Studio Teamwork: Diana Holmes, Interior Designer

The team behind William Caligari Interior Design is rich with talent and that special ability to discover, and express, what clients want.

Interior designer Diana Holmes is central to our work: she engages with clients to curate furnishings, lighting and window treatments; she develops all of our auto-cad drawings and acts as an efficient project manager. If a custom design is called for on a particular project, she works with us to design beautiful pieces, seeking out local and regional trade professionals for construction and fabrication.

 

 

 

Below, a soft, inviting parlor in shades of white, and a bedroom where lighting, fabric and a custom bedframe create a warm and intimate sleeping experience.

Diana came to interior design as a career change: in the 1990’s she enrolled in the New York School of Interior Design. It turned into an 11-year education plan, as she was living in the Berkshires, working and commuting to classes in New York. In 2015, after working for another design company and an interior furnishings company.

“We were so fortunate to have been able to bring Diana into our business,” said William Caligari. “She has filled a critical niche in the implementation corner of our company and executed some high-impact design details for our clients.”

“It’s a real team effort here,” says Diana. “William is the conductor, and the rest of us are in the orchestra, each performing different parts.”

Diana works on a spectrum of projects, from kitchen and bath renovations to living and family spaces, as well as commercial designs. She has a skill for identifying clients’ design inclinations and bringing them to life, and for transforming a drab, flat-feeling interior to a truly inviting and impressive space. Below, Diana’s transformation of the bar at The Old Mill, one of our favorite dining spots in the area.

“The key is to bring out the client’s personality, not to lead the charge with my own design inclinations,” says Diana, reflecting our company-wide “client inspired” design approach, which is also mindful of clients’ cost considerations. Below, we created a beautiful piece of art by pairing a dramatic frame with a piece of fabric by William Morris.

Some of her projects happen together with William Caligari; other design projects are delegated to her.

What’s her “style?”

“I really like incorporating traditional styles with modern environments and clean lines,” says Diana.

Below, a custom headboard of cheerful fabric and linen bedding.

Whenever possible Diana relies on local and regional suppliers for everything from furnishings to stone. She’s also willing to travel for quality: she went to Pennsylvania to find just the right piece of walnut for a client’s fireplace mantle.

Some work revolves largely around color.

“Paint and fabric can make a world of difference and can transform a space from dark to light,” she says. “There’s nothing more exciting than changing a ‘blah’ space into a place that feels like home. And I like it when the client’s personality comes through in a newly designed space.”