up here, um, will go to a school for another discipline, get their core classes, and then finish somewhere else, which is what I did. Or now there are a lot of, um, especially after, um, 2020, there are a lot of online options that are reputable schools. Um, so I think a lot of people are doing that now. Um, but I've also seen people do, you know, a bachelor's, um, in business and then go and get their masters in interior design. So there are a lot of different ways of going about it. I do think that being in the field is instrumental. Um, and I have, uh, mentored a number of young, um, students who wanna become interior designers and have always encouraged them. You know, get a job, go out in the field, get a job in the industry. It doesn't matter what it is, if it's in, you know, the furniture industry or in flooring or a paint store, just to get in the thick of it is gonna be, it's gonna take you miles. Past education. You had your own version of that because before you founded your own, um, firm, you had a lot of different, uh, experiences mm-hmm. in the field. What, what were some of the ones that you found most valuable? Well, um, when I was in college, I worked for a company called the Foresight Company, um, which, um, was they specialized in home decor products. So that was kind of my first immersion in, um, in the industry. Um, and understanding what happens on the wholesale side of things, um, was something that I took away from that. And then I worked for a design firm, um, in Northern Maine where I got to work alongside an architect. Um, and we also sold, um, home furnishings and did renovations. Um, so that was a really great way of kind of getting in the door. And then I worked for a company called Port Specialty Tile for a long time, and that was instrumental at really understanding some very technical details, um, in our trade. I think that that's an interesting, um, thing for me to think about because I know that a lot of times when I walk into a place that has, has excellent design, all I see is just the beauty of it. But then walking back, it makes sense that you'd have to have things that have the right dimensions and the things that fit together and yeah. And all these other perspectives that I would never even have thought Of. Yeah. See not just the elements of color and form and shape, but then the technical details of, you know, behind your wall, what are the elements that go into it to make it structurally sound? Um, and that, that is a part of architecture, but it also is a part of how a sofa is built. You know, you, you can pick a beautiful fabric, but is that fabric strong enough? Does it have the right backing? Is it, um, going to hold up in the type of environment you're putting it in? How much light is going to hit it on a day to day basis? So those, those sorts of details are such an important part of what we do that's kind of hidden behind this glossy surface. Um, but is what really holds a design together long term for clients. When you're working with a client, is there ever a conflict between what they're hoping to achieve and what you know, is technically possible? Absolutely. Um, that's always gonna happen. Um, however, that's why they hire us, uh, to help find the solution to get them to their end goal that actually works. So, yeah, absolutely. No, I know that art is, it's probably not related to the technical side of things, but certainly more related to the form, the color mm-hmm. , the feel. How do you work with, um, art and artists and clients and kind of your own overarching sense of what may or may not fit? Um, a lot of times if we're asked to help with selecting art for, for a home, we usually will, um, go to galleries, select different pieces that work within, um, with the colors and the shapes and the style that we're working with. And then we'll present the client with a few options. Um, a lot of times we will enlist the help of, um, gallery, um, galleries to, um, help with suggestions. Um, and honestly, a lot of times we like to do commissions. Um, it's more often that we find a style that we like from a particular artist, and then we say, okay, we need it to be this size by this size to fit our space. What can you create for us? And that's really exciting because then it becomes a little bit of a collaboration. So I know that commissions, having spoken to artists, I know that some artists are very open to commissions. Mm-hmm. , other artists. It's not, Not so much not Their preference. So how do, how do you kind of negotiate with the artists and the art galleries to make that happen? Well, obviously if the artist doesn't wanna do commissions, you don't wanna force them into a situation where they're not comfortable and they have reasons for that. But, um, we've been really lucky that a lot of artists, um, here in Maine are open to it. Um, that's another thing that's very important to me in design. I usually try to look locally and then regionally before I go globally. Um, so with sourcing for, for everything. Um, so local art is something I really enjoy working with. I do go to a lot of, um, craft fairs, um, because I find that's a really great way of discovering new, emerging, um, artists. Um, both, you know, paintings or photography, you know, your traditional arts, but also, you know, furniture making. Um, or I was just at one last weekend where I found this fantastic lamp company, so that's always a really fun thing that, that discovery. It seems like there's more out there now in the maker space than there once was. I don't know if there's more or it's just more accessible. Um, you know, the internet has really played a big part in people getting their work out there now. There's so many makers, you know, online platforms. Um, you know, Etsy was a big, big jump in that direction. Um, but I think it gives people much more of a platform to be able to get their work to a wider audience, um, and more exposure than just going to, you know, five craft shows a year or, um, you know, friends and family type networking. So it's always been there. I Think it's always been there. We now know about it more. Yeah. And I think also we are now looking at crafts a different way than we maybe used to. It used to be that, you know, everybody had, you know, you had a homestead and you know, you quilted or knitted or did a needle point and it was just what you did. Or you built furniture because you needed a chair in your house. And now it's become much more appreciated because I think less people have those skills. Yeah. I mean, you're raising an interesting idea and, and that is actually the, the value of craft and that I think there's been some sensitivity in the past to people who are artists who are engaged in what many people would call craft mm-hmm. , because craft sometimes has been a derogatory term. Yes. Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Um, I personally look at them all as art forms. You, you have to have creativity to, to do any of those things, you have to have imagination, you have to have curiosity. That's art. You know, you're looking at color and form and shape and function. That's art. Well, and to be clear, I agree. And, and I've never seen craft as a, as any lesser or more than what we call art. And I was actually surprised to learn that, that this was actually a thing that caused some people some great frustration at times. Mm-hmm. , Well, uh, design in general didn't used to be considered an art form. You know, you had your classic arts, painting, sculpture, you know, and, and anything that was kind of attached to the design. Um, word was not art. So graphic design, architecture, interior design, those were, they were professions, not, not artistry, which is kind of interesting. Why do you think that was? I don't know. That's a good, that's a good question. It's definitely something to ponder. Um, I think it maybe is similar to, um, to the whole crafts thing that it's, it just wasn't thought of the same way. Well, I, the reason that I ask this is that I, I know that, um, making things more approachable and more attainable and more livable is very important to actually getting things like art into the home. Yes. And it's art broadly defined. Yes. You know, whether it's a ade, plant hanger or whether it's, you know, an Eric Hopkins watercolor, for example. Well, from an interior design perspective, I always think of a room similar to say a painting. You have to have balance. You have to have a place where your eye enters the piece and exits the piece. You need a spot for your eye to move, a spot for your eye to pause. Um, you have to have form and interest. All of the same elements that go into any painting should theoretically be in any good piece of design or good piece of crafts. It's all the same. So similar to what you're describing when I've spoken with artists, there's a sense, and I'll say, now, let's say visual artists and specifically painters that I've spoken with mm-hmm. . And there's a sense of balance and having all the elements. Right. And when they actually get to the place where they think, okay, now it's done. Do you have that same? Absolutely. Absolutely. And, and, and also the spot where you stop and pause cuz you know it's not quite done, but you're not sure what the element is that it needs yet to, to complete it. Um, and that's where you, for me, and I know you're a runner, so you'll appreciate this, uh, that's my thinking space. So, you know, I will, it's not unusual to say, I need to walk away from this for a little bit, and then I'll go out on a run and my mind will just start doing its own thing. And oftentimes that's where I find my piece that finishes whatever it is that's still, still open. Yes. I, I absolutely do the same thing. Although my art currently is more in, um, in the medical field and my artistry, I guess is, uh, kind of creating and maintaining teams. Mm-hmm. . So I go out for a run and I'm kind of problem solving around, um, what is the missing element of the team that we need to either bring in or kind of create more potential around. So that's why I love the broader definition of art, because in my mind it's really any creative Process. Creative process. Yeah. That makes a lot of sense. Where did you grow Up? I grew up in a tiny little town called Temple, um, which is next to, to Farmington. Um, and on a farm, uh, very rural, we, there wasn't even a gas station in the town. So, and where, in where, what's the high school in Maine that's associated with, Uh, that's Mount Blue. Yeah. Which at the time, um, there had, it had a fantastic art department and there was a very, very talented artist, um, Roger Balian who ran the department and was a huge influence on so many kids. Um, and encouraging them to go into the arts. And I can't even tell you how many people I went to high school with who are now practicing artists in one form or another, whether they're, uh, glass blowers or painters or like me designer. Um, and he's, he was very influential for a lot of people and I can't say enough about him. So that's, that's another really wonderful kind of, um, I guess shout out to the educational field. Yes. That here you are in rural Maine in a very tiny town. Mm-hmm. going to what's probably a relatively small high school, and you have that one influential figure mm-hmm. Yeah. Who kind of opens a space. I was very, very lucky to, to have him as a part of my education. Um, he really encouraged me. Um, I actually ended up skipping my senior year of high school because I, I was so driven to do what I wanted to do, and I had a lot of, um, teachers say, no, you shouldn't do that. You need this experience. And he really encouraged me. In fact, he, um, put me, um, in for art scholarship without telling me about it. Um, which was really sweet and quite, um, quite thoughtful considering I was a junior, not a senior who, who was graduating. So, So is that when you went to the main College of Art? Mm-hmm. ? Yes. Yeah. What was that like? Because that's in Portland, that's probably kind of big city for some period from Temple Maine. Yeah. Well, so that was actually a big part of the reason why I went there. And I didn't go out of state. Um, I, I was only, I turned 17, I think three days after I graduated from high school. So I was very young and I wasn't quite ready to go that far from home. So Portland was kind of a good, um, in between the challenge of, uh, main College of Art at, at the time was, um, it was very much a classical arts college. Um, and, and that's changed now. Um, they've gotten a lot more diverse, but I, I did have a, a a few instances where I was told that what I wanted to do was not art. Um, which is very interesting. Um, but I had a lot of really wonderful professors there, and it, it was a great experience and, um, I'm glad that I went there. It's a wonderful school. So I'm sensing a theme here that you start with 19 skies and you're thinking, oh, well we have covid. That's not ideal, but we're just gonna use that as an opportunity. And then you're in high school and you have people saying, oh no, you should definitely just do this the normal way. And you say, oh, thanks for the information, and you just move to the next and then you're at Main College of Art, and you're like, oh, okay. I appreciate your opinion, but I'm gonna do it my way. Mm-hmm. . So what do you think it is about you that enables you to just stay really true to your core? Um, I've always felt like this is what I was supposed to do. I've never really questioned that. Um, my mother is a very independent person and she definitely encouraged me to, you know, know that I could do whatever I wanted to do. Um, but I don't know, I guess I'm just stubborn. . Well, I mean, that's, that can actually be a really good thing, especially if you know what you wanna do. Mm-hmm. , because sometimes it is other people's voices that can be really distracting mm-hmm. . Yeah. From that sense And absolutely. I think, you know, we all have our moments of doubt. Can I do this? Can I, can I make this happen? Um, but ultimately I want to, so that drives me The sense that it's it's a choice that you're making. Yes. Yeah, absolutely. We all have choice every day to wake up and do this or do that. So Yeah. That's a good, that's a good point. So when you're doing design here in the state of Maine mm-hmm. , and you work with people probably who are both from Maine and outside of Maine, who have different senses of style mm-hmm. , maybe they are from South Beach and they have the kind of the brighter colors and, and you're looking at what they are interested in doing and you're thinking, Hmm, I wonder how I can make this work in a house that is, I don't know, in the countryside of, in rural Maine. How do you kind of negotiate that conversation? Well, one of the things that I always like to impress on, uh, potential clients when we are interviewing each other, um, because that has to be the right fit from a personality perspective. Um, I always say that every client has the right fit, fit for a designer, and every designer has the right fit for a client. So, um, but one of the things that I always try to get across is my taste is inconsequential. The whole point of the project, the whole point of my job is to design for their taste, to draw it out of them, even if they don't know what it is. Um, so in that way, my work is very diverse. Um, you, you won't look through my work and and say, well, that's her style. Um, because it's not my style, it's my client's style. Um, so when clients come to me with a range of ideas, that's actually my inspiration, um, for starting projects is their, their thoughts, their ideas for the project. Um, and that just sets me off on a wave, um, that kind of brings everything all together. So Do you think that all designers have that same approach? Uh, no, I don't. I think, um, there are, there are two schools, um, of designers and, and I, and I find this in architecture as well. Um, and I don't think either one of them are, is right or wrong, I think they're just different. Um, there are a lot of benefits to both, both sides. I think there are designers that they have one look and that's their style, and people come to them for that style specifically. Um, and it's very smart in a lot of ways. It's a great way to get branded. Um, that's, you know, all of the designers that you see, um, ending up with collections and having, um, brands built around them is because they, they kind of gravitate towards that type of approach, um, which is very smart from business perspective. Um, and then you have the other side that design individually for each project and each client. And so it's very different. And that's more who I am. I don't get bored that way cuz I have something new every day, every project, which is really fun. It also requires you to really pay close attention because you go in and you can't have a preconceived notion of what your style is gonna be and how you're gonna fit that to a space. Mm-hmm. , you have to pay attention. And I'm guessing you probably have to evolve thinking over time. Yes. And you have to listen in between the words a lot and ask way too many questions. Um, I have an extensive, um, questionnaire that I start every project with. Um, and usually each answer leads to 20 more questions. Um, but it really helps us to understand the client's needs, um, and desires and, and dreams. Um, you know, for the future I'm always interested, um, in finding out how people who do design or architecture or even real estate work with couples and families, because I I know that in my case with my husband, he and I are not lockstep in the way that we approach our taste. So I wonder how you're able to navigate that with people Carefully. . Um, actually it's kind of a funny, um, in the industry oftentimes we talk about that every design program should require psychology courses as a prerequisite, um, with sensitivity, you know, listening to people and, and caring about them and caring about the, the outcome. Typically when we're doing a project with people, it's because they're invested in, uh, a family, family relationship. They're invested in this space together. So finding creative ways that that space will function for everyone who's going to interact with it, um, is really important. And the same goes for commercial, um, design work. Um, it it in a different way, but making sure that you're hearing all of the parties involved and giving each of them the opportunity to, uh, express what they need or, or want for that environment. Yeah. I'm, I I think that that's a, that's so important because space is so integral to our experience of the world. Mm-hmm. . So if there's something that you're not hearing that that ends up not being translated into the space, that that actually has an impact on people's, It does Emotional and psychological wellbeing. Yeah. We spend the most amount of our time in indoor spaces and they have a huge impact on how we feel on a day to day-to-day basis and how we interact with other people, um, with our work. It, it's such an important thing. Yeah. And I think one of the things we saw with the Portland Art Gallery during the pandemic is that that was why people were buying more art is that many people, not, not all of us, I was, I was still at the hospital, I was still in the medical practice, but many people were at home and they were with their kids or they were working or they were just hungering down and, and they really needed the, um, almost the solace of having things around them. Mm-hmm. that really mattered mm-hmm. . So I wonder if people with that kind of acknowledgement are a little bit more aware and a little bit more careful now that we're kind of moving through this really big global event. Yeah, I, I would agree. I think people are more aware of, um, their environments and how, how they impact them. You know, you have a family that's rushing through life and you've, you know, two, two people who are working full-time jobs and you know, they're racing through the house. They may not be interacting with the environment in the same way as people are nesting a little bit more. I also have found that people are being more creative with, with their, their home environments for sure. Um, and a lot of people are getting involved in how those are created more than they maybe used to. Well, I really enjoyed my conversation with you today. Good me a lot to think about. I encourage you to go Toy's website to learn more about 19 skies and consider whether she might be a good fit for your interior design needs. I'm Dr. Lisa Bely. You've been listening to or watching Radio Mean, and it's really been wonderful to have you here today. Thank you so much. Thank you for having me.