Interview with Jeanette Fisher by Gary Anderson of www.abciowa.com
GA: Jeanette, what is Design Psychology?
JJF: Simply put, the Psychology of Design allows you to create a fabulous home that supports your emotions, using science-based techniques. The Psychology of Design turns spaces into happy places.
GA: How is design psychology different from “traditional” interior design?
JJF: Our senses react to many other factors than just basic interior design, although those factors can profoundly affect our emotions and happiness. Design psychology addresses elements that interior design does not take into account.
GA: What is the difference between Design Psychology and Feng Shui?
JJF: The two concepts are compatible, and homeowners can use both Feng Shui and Design Psychology to improve their homes. However, I believe that Design Psychology is superior to Feng Shui, because Feng Shui is based on superstition, while Design Psychology draws its concepts from science.
GA: How did you discover the Psychology of Design?
JJF: In 1985, my husband and I purchased an 1878 Queen Anne Victorian house and began a major renovation. After removing everything in the kitchen, even the dirt, we rebuilt the entire space using concepts I learned while studying interior design in college. But when we were done, it FELT all wrong! So, I went to the University of Florida Architectural Library and began a fifteen-year quest to learn how design details influence our emotions.
GA: How do you use the Psychology of Design to increase your profits as a real estate investor?
JJF: We create a General Design Plan, based on our target market and the sales season. Through the use of particular colors, patterns, accessories, and staging methods, we are able to sell our homes in as little as three hours and for thousands of dollars more than our competition.
GA: Do you use landscaping as part of your overall design plan?
JJF: We certainly do! We start with the emotions and feelings we want to bring into a space, and over the years we have realized that Mother Nature knows best about combining light, shadow, color, pattern, texture, and shape. That’s why we always choose our design details to support our buyers’ emotions, based on ideas inspired by the greatest design psychologist of all, Mother Earth.
GA: Do you have any final thoughts for people unfamiliar with the Psychology of Design?
JJF: After going through a huge renovation fiasco, I found that all of our senses react to the design choices we make. Choosing the wrong color and pattern on a wallpaper, fabric, or paint will have a negative impact on our senses. But if you take a little more time to avoid design mistakes, you’ll save time, hard work, and MONEY, all of which will have a profound effect on your bottom line at closing time!
(c) Copyright 2004, Jeanette J. Fisher and Gary Anderson. All rights reserved.