Meet Alene Workman

Today we’d like to introduce you to Alene Workman.

Alene, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
Always involved in the art/design world, I started as a young child designing clothing for my dolls, to graduating from college with a degree in fine art and art history. Knowing I wasn’t the best artist, I soon realized that interior design offered an opportunity to create my own art in interior spaces. I jumped back into school for a chance to get an interior design degree and like a pea in a pod, it grew to become my life passion.

Working in both commercial and residential design initially in a growing firm, I soon learned I loved the residential design and began to focus in that specialty.

My passion for design and a reputation for timelessly refined and exquisitely detailed uncompromising work allowed me to open my own firm, encouraged by supportive clients. Being recognized with design awards, publishers looked to showcase our completed projects. That success, along with our forward-thinking design process, interactive communication, and project organization elevated the firm to become a leader in the interior design profession.

With an exceptionally talented team today, we offer world class innovative design solutions that enrich and impact the lifestyles of our clients, guiding them with detailed execution and flawless results

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
As in life, there are always bumps in the road. Here are some I overcame:

When I started my own firm design with no financial business structure, I was fortunate to open my practice in the spare space of an accounting firm. Soon after, one of the accountants asked me if I needed help setting up my books and she went on to create the system that I have used and adapted for 27 years.

The several economic recessions in the early ’90s and again in 2008-12, was a frightening learning experience as I needed to be much more cautious about protecting my firm and clients funds as many suppliers were going out of business. I created and implemented a new set of requirements out of necessity that allowed us to avoid vendors financial issues that other designers were experiencing during these years.

After the last recession, although we were insulated for those years by working on a large residential project, we needed to rethink our marketing approach since so many of our referral sources had gone out of business or restructured their companies to survive.

Today, with the incredible growth of social media and easy consumer access to many retail suppliers online, our industry is changing again, creating other obstacles for the design industry. Being somewhat protected with high net worth, and upscale, sophisticated clients who demand quality, we still feel the challenge.

Please tell us more about your work, what you are currently focused on and most proud of.
In our world of design, we focus on the art of design, respecting each client’s unique needs, then incorporating those with our knowledge and experience effortlessly into their individual design concepts.

We provide full concierge-level services on all of our projects which include new construction and renovation, for both homes and condominiums. We often work with clients on a repeat basis, completing 3-4 homes over several years in different locations throughout the United States.

We are noted for clean-lined contemporary, well-edited interiors that introduce our clients to new and unique products, the latest in lighting techniques and inventive applications of materials.

We set the stage for furnishings with creating the “bones” or architectural detailing of the interior. We often curate and feature one of a kind pieces that help create the unexpected.

We excel in incorporating and integrating the client’s most prized possessions, which often include found objects from around the world, unique cars, and major art collections.

We are most proud to be our client’s advocate throughout the design process, leading all other design team professionals that synthesize positive energy in a warm, beautiful and functional home that surpasses their expectations.

How do you define success?
To define success I look to knowing that we have successfully listened to our client, anticipated and interpreted their needs and vision in a creative and surprising fashion that exceeds all their expectations. Along with this is our own pride and commitment to getting it “right” so that we personally, as the design team, feel we have excelled beyond our own expectations.

It’s wonderful knowing that our work stands the test of time over 10-15 years when our past or repeat clients advise of the excitement from others thinking their projects were just recently completed.

Design should always forward thinking and inventive, with creative architectural backgrounds that we create to set the stage for beautiful furnishings.

When we achieve these criteria, we have grasped our brass ring.

Contact Info:

• Address: 805 East Broward Blvd. Suite 302
  Ft Lauderdale, FL 33304
• Website: awidesign.com
• Phone: 954-989-0898
• Email: alene@awidesign.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/awidesign
• Facebook: facebook.com/aleneworkmandesign/

Image Credit:
Troy Campbell, Karen Melvine, Alene Workma, Lisa Scott of AWIdesign

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