Design Moms // Meet Ann Flanagan

Time Several Hours

Budget $ $$$

Skill Level

WORDS BY The Havenly Team

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Published on May 8, 2017

In celebration of Mother’s Day and moms who love design as much as we do (Design Moms!) we’ve interviewed a few of our designers. Meet Ann Flanagan. She lives in Chattanooga, Tennessee (coooooool!) and she “has 1 human child and 2 fur children.” <- She’s funny. Patrick, her [human] son is 8 months old and her mini dachshunds are Harper, 8, and Fintan, 1. So, sounds like, in addition to being a very cool mom, she’s got her hands full. Are you ready to be pretty darn inspired? Read on…

Ann, how did you get into interior design? Did Mom have an influence by any chance?
It was always a passion of mine since I can remember, but I never really thought it was a career option until after I had my first full-time job as a paralegal. While working full-time I went back to school for design. It was a crazy 3 years, but it was worth following my heart. Growing up our house was always well put together. My mom is very artistic and creative, and when I went into middle school she helped me re-do my room. If only I had inherited her art skills! My mom has always been a huge influence on my life.

 

Describe the day-to-day of your household. 
Our day-to-day changes all the time. It’s organized chaos. I love being a mom to my 3 boys. The dogs play with Patrick, so every time I turn around Patrick has a dog toy in his mouth and the dogs have a baby toy in theirs. But if it means I get hot coffee, I don’t care what anyone has in their mouths. There is lots of milk spit up and drool. We run errands, go on walks, go to our stroller strides class in the park or our Baby PlayGym class at the Discovery Museum downtown. I squeeze in [design] work during nap time and then [more design work] when my husband gets home from work. My favorite time of day is when we get Patrick ready for bed. My husband, Mike, gets Patrick in his pjs and then I nurse him, and Mike reads bedtime stories. Then we watch a show and crawl into bed and snuggle our fur babies. It’s crazy, but it’s fun. So….crazy fun. It’s not for everyone, but it’s perfect for us.

 

What’s it like juggling being a designer with being a mom?

It’s definitely a juggling act! With both jobs, I’m always on my toes. [My kid’s] nap time is when I get the most work done, but I also like to do work while Patrick plays with the dogs or by himself with toys. I want him to see he as a mom who works hard, plays hard, and moms hard. Sometimes I just strap Patrick on me in his Ergo carrier and we go to work! He’s my buddy and my assistant.

 

Where do you go for your inspiration for design projects?
Pinterest! I love Pinterest. What did we do before Pinterest? I also go through Instagram. I have some amazingly talented designer friends too, so I love picking their brains and talking about what’s next in design.

 

What is your favorite room you’ve designed for a client in the past few months? 
I recently designed a patio space for a client that got me really excited to spend more time outdoors with the family. I even told her that I wanted to come hang out and have a class of wine with her.

 

As a Design Mom, what space in your house have you designed just for YOU? And what’s it like?
Haha! Just for me? No space! The nursery I did just for Patrick, but it is probably my favorite room in the house because he’s so happy when he’s in his room. I have moments around my home and things I do everyday for myself. I make the bed everyday so that I can crawl into a fresh and fluffy bed at the end of the day. I keep a candle and family pictures on my desk while I work for calm and happiness. Hopefully I’ll be designing our bedroom soon. I have pieces of it done, but want to really round it out and make it a place for my husband and I to escape to after our hectic days.

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Since we’re going into summer, what trends are you excited to see more of?
I’m not really into trends. I gravitate towards more classic and timeless pieces. For summer, I’m excited to use outdoor spaces more. I really love pebble gravel for easy outdoor patio spaces for dining al fresco or for adding a fire pit and roasting s’mores. I like to layer seating with cozy pillows designed for the outdoors and cozy throws to bring some of the inside out.

 

Well, Ann. We’re lucky to have you representing Design Moms. Check our Ann’s Designer Profile here.