Photos Caitlin Elizabeth
Lisa Samuel is no new-comer to the design world. The native Santa Fean’s experience, talent and fresh aesthetic have kept her working extensively as a licensed designer for many years. These attributes have garnered her many accolades; she won HGTV’s Designers’ Challenge and was commissioned to design a chair in honor of the past chairmen of the New Mexico Museum Foundation. In 2014 and 2015, her company was awarded ‘Best of Houzz’ for customer satisfaction by Houzz, a leading platform for home remodeling and design. Her most recent award is from The International Property Design Board in 2015. But even the most veteran of designers must hit the refresh button now and again, and this past year has brought its share of changes to Lisa’s company, Samuel Design Group (SDG).
Perhaps the biggest change for the company is its new location. As of April 1st, SDG has occupied and re-designed the space at 607 Cerrillos Road. “We were busting out at the seams in our old location,” Lisa describes. “It was time for us to move on and grow.” Though the new location is just a stone’s throw away from the old one, it is twice as large, providing ample showroom, office space and conference rooms as well as an on-site warehouse, which allows easy access to inventory. “Our new location is serving us very well,” Lisa comments. High ceilings and full-length windows showcase the one-of-a-kind furnishings and objects that inspire and drive the design team.
Another change for Samuel Design Group is its logo. “The logo is a stylized West African symbol that symbolizes support,” Lisa explains. “This resonates with me in every way. I believe in creating environments that are favorable to holistic wellbeing. An environment can be visually beautiful but not necessarily satisfying. Our work is sensitive to the function and visual beauty of a space and what that space means to each client. And any space we touch has to evoke a positive emotion, like serenity or uplift.”
In addition to Lisa and her support staff, SDG has three other designers on board. Greg Purdy has been with the company for five years. Beyond interiors, he specializes in garden design and outdoor spaces. Meghan Brown has been with SDG for four years and, in Lisa’s words, does a terrific job and is very detail-oriented. The newest designer, Patrick Allen, brings his unique style, superb talent and energy to the team.
This past year also saw the launch of Lisa’s own furniture line, Nativo de Santa Fe. She describes the designs as ‘modern ethnic.’ “It is a wonderful mix of contemporary sensibility with native details inspired from cultures around the world,” she says. Her new designs have been showcased in publications and, of course, are available in the new showroom. Lisa additionally creates custom designs for almost every project, which reflect the space and individuality of the client.
In fact, it is often more timely and efficient for Lisa to design locally manufactured furniture than waiting the long lead times to have furniture shipped. It also alleviates possible damage that can occur during shipping. Lisa has fostered and nurtured relationships for many years with the regions most talented craftsmen. This aspect puts heart and soul in her furniture. “Most, if not all of her pieces, can be customized in size and function to fit a client’s needs and space,” adds her husband and business consultant, Les Samuel.
It’s worth noting that Lisa’s design prowess extends beyond New Mexico’s borders. In fact, about 25 percent of Lisa’s commissions are out of state, evidence her talent is being noticed far and wide. The newest aspect to SDG’s list of growing projects is off-site luxury student housing. “She has been brought in to lead a team that does off-campus luxury student housing throughout the U.S.,” Les explains. The first of this series of student housing projects is in Oregon. Lisa is also heading up an interior design project for a high-rise luxury apartment project in Istanbul, Turkey. “It was always our intention to build an international brand out of Santa Fe,” Les says.
In other words, we’re lucky to have someone local with Lisa’s eye and intuition, as she’s in high demand. However, she doesn’t rest on her well-earned laurels, but continues to refresh and grow the scope of her capabilities. Lisa and her colleagues at Samuel Design Group are reaching new heights creating interiors that successfully meet the needs of their clients, using design principles sensitive to well–being.
Samuel Design Group | 607 Cerrillos Rd., Suite 1A | Toll Free 844.284.6999 | Studio 505.820.0239 | SamuelDesignGroup.com