October 23, 2025 • 46 mins
What if your home felt like a clear reflection of who you are—down to the curve of a chair and the rhythm of a hallway? We sit with designer Elaine Schneider, founder of Echo Environments, to unpack how a retail-architecture veteran who once designed Nordstrom’s flagship now crafts residential spaces that echo the lives inside them. The throughline is powerful and practical: a client-led vision board, five to seven guiding words, and a bulletproof process that protects every decision from concept to install.
Elaine takes us inside the phases that make complex projects work. We explore how to translate feelings into form, why interior architecture should lead furniture, and how 3D modeling de-risks intricate rooms—from theaters with layered panels to touch-latch secret doors. She shares the discipline she carried from retail: sequence matters, documentation is nonnegotiable, and construction needs dictate design cadence. We talk flow, sightlines, focal walls, and the small choices that add up to spaces people love to use.
We also go coast to coast: working remotely on historic homes, navigating review boards, and balancing one or two large builds with a few smaller ones to keep quality high. Elaine’s sourcing is project-driven, including standout finds at High Point—an artisan brass atelier and richly detailed upholstery—that spark unexpected solutions. Trends take a back seat to the client’s words; “loungy” can invite organic curves, while heritage settings call for layered detail and warm craft. If you care about homes that feel honest, human, and beautifully made, this conversation gives you a roadmap you can actually use.
Enjoyed this story-driven deep dive into process and craft? Follow the show, share it with a friend who loves design, and leave a quick review—what word would define your dream home?
Learn more at:
https://twinteriors.com/podcast/
https://scottwoolley.com
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Voice over (00:00):
This is iDesign Lab, a podcast where creativity and
curiosity meet style and design.
Curator of interiors,furnishings, and lifestyles.
Hosted by Tiffany Woolley, aninterior designer and a style
enthusiast, along with herserial entrepreneur husband
Scott.
iDesign Lab is your ultimatedesign podcast where we explore
(00:20):
the rich and vibrant world ofdesign and its constant
evolution in style and trends.
Today on the iDesign Lab, we'rejoined by Elaine Schneider,
head designer and owner of EchoEnvironments.
With over 30 years ofexperience, Elaine has built a
reputation for creating spacesthat not only look beautiful,
but feel deeply personal,reflecting the people who live
(00:41):
in them.
Known for her rare balance ofcreativity and process, she
invites clients into thejourney, turning their stories
and goals into functional,inspiring environments.
Visionary, balanced, andintuitive, Elaine truly embodies
the art of design with heart.
Tiffany Woolley (00:58):
Welcome to the iDesign Lab Podcast.
Today we're going to take youto the West Coast, where we are
joined by Elaine Schneider, headdesigner and owner of Echo
Environments.
So welcome Elaine to thepodcast.
Thank you so much for havingme.
I really appreciate it.
(01:18):
So we like to begin with alittle bit of an introduction.
So tell us a little aboutyourself.
Elaine Schneider (01:40):
I am uh let's see, I I started my career
essentially in Seattle.
Oh wow.
It was yeah, it's uh and I wasa commercial on the commercial
side in uh retail interiorarchitectural design.
So I worked with a firm that Idesigned Nordstrom stores.
(02:01):
Okay, how fun.
Yeah, I I um did that for a fewyears.
We were the architecture firmthat did all the Nordstroms at
the time.
So I started uh doing a seriesof Nordstroms and then ended up
uh getting the responsibility ofdoing the flagship store in
(02:22):
Seattle, which was I've actuallybeen there.
Yeah, yeah, it's big.
It's like six levels.
Right.
It used to be an old uhFrederick and Nelson building,
uh department store.
So it had a lot of designchallenges.
The floor plates were smaller,the columns were uh much more
(02:43):
abundant than a typicalNordstrom, and they were huge.
So we had all kinds ofchallenges in the design of
having to instead of designbetween the columns, all the
columns had to be a retaildesign element.
So I did that.
And then um after that I becamepart of the retail prototypes
(03:07):
um studio, which is basicallywhere a national retailer would
come to us and say, We have anew brand.
We want to create a new retailenvironment, and we would be
responsible for designing thewhole concept, everything from
(03:28):
the store environment to whatthe staff wore to fun.
Tiffany Woolley (03:35):
I love all that layering of detail.
Elaine Schneider (03:37):
It's really fun.
It was it was it was uh big andencompassing.
So that's what we did, and thentheir retail architecture firms
would do what we called therollout.
Tiffany Woolley (03:49):
So that's kind of my background.
So where did you decide to areto move into residential
interiors?
Elaine Schneider (03:59):
Yeah, I um so we moved my family, uh we moved
from Seattle to San Diego justfor kind of be closer to family,
and I continued to work and theweather for the firm in
Seattle, but it was so muchtravel.
Um, and my kids were little, soI uh just pivoted on a whip,
(04:23):
really said, you know, San Diegois not the place for retail
designs, so I I decided to umshift into high-end residential,
but really on a wing in theprayer with no no contacts in
California, no, no, I had donesome uh residential work for the
(04:46):
retail executives I had workedfor.
Okay.
Kind of I had a period of my uhworking my own business in
Seattle, so um, you know, I wasbeing asked often to come help
with their homes.
So that's how I got into that,and I just crossed my fingers
and decided to go into retail.
Scott Woolley (05:06):
Well, you have a very successful firm.
Elaine Schneider (05:08):
I mean a residential, sorry.
Scott Woolley (05:10):
You have a very successful firm now.
What what was your first clientlike?
How did you get your firstclient in residential?
Tiffany Woolley (05:16):
Especially in a new city.
Elaine Schneider (05:20):
Yeah, I kind of miraculous really.
I had um when I had my own firmin Seattle briefly, I also did
um some corporate work.
And there's a developer inSeattle called Kleise
Properties.
Okay.
I think at one point they umthey own 13 continuous city
(05:48):
blocks of Seattle.
Um so they're KleissProperties, they were a
developer and they needed help.
They before, yeah, before theykind of struck it big, they
ended up uh making a deal withAmazon up there.
But we I was part of designingtheir high-rise tower and then
(06:09):
the corporate floors for them.
They had one one main floorthat was the Kleiss properties
officers.
So I um got to know Al Kleis,is was the CEO, and through that
relationship, he asked me todesign his home in Seattle.
(06:32):
So I worked on that.
Um, it was more of a remodel.
And then when I decided tostart my own business, I
literally created like 500 sortof marketing postcards, and I
think I sent 10 out.
One was to Al Kleis, and hecalled me like three days later,
(06:53):
and he's like, uh, Elaine,you're in California.
I'm like, yeah, I'm inCalifornia now.
He said, Do you want to designmy house in Palm Desert, which
is in a community calledBighorn, uh-huh, which is
beautiful, stunning golf resort.
And um be honest, I I'mhorrible at marketing, I don't
(07:17):
do any, and all of my projectskind of started from that one
relationship.
Tiffany Woolley (07:23):
But what a wonderful start.
Elaine Schneider (07:26):
Crazy.
It's crazy.
Tiffany Woolley (07:28):
Someone is watching out for me for sure.
That is amazing.
It's word of mouth.
I mean, that's pretty much howwe are too.
And I feel like that is such ahuge part of the design
industry, you know, is the wordof mouth.
It's it's funny how now throughsocial media and all this
other, it's hard marketing.
(07:50):
You know, I started when youare kind of in that same time,
and it, you know, marketingwasn't my strong suit either.
But it takes just that oneclient that really can change
everything.
Elaine Schneider (08:04):
It sure does.
Yeah, you're right.
Scott Woolley (08:07):
Was it tough transitioning from the retail to
residential?
Elaine Schneider (08:15):
That was my biggest fear.
I was scared, I to be totallyhonest with you, I was really
scared of residential.
Um I was scared because I wasworried about the clientele, if
I'm being totally honest.
Tiffany Woolley (08:34):
Um with an individual or corporate's not as
emotional as far as the peopleattached to the project.
And you know, in residential,it's you know, there's just so
much more connection andemotion.
(08:55):
It's so true.
Elaine Schneider (08:57):
Yeah, yeah.
So I I was I I was reallyafraid of that.
I was um I was used to workingwith mostly men and mostly
businessmen who understand uhwould and this is a
generalization, of course, butthey, you know, it's typically
(09:18):
CEOs and who were very umregimented in making decisions
and um following a process.
And so I I was scared and I andI have to say it's been the
most shocking and pleasantsurprise of of going into
(09:39):
residential.
And and it is more emotional,it is more personal, but I think
that's been the gift of theworld.
That's where it's morerewarding.
It's it's personal.
You're yeah, I have goosebumpsjust saying this, but it um
you're making an impact inpeople's daily experiences and
(10:00):
lives and how they interact withtheir family.
I have goosebumps all over.
Tiffany Woolley (10:04):
I know, I love that.
Yeah, I love that.
I say that so many times duringmy own presentations.
I'm like, this is just why Ilove what I do.
It's like to see it cometogether and how everything can
be just so meant to be for eachplace and each client and each,
you know, space.
So, how do you begin yourproject?
(10:25):
So when a new client comes tothe table, like you just said,
he, you know, it was more of arenovation project.
Like what do you do youcollaborate with the client
through mood images or how doyou start to set the tone for
your vision for the project?
Elaine Schneider (10:44):
I um, well, you kind of said it right there.
The first step of absolutelyevery project, whether it is a
remodel or a ground up newconstruction, uh to create a
vision board.
And this is a verycollaborative project.
And it's you know, I always saywe're not creating uh my vision
(11:08):
board.
I'm just helping the clientarticulate their vision.
Uh-huh.
So we have kind of this, kindof this charade, not charade,
but more of a questionnaireinterview session.
I ask them to bring images ofspaces they like.
(11:30):
Um I asked them for I typicallyask them to come up with five
to seven words of what embodiesthe space, um kind of more
emotionally.
Right.
And and this is really how westarted retail projects, right?
(11:51):
Because retail projects are allabout understanding uh the
retailer's brand and what theystand for.
So like in like a vision boardfor a Nordstrom would be uh
would in would um in terms ofwords would would include
(12:11):
customer service and ease ofaccess and um uh you know just
uh light and welcoming andthings like that, for example,
because that that reflects theirbrand.
They wanted everything in theirstore to be, you know, you
could see the exit fromeverywhere.
There was a place to sit forthe husband shopping with their
(12:34):
wife.
It was you could visualize theoutfit.
So I just took that retailapproach and applied it to
residential, but instead ofreflecting a retailer's brand,
I'm now reflecting uh anindividual or a couple's
personality.
And so that's I asked them tobring images and words that
(12:55):
reflect that.
Tiffany Woolley (12:57):
And how long does that process, you know, in
the beginning, gettingacquainted take for you or for a
typical project?
Elaine Schneider (13:06):
I think it depends where the project is and
if there's traveling involved,but I would say one to two weeks
of you know, a few meetings.
So the client brings imageryand the words, and we talk and
you know, I do some digging likewhat is it about this image
that really speaks to you?
And it might be, you know, acolor of a chair as opposed to
(13:30):
the interior architecture.
So I really try to drill downon what it is that they're
liking or speaks to them.
Yeah.
And then from that, I ifthere's imagery missing, I I do
the research on that and pull itall together in a vision board
(13:51):
and with the words, and thenthat creates, I call it, sort of
the roadmap for the rest of theproject.
Okay.
Tiffany Woolley (13:59):
So your approach is very intuitive, and
you know, your clients sayElaine just gets it, but there
really is a process to youarriving to just getting it.
Tell us a little bit about thatapproach in curating your
vision board and what that it'syou know, details.
Elaine Schneider (14:21):
Well, I I um there is definitely a process, I
would say.
I'm I'm I'm a veryprocess-driven designer, uh just
given my retail umarchitectural background, and it
really um the process is reallyin trying to understand my
clients and who they are from apersonality standpoint, and I
(14:46):
would never want it to be uh uhdesign a home where clients walk
in and say, Oh, that's soso-and-so designer's home.
It's not my home, it's theirhome.
So I'm really, really focusedon um interviewing,
understanding, and understandingwhat sets them apart from their
(15:10):
neighbors or their friends.
Um so that's I think that'swhat leads to she just gets it.
I think she gets it because sheasks a whole lot of questions.
Scott Woolley (15:23):
So, in talking about you know the fact that
listening is part of a greatdesign, your company it's is
called Echo Environments.
Who how did you come up withthe name?
Or what does the name have ameaning that kind of reflects
that?
Elaine Schneider (15:38):
Yeah.
Scott Woolley (15:39):
Tell us about it.
Elaine Schneider (15:40):
I'm so glad you you uh you um noticed that.
It's because echo, because Iwant my clients' home to echo
who they are.
Oh, I love that too.
So it's just uh it's areflection of who they are.
I guess I could have called itreflection.
Echo I like echo.
(16:00):
But yeah, echo design.
It's uh but unfortunately a lotof people kind of confuse it
with eco as opposed to echo, butthat's that's the intent that I
am always echoing my client'sum personality brand.
Let's call it a an individual'sbrand or individual's plural
(16:22):
brand.
And and the more people uhinhabit the home and the the
more complex it gets.
Tiffany Woolley (16:32):
So as you've you know grown with echo
environments and what thatbranding represents as far as
echoing the vision for yourclients, and you have such a
great process on how you start aproject, how do you carry that
through to the end?
Like what is your day-to-dayprocess look like for projects?
Elaine Schneider (16:57):
Well, it um well it you know, there are key
phases in the project.
Right.
Um, but I I would say the thevision board is always kind of
front and center what we create.
Tiffany Woolley (17:10):
Go back to it a lot.
Elaine Schneider (17:12):
Go back.
Yeah, we go back all the timebecause um, you know, if it's a
word like um let's say loungywas one of my client words, and
they pick uh a furniture ormaterial that doesn't feel
(17:32):
particularly loungy or welcomingor shape, you know, I use that
as a way of keeping us on.
Like your words were yourgauge.
Exactly.
The words are the goal.
And if you I love that if youif you steer away, it's okay to
steer away every once in awhile, but I just want it to be
(17:55):
a conscious steering.
Tiffany Woolley (17:57):
Right, not a so how it's really cool, Chair.
How big of a role doesarchitecture play for you in
your development of the design?
Is that like a 50-50 or is thatyou know 30-70, or is that like
your primary focus?
Elaine Schneider (18:17):
Yeah, my my my goal or my in the projects that
I love to take on are reallyinterior architectural design
projects.
So there's nothing I love morethan to come into a a ground-up
home or um something that's amajor renovation that we're
(18:39):
doing some dutting.
And um, so I would say on atypical project, the percentage
of time spent on interiorarchitectural drawings uh or
coming up with uh I will call itthe three-dimensional interior
drawings is probably oh,probably easily 70% of the time.
(19:03):
And then the remaining 30% ismaybe 60 if you count in just
that the meetings take probably10%, but you know, the the rest
is selecting of materials and uhdeveloping palettes and then um
uh you know, plumbing fixtures,appliances, uh, and then I
(19:30):
basically the way I work is I Iget the contractors everything
they need, and then once that isunderway, more or less, then we
shift to I always say that'sthe fun shift to the fun part.
Shift to the furniture.
Um and and I mean I to me, Igotta say, I the fun colour of
(19:54):
it.
I I I love the interiorarchitectural design.
It's and I love I lovedeveloping the spaces in three
dimensions.
So I I um and I like thefurniture part, but I like more,
you know, designing customfurniture than researching
something that's already outthere, I would say.
Scott Woolley (20:14):
So I'm guessing that you prefer and would rather
be doing all of the design andarchitectural before an actual
architect gets involved kind ofstamping things that's being
handed off to an architect tostamp it.
Elaine Schneider (20:30):
Well, I think what's worked well, because I,
you know, I love working withfabulous architects, is when um
it is when the architect isreally handling more the shell
of the architecture and theupfront permitting, and then I
come in to um you know kind ofwreck their day on really shift
(20:57):
some spaces around and refinethe space planning and really
look at spaces from thestandpoint of how would you flow
through this space and howwould the furniture be laid out
and what is your focal wall.
Um so I think um that's what Ilove is is to work with an
(21:17):
architect to develop the bigpicture and and then start to
dive in, and then I kind of takeit through the casework
development and mill work andall of that kind of stuff.
Tiffany Woolley (21:32):
So knowing how detailed this business is, and
as you just mentioned, you know,so many of the points that you
have to hit throughout aproject, what does your team
look like and how did you goabout building that team?
Elaine Schneider (21:48):
Yeah, I I have a really small team.
It's uh it's myself.
Um I have two other, I wouldsay, um more interior
architectural driven people.
One who does amazing sketches,um, and another who does 3D
(22:10):
modeling.
Tiffany Woolley (22:11):
Yeah.
Elaine Schneider (22:12):
And then I have a senior um stylist who is
amazing um with kind of becausewe do everything from creating
the vision to clients move inand they're ready to use their
home.
I I would say the the stylistis really key.
(22:32):
So she comes in and webasically at the end of a
project, you know, a sizableproject, we we kind of live at
the house for a week and get itall ready.
So the furniture is deliveredand the styling happens, um, and
all the finishing touches, andand then we do the big reveal at
the end.
It's really fun.
(22:53):
Exciting.
Yeah, I would say typically ateam, I have a team of about
four to five people, and itfluctuates a little bit.
Tiffany Woolley (23:00):
And you mentioned 3D, you know, drawings
and modeling.
We it's become a huge partabout what we do every day here
at in our studio.
How do you when do you infusethe 3D drawings into your
process?
Like do you use those mainlyfor yourself or do you use those
(23:22):
to present the vision to theclient as well?
Elaine Schneider (23:25):
Um it uh we use it to convey to the client
something that's hard for themto understand uh with plans and
elevations only.
Scott Woolley (23:39):
Most people are most people aren't visual.
It's what really helps themfrom a visual standpoint.
Tiffany Woolley (23:44):
Right.
So for us it's a really yeah,it's a huge part of conveying
the vision.
Elaine Schneider (23:53):
Yeah.
I mean, we do we do do it forourselves, for example, this
project um that we're working onin Sag Harbor, uh, we're doing
a theater on a basement level,and it is an extremely
complicated space because it,you know, it has a lot of
components, wood panels thatmeet up with fabric panels that
(24:15):
meet up with cabinetry, thatmeet up with molding.
And it's uh that one we will doas much to uh flush out the
details ourselves andcommunicate those details to the
client and the contractor.
But other other ones, like inthis same house, we um created
(24:38):
this very intricate new post,and there was no way to arrive
at a design for the new postthat the client could understand
and visualize without the 3Dmodeling.
So that's how we use it.
Scott Woolley (24:54):
So you you just mentioned SAG Harbor on l out on
Long Island?
So you're you're you'retraveling or you and you're
doing a lot of work in in somecases, I guess, remotely.
Elaine Schneider (25:06):
And across the country.
Right.
Right.
It's just um like I I think Imentioned at the outset, I I
don't do any marketing really.
Uh it's all word of mouth.
And this particular client, Ihad originally met her parents
(25:28):
in Palm Desert in Bighornbecause they had a home there.
And then when she did her housein Greenwich Village, she was
having issues with her existingdesigner.
And so her mom introduced me toher.
So I did her Greenwich Villagehouse, and now I'm working on
(25:48):
her Sag Harbor um sort of morevacation home.
So it's, you know, back to theword of mouth, it's it's
phenomenal.
Great projects.
Tiffany Woolley (26:01):
You must enjoy that too.
So how often for the projectsthat are literally across the
country for you, how often doyou have to actually go to the
site?
Elaine Schneider (26:20):
You know, probably once every two to three
months.
I think we're going on twoyears with this project.
It is so intricate and socomplex.
But um, but I would say in thelast nine months, I I go once a
month.
And I dunno there for um, youknow, uh two days to travel, two
days to be on site, basically.
(26:41):
Because it is it's not easy toget to.
Tiffany Woolley (26:43):
Oh, to that part of the world, right?
Yeah, a lot of literally planesand uh it's one of our favorite
places to go.
Elaine Schneider (26:52):
It's beautiful.
It's uh oh, it's sort of socharming and and so different.
I I think that's one I things Ienjoy the most because my all
my projects are so incrediblydifferent.
Um, from super contemporary tothis is a historic home that
(27:12):
we're really transforming a loton the inside anyway.
It's I love the variety.
Scott Woolley (27:20):
So historic home.
We've we've done quite a fewhistoric homes.
Has does is the city involvedin terms of from an
architectural historic, youknow, it typically for what
we've dealt with, it slows thewhole process down tremendously.
Yeah, I think that's kind ofdealt with the same thing,
(27:40):
correct?
Elaine Schneider (27:42):
Yeah, same thing.
We have the architecturalreview board who um has to
approve everything that we do onthe outside.
Scott Woolley (27:50):
Right.
Elaine Schneider (27:50):
You know, it just uh yeah, it it makes things
it makes a complex project evenmore complex in terms of the
code.
Scott Woolley (27:58):
We just finished a project where the city had
involvement in the interior ofthe home as well.
Oh, really?
So they were extremely theywere extremely involved in
keeping the integrity and youknow and the style and the look
to a degree in the interior ofthe home as well.
Tiffany Woolley (28:19):
Which I tend to appreciate because I just feel
like those are the homes that weall, when you travel and you
know, as you see our country orabroad, it's just those charming
character, you know, placesthat they're the they are what
add so much.
So I'm grateful for not onlythe board, you know, designers
(28:40):
like yourself and even theclients who are willing to take
on that challenge and lead time.
I'm grateful that you knowpeople appreciate it.
Scott Woolley (28:50):
So you so you've had the you've had the you know
a unique opportunity starting inretail and working with some,
I'll say, iconic retail brands.
Speaker 3 (29:00):
I mean, Nordstroms is amazing.
Scott Woolley (29:01):
Yeah, with Nordstroms and others that, you
know, from a design standpoint.
Is there any you know biglessons or things that you
learned in that process thatyou've carried along and brought
and that you still or use inthe the residential design side?
Elaine Schneider (29:19):
Well, uh I think what I learned the most
from the you know the working onthe Nordstroms or the retail
prototypes is a is um kind of abulletproof process of A happens
before B happens before C, andand it's um it's just uh it it
(29:41):
works, and there's a reason itworks.
And there's um there's a papertrail that goes with decisions,
and it's it's very it's a very II I I I've had people say that
I'm equally left brained andright brained, and I think
that's true.
There is There is a verycreative side, but there is a
(30:03):
very um I would call it amathematical process driven
side.
And I think the biggest lessonis if you deviate from that
process, y you get in trouble.
Bad things happen.
Things fall through the cracks.
Um there's confusion.
(30:24):
So I'm I I will never deviatefrom a process.
It's not that it can't beconsolidated and each phase
can't get shorter.
Um and you can massage it, butthe core process has to be there
for every project, or else it,you know, things won't come out
(30:47):
like the vision gord.
Tiffany Woolley (30:48):
Right.
And I see like that processprobably has a lot to do with
managing client expectations andyou know, your confidence level
managing those expectationswhen you, you know, have those
processes in place.
Do you follow, do you havethose processes like bullet
point it?
Like how do you actually managethose systems?
(31:13):
Do you have spreadsheets inplace existing like your
in-house an app, a piece ofsoftware?
Scott Woolley (31:20):
Right, yeah.
Tiffany Woolley (31:21):
I'm like curious.
Elaine Schneider (31:24):
Yeah, no, I think um, well, it's just it no,
it's not a spreadsheet.
It's just um if you even lookon my my website, I bullet point
the different phases.
Um but I I think it's moreingrained in in my head and my
(31:44):
my teen's head of we gotta dothis and then we gotta do this.
So the way we follow theprocess is to just be very open
and communicative with theclient to say, okay, before we
shift to this, we need decisionson this because that is gonna
affect things.
So it's um it's just kind ofingrained in what we do.
(32:07):
It's um and I I think the thebig picture is to focus first
and foremost on what thecontractor needs to build the
house, and the constructionschedule sort of dictates what
comes first.
So um so yeah, that's just howwe work and how we move forward
(32:31):
and make sure we stay on track.
But I think the the thingthat's the most complicated is
is the documentation ofdecisions when things are
changing constantly.
I think that's that's um theyou know kind of what I'm
saying.
Tiffany Woolley (32:50):
That's the big challenge.
I feel like that's probably thechallenge.
Scott Woolley (32:54):
That's also helping manage clients'
expectations as well.
Elaine Schneider (32:58):
Right.
Right.
So I think, you know, if I evertry to, because of things are
taking long, to speed up theschedule and bypass some
documentation of stats, that'sthat's never that's never a good
solution for anyone, althoughit seems it might be helping the
(33:19):
project to pick up the pace andlet's go, this is move on to
the next thing.
You have to always pause andsay, okay, what do we decide?
And let's make sure this is allthe drawings are caught up to
this, and then let's move on tothe next phase.
Exactly.
Scott Woolley (33:36):
Where where do you draw inspiration from these
days in terms of new ideas andthoughts?
Is it art, travel, and nature?
Elaine Schneider (33:48):
Yeah.
Um I I mean, travel to adegree.
I love to travel and I I seenew things every time I travel.
I actually got married lastyear, but we just went on our
honeymoon this year.
And um the we went to to reallyexplored Rome for the first
(34:08):
time and went through theVatican museums and um
especially when you're workingon a historic home that has
layers of layers and layers ofdetail and mill work and stone
detailing at fireplaces, you gothere and you're just like in
awe of the floors and blown overthe layering.
(34:31):
So so some from there, butreally I draw inspiration from
um my clients' vision.
What is it they're trying to dofrom their imagery?
And that that sets the startingpoint of how I do my research
(34:52):
and where I get my inspirationfor the project, if that makes
sense.
Tiffany Woolley (34:58):
How many projects do you allow yourself
to be involved with at one time?
Elaine Schneider (35:05):
Oh, it um I I'm a small team.
Right.
I'm a very so you can say no toprojects.
I find that hard on my end.
Yeah, it's just there's only somuch I can take on.
So uh I would say at any onetime I'm doing one to two bigger
(35:26):
projects and three to foursmall projects.
But I would call a big projectum like an 8,000 square foot
home.
I do a lot of those in PalmDesert.
So um bigger projects, youknow, I really one, maybe two,
(35:46):
um, is all you can do justbecause of how demanding they
are.
Tiffany Woolley (35:51):
Right, and how detailed and you know, they are
moving targets to a degree aswell.
Elaine Schneider (35:57):
They sure are.
Scott Woolley (36:00):
Are there are there any current design trends
that excite you or you'refascinated by or love?
Elaine Schneider (36:06):
You know, I um at a might may sound like
blasphemy, but I don't I don'tfollow trends.
I I really don't look to seewhat's current or what's hot
because I am so incrediblyfocused on realizing my client's
(36:32):
vision.
So in doing the research for myclient's vision, it's not that
I don't come across trends andthat they don't infiltrate the
work.
I did a house in Palm Desertand Loungy was one of their
words, and all the furniture wedid there was very organic and
(36:53):
curvilinear.
And then um another thing thatwas really key to that project
was the the husband wantedsecret doors and hidden rooms.
So fun.
We had this very textured woodwall in their master bedroom,
and you couldn't see it, butthere was this touch latch door
that opened up to his office.
(37:14):
So that all brings trends in ofthings that are going on in the
design world, but I I didn'tbring that to them.
They said we wanted loungy, andthen I really started exploring
the very organic furniture, Iwould say.
Right.
Tiffany Woolley (37:33):
Do you visit markets or shows or go to you
know Maison Object or any ofthese, you know, historically,
you know, designer designeridea.
Elaine Schneider (37:54):
Yeah.
Well, I went to High Point forthe first time.
Um this last year.
Scott too.
Scott Woolley (38:02):
My first time.
Elaine Schneider (38:02):
Yeah, it was it was so like mind-blowing.
Right?
It is absolutely it was so I Ineed to do more of that.
Again, I am I'm so busy.
Tiffany Woolley (38:14):
That's what happens with us too, is you do
get so busy and so consumed withyou know the everyday and the
projects.
But when you do go to attendthese, you know, design-centered
events, like you realize thereis so much out there.
Elaine Schneider (38:31):
Yeah.
Yeah, it was um, it was it wasmore as a reaction of okay, this
is a very historic home and avery traditional home, and I
need to get to understand andknow more of these vendors that
provide this kind of stuff.
So again, it's always sort ofproject-driven that I that I go
(38:51):
and I explore.
Um, but I love it.
It was uh it was fascinating.
It was overwhelming andfascinating, and I can't wait to
go again.
Tiffany Woolley (39:01):
What was like one of your highlights from
Market?
Elaine Schneider (39:05):
Um I think it's like the quirky little
vendors.
Like I went into this tinylittle showroom of this company
that um that it specializes inall things brass.
So they did these amazingcustom brass bedrooms.
Tiffany Woolley (39:25):
They did brass bar stools.
I'm looking for uh source.
Elaine Schneider (39:30):
Oh, I yeah, they may I don't remember seeing
bar stools, but they could makeanything and they did this
incredible brass shelving andmore architectural brass
components.
So, so things like of course Ilike to learn about and see and
discover um um things that I'mlooking for, like very highly
(39:54):
detailed furniture uh that havemore of a traditional bent to
them, or um I also loved thisone.
I think it was a JefficaCharles fabric showroom, but she
the way she put the fabrics andthe trim and all the the
(40:15):
tufting and the buttons on thefurniture pieces, I thought
that's just really inspiring tosee things like that.
So so I like I like the uniqueis too broad a category, but uh
the unexpected.
I like finding the unexpectedstuff.
Tiffany Woolley (40:33):
And you have to dig because the bigger places
too much.
Scott Woolley (40:37):
I I went for the first time last November with
Tiffany.
We went for the I don't know,four or five days, and we were
flying back, and I said to her,I said, There's like four
clients right now that you needto bring each one here for a day
or two because their level ofyou could do so much of the
shopping and select, you know,and because you've got some
(40:59):
clients that want to sit onthings before they buy it.
Elaine Schneider (41:02):
You know, absolutely, yeah.
And well, and but you have topre-shop, right, for every
client because otherwise you'rejust gonna handy deer in the
headlights.
Scott Woolley (41:14):
Yeah, there's so much there.
Elaine Schneider (41:15):
I did that.
I they're they're not open uhto the public, you know, during
that high point.
So yeah, it was fun.
We had a good time.
She uh yeah, our client thatwe're working with in Sag
Harbor, we went together.
We made her an EchoEnvironments employee.
Tiffany Woolley (41:33):
That is so I bet it was fun for her to see
too.
It it just it inspires a lot.
Yeah, it's nice to touch andfeel and and see it live.
So lastly, kind of diving intowhere do you see the legacy of
echo environments and do youhave any anything new on the
(41:55):
horizon?
Elaine Schneider (41:57):
Um, you know, I I'm trying to be more forward
thinking.
Um but um especially in the themarketing side of things, I'm
trying to get out of my comfortzone and um prepare more of a a
(42:19):
roadshow.
I think I think my happy placeand my niche is working with
builders who do very complex orhigh-end or more involved homes.
So I think the the futurereally lies more in you know
(42:39):
developing the relationsrelationships not just with the
clients but with contractors whoare like-minded and what they
want to deliver for the client.
Um so that's one thought, butbut as I said, you know, and I
think you guys experience ittoo, you just get so busy in the
(43:02):
day-to-day and resolving what'son the plate today, putting out
the existing tires.
You know, it is it becomes sohard to be um kind of visionary
to create your own vision board.
Right, isn't it?
Tiffany Woolley (43:18):
I mean, that's well said, it's true.
Especially in this world welive in, you know, where social
media has such a presence, andespecially in our business of
being interior designers, youknow, it is very visual, so it's
a kind of a good marriagebetween social media and design
work.
Do you know put an emphasis onwhat you put out there for
(43:43):
social media?
Elaine Schneider (43:46):
Not enough.
I haven't.
You know, I I uh I think I I'mso incredibly comfortable
working one-on-one with clients.
That's my happy place.
But in terms of reaching out tothe broader public, um is it's
my weakness and I have to workon it.
(44:07):
So I'm trying to, and I'mtrying to develop more of that
presence.
Um, but I I I'm locally behindin doing that.
Scott Woolley (44:16):
But but you have something I hope the word of
mouth can be.
Which is something that doesn'tthat I think every interior
designer you know aspires tohave is the word of mouth um
consistency and reputation,because that just says so much
about your work and you know,and the continuance of clients,
(44:40):
especially clients coming backto you for other homes.
Elaine Schneider (44:45):
Yeah, I'm very, very blessed and uh I
appreciate I appreciate the thefollowing and the loyalty and um
and I really appreciate justthese people trusting me and
allowing me into their personallives because I think I said at
(45:05):
the outset that that's been thebiggest surprise of residential
design is is the relationshipsI've built and the people I've
gotten to know and the impactI've been able to have on their
lives and their families' lives.
So I I am crossing my fingersthat it continues because if
(45:27):
it's dependent on my socialmedia skills.
Scott Woolley (45:31):
Well, based on your work, based on your work in
and the the homes that you havedone, we we know that it will
continue because your work isoutstanding.
Absolutely beautiful work.
You know, anyone anyonelistening should should visit
and see your site and see someof your work.
What's the the correct URL foryour website?
Elaine Schneider (45:54):
It's www.echoenvironmentsplural.com.
Tiffany Woolley (46:02):
Well, thank you so much for joining us today on
the iDesign Lab podcast fromSan Diego.
And we did have a little bit oflike a couple glitches, meaning
with technology, but ourconversation was inspiring, and
we're grateful for having thetime today together.
Scott Woolley (46:21):
Thank you.
Elaine Schneider (46:22):
Well, thank you so much for having me.
It was an absolute uh pleasureto get to know you two a little
bit, and I would love tohopefully we'll see you at
Market.
Tiffany Woolley (46:31):
I know, we definitely will stay in contact
and hope to see you on this sideof on this coast.
Elaine Schneider (46:39):
That would be great.
Thank you so much.
Voice over (46:42):
Thanks for having me.com.
This is iDesign Lab, a podcast where creativity and
curiosity meet style and design.
Curator of interiors,furnishings, and lifestyles.
Hosted by Tiffany Woolley, aninterior designer and a style
enthusiast, along with herserial entrepreneur husband
Scott.
iDesign Lab is your ultimatedesign podcast where we explore
(00:20):
the rich and vibrant world ofdesign and its constant
evolution in style and trends.
Today on the iDesign Lab, we'rejoined by Elaine Schneider,
head designer and owner of EchoEnvironments.
With over 30 years ofexperience, Elaine has built a
reputation for creating spacesthat not only look beautiful,
but feel deeply personal,reflecting the people who live
(00:41):
in them.
Known for her rare balance ofcreativity and process, she
invites clients into thejourney, turning their stories
and goals into functional,inspiring environments.
Visionary, balanced, andintuitive, Elaine truly embodies
the art of design with heart.
Tiffany Woolley (00:58):
Welcome to the iDesign Lab Podcast.
Today we're going to take youto the West Coast, where we are
joined by Elaine Schneider, headdesigner and owner of Echo
Environments.
So welcome Elaine to thepodcast.
Thank you so much for havingme.
I really appreciate it.
(01:18):
So we like to begin with alittle bit of an introduction.
So tell us a little aboutyourself.
Elaine Schneider (01:40):
I am uh let's see, I I started my career
essentially in Seattle.
Oh wow.
It was yeah, it's uh and I wasa commercial on the commercial
side in uh retail interiorarchitectural design.
So I worked with a firm that Idesigned Nordstrom stores.
(02:01):
Okay, how fun.
Yeah, I I um did that for a fewyears.
We were the architecture firmthat did all the Nordstroms at
the time.
So I started uh doing a seriesof Nordstroms and then ended up
uh getting the responsibility ofdoing the flagship store in
(02:22):
Seattle, which was I've actuallybeen there.
Yeah, yeah, it's big.
It's like six levels.
Right.
It used to be an old uhFrederick and Nelson building,
uh department store.
So it had a lot of designchallenges.
The floor plates were smaller,the columns were uh much more
(02:43):
abundant than a typicalNordstrom, and they were huge.
So we had all kinds ofchallenges in the design of
having to instead of designbetween the columns, all the
columns had to be a retaildesign element.
So I did that.
And then um after that I becamepart of the retail prototypes
(03:07):
um studio, which is basicallywhere a national retailer would
come to us and say, We have anew brand.
We want to create a new retailenvironment, and we would be
responsible for designing thewhole concept, everything from
(03:28):
the store environment to whatthe staff wore to fun.
Tiffany Woolley (03:35):
I love all that layering of detail.
Elaine Schneider (03:37):
It's really fun.
It was it was it was uh big andencompassing.
So that's what we did, and thentheir retail architecture firms
would do what we called therollout.
Tiffany Woolley (03:49):
So that's kind of my background.
So where did you decide to areto move into residential
interiors?
Elaine Schneider (03:59):
Yeah, I um so we moved my family, uh we moved
from Seattle to San Diego justfor kind of be closer to family,
and I continued to work and theweather for the firm in
Seattle, but it was so muchtravel.
Um, and my kids were little, soI uh just pivoted on a whip,
(04:23):
really said, you know, San Diegois not the place for retail
designs, so I I decided to umshift into high-end residential,
but really on a wing in theprayer with no no contacts in
California, no, no, I had donesome uh residential work for the
(04:46):
retail executives I had workedfor.
Okay.
Kind of I had a period of my uhworking my own business in
Seattle, so um, you know, I wasbeing asked often to come help
with their homes.
So that's how I got into that,and I just crossed my fingers
and decided to go into retail.
Scott Woolley (05:06):
Well, you have a very successful firm.
Elaine Schneider (05:08):
I mean a residential, sorry.
Scott Woolley (05:10):
You have a very successful firm now.
What what was your first clientlike?
How did you get your firstclient in residential?
Tiffany Woolley (05:16):
Especially in a new city.
Elaine Schneider (05:20):
Yeah, I kind of miraculous really.
I had um when I had my own firmin Seattle briefly, I also did
um some corporate work.
And there's a developer inSeattle called Kleise
Properties.
Okay.
I think at one point they umthey own 13 continuous city
(05:48):
blocks of Seattle.
Um so they're KleissProperties, they were a
developer and they needed help.
They before, yeah, before theykind of struck it big, they
ended up uh making a deal withAmazon up there.
But we I was part of designingtheir high-rise tower and then
(06:09):
the corporate floors for them.
They had one one main floorthat was the Kleiss properties
officers.
So I um got to know Al Kleis,is was the CEO, and through that
relationship, he asked me todesign his home in Seattle.
(06:32):
So I worked on that.
Um, it was more of a remodel.
And then when I decided tostart my own business, I
literally created like 500 sortof marketing postcards, and I
think I sent 10 out.
One was to Al Kleis, and hecalled me like three days later,
(06:53):
and he's like, uh, Elaine,you're in California.
I'm like, yeah, I'm inCalifornia now.
He said, Do you want to designmy house in Palm Desert, which
is in a community calledBighorn, uh-huh, which is
beautiful, stunning golf resort.
And um be honest, I I'mhorrible at marketing, I don't
(07:17):
do any, and all of my projectskind of started from that one
relationship.
Tiffany Woolley (07:23):
But what a wonderful start.
Elaine Schneider (07:26):
Crazy.
It's crazy.
Tiffany Woolley (07:28):
Someone is watching out for me for sure.
That is amazing.
It's word of mouth.
I mean, that's pretty much howwe are too.
And I feel like that is such ahuge part of the design
industry, you know, is the wordof mouth.
It's it's funny how now throughsocial media and all this
other, it's hard marketing.
(07:50):
You know, I started when youare kind of in that same time,
and it, you know, marketingwasn't my strong suit either.
But it takes just that oneclient that really can change
everything.
Elaine Schneider (08:04):
It sure does.
Yeah, you're right.
Scott Woolley (08:07):
Was it tough transitioning from the retail to
residential?
Elaine Schneider (08:15):
That was my biggest fear.
I was scared, I to be totallyhonest with you, I was really
scared of residential.
Um I was scared because I wasworried about the clientele, if
I'm being totally honest.
Tiffany Woolley (08:34):
Um with an individual or corporate's not as
emotional as far as the peopleattached to the project.
And you know, in residential,it's you know, there's just so
much more connection andemotion.
(08:55):
It's so true.
Elaine Schneider (08:57):
Yeah, yeah.
So I I was I I was reallyafraid of that.
I was um I was used to workingwith mostly men and mostly
businessmen who understand uhwould and this is a
generalization, of course, butthey, you know, it's typically
(09:18):
CEOs and who were very umregimented in making decisions
and um following a process.
And so I I was scared and I andI have to say it's been the
most shocking and pleasantsurprise of of going into
(09:39):
residential.
And and it is more emotional,it is more personal, but I think
that's been the gift of theworld.
That's where it's morerewarding.
It's it's personal.
You're yeah, I have goosebumpsjust saying this, but it um
you're making an impact inpeople's daily experiences and
(10:00):
lives and how they interact withtheir family.
I have goosebumps all over.
Tiffany Woolley (10:04):
I know, I love that.
Yeah, I love that.
I say that so many times duringmy own presentations.
I'm like, this is just why Ilove what I do.
It's like to see it cometogether and how everything can
be just so meant to be for eachplace and each client and each,
you know, space.
So, how do you begin yourproject?
(10:25):
So when a new client comes tothe table, like you just said,
he, you know, it was more of arenovation project.
Like what do you do youcollaborate with the client
through mood images or how doyou start to set the tone for
your vision for the project?
Elaine Schneider (10:44):
I um, well, you kind of said it right there.
The first step of absolutelyevery project, whether it is a
remodel or a ground up newconstruction, uh to create a
vision board.
And this is a verycollaborative project.
And it's you know, I always saywe're not creating uh my vision
(11:08):
board.
I'm just helping the clientarticulate their vision.
Uh-huh.
So we have kind of this, kindof this charade, not charade,
but more of a questionnaireinterview session.
I ask them to bring images ofspaces they like.
(11:30):
Um I asked them for I typicallyask them to come up with five
to seven words of what embodiesthe space, um kind of more
emotionally.
Right.
And and this is really how westarted retail projects, right?
(11:51):
Because retail projects are allabout understanding uh the
retailer's brand and what theystand for.
So like in like a vision boardfor a Nordstrom would be uh
would in would um in terms ofwords would would include
(12:11):
customer service and ease ofaccess and um uh you know just
uh light and welcoming andthings like that, for example,
because that that reflects theirbrand.
They wanted everything in theirstore to be, you know, you
could see the exit fromeverywhere.
There was a place to sit forthe husband shopping with their
(12:34):
wife.
It was you could visualize theoutfit.
So I just took that retailapproach and applied it to
residential, but instead ofreflecting a retailer's brand,
I'm now reflecting uh anindividual or a couple's
personality.
And so that's I asked them tobring images and words that
(12:55):
reflect that.
Tiffany Woolley (12:57):
And how long does that process, you know, in
the beginning, gettingacquainted take for you or for a
typical project?
Elaine Schneider (13:06):
I think it depends where the project is and
if there's traveling involved,but I would say one to two weeks
of you know, a few meetings.
So the client brings imageryand the words, and we talk and
you know, I do some digging likewhat is it about this image
that really speaks to you?
And it might be, you know, acolor of a chair as opposed to
(13:30):
the interior architecture.
So I really try to drill downon what it is that they're
liking or speaks to them.
Yeah.
And then from that, I ifthere's imagery missing, I I do
the research on that and pull itall together in a vision board
(13:51):
and with the words, and thenthat creates, I call it, sort of
the roadmap for the rest of theproject.
Okay.
Tiffany Woolley (13:59):
So your approach is very intuitive, and
you know, your clients sayElaine just gets it, but there
really is a process to youarriving to just getting it.
Tell us a little bit about thatapproach in curating your
vision board and what that it'syou know, details.
Elaine Schneider (14:21):
Well, I I um there is definitely a process, I
would say.
I'm I'm I'm a veryprocess-driven designer, uh just
given my retail umarchitectural background, and it
really um the process is reallyin trying to understand my
clients and who they are from apersonality standpoint, and I
(14:46):
would never want it to be uh uhdesign a home where clients walk
in and say, Oh, that's soso-and-so designer's home.
It's not my home, it's theirhome.
So I'm really, really focusedon um interviewing,
understanding, and understandingwhat sets them apart from their
(15:10):
neighbors or their friends.
Um so that's I think that'swhat leads to she just gets it.
I think she gets it because sheasks a whole lot of questions.
Scott Woolley (15:23):
So, in talking about you know the fact that
listening is part of a greatdesign, your company it's is
called Echo Environments.
Who how did you come up withthe name?
Or what does the name have ameaning that kind of reflects
that?
Elaine Schneider (15:38):
Yeah.
Scott Woolley (15:39):
Tell us about it.
Elaine Schneider (15:40):
I'm so glad you you uh you um noticed that.
It's because echo, because Iwant my clients' home to echo
who they are.
Oh, I love that too.
So it's just uh it's areflection of who they are.
I guess I could have called itreflection.
Echo I like echo.
(16:00):
But yeah, echo design.
It's uh but unfortunately a lotof people kind of confuse it
with eco as opposed to echo, butthat's that's the intent that I
am always echoing my client'sum personality brand.
Let's call it a an individual'sbrand or individual's plural
(16:22):
brand.
And and the more people uhinhabit the home and the the
more complex it gets.
Tiffany Woolley (16:32):
So as you've you know grown with echo
environments and what thatbranding represents as far as
echoing the vision for yourclients, and you have such a
great process on how you start aproject, how do you carry that
through to the end?
Like what is your day-to-dayprocess look like for projects?
Elaine Schneider (16:57):
Well, it um well it you know, there are key
phases in the project.
Right.
Um, but I I would say the thevision board is always kind of
front and center what we create.
Tiffany Woolley (17:10):
Go back to it a lot.
Elaine Schneider (17:12):
Go back.
Yeah, we go back all the timebecause um, you know, if it's a
word like um let's say loungywas one of my client words, and
they pick uh a furniture ormaterial that doesn't feel
(17:32):
particularly loungy or welcomingor shape, you know, I use that
as a way of keeping us on.
Like your words were yourgauge.
Exactly.
The words are the goal.
And if you I love that if youif you steer away, it's okay to
steer away every once in awhile, but I just want it to be
(17:55):
a conscious steering.
Tiffany Woolley (17:57):
Right, not a so how it's really cool, Chair.
How big of a role doesarchitecture play for you in
your development of the design?
Is that like a 50-50 or is thatyou know 30-70, or is that like
your primary focus?
Elaine Schneider (18:17):
Yeah, my my my goal or my in the projects that
I love to take on are reallyinterior architectural design
projects.
So there's nothing I love morethan to come into a a ground-up
home or um something that's amajor renovation that we're
(18:39):
doing some dutting.
And um, so I would say on atypical project, the percentage
of time spent on interiorarchitectural drawings uh or
coming up with uh I will call itthe three-dimensional interior
drawings is probably oh,probably easily 70% of the time.
(19:03):
And then the remaining 30% ismaybe 60 if you count in just
that the meetings take probably10%, but you know, the the rest
is selecting of materials and uhdeveloping palettes and then um
uh you know, plumbing fixtures,appliances, uh, and then I
(19:30):
basically the way I work is I Iget the contractors everything
they need, and then once that isunderway, more or less, then we
shift to I always say that'sthe fun shift to the fun part.
Shift to the furniture.
Um and and I mean I to me, Igotta say, I the fun colour of
(19:54):
it.
I I I love the interiorarchitectural design.
It's and I love I lovedeveloping the spaces in three
dimensions.
So I I um and I like thefurniture part, but I like more,
you know, designing customfurniture than researching
something that's already outthere, I would say.
Scott Woolley (20:14):
So I'm guessing that you prefer and would rather
be doing all of the design andarchitectural before an actual
architect gets involved kind ofstamping things that's being
handed off to an architect tostamp it.
Elaine Schneider (20:30):
Well, I think what's worked well, because I,
you know, I love working withfabulous architects, is when um
it is when the architect isreally handling more the shell
of the architecture and theupfront permitting, and then I
come in to um you know kind ofwreck their day on really shift
(20:57):
some spaces around and refinethe space planning and really
look at spaces from thestandpoint of how would you flow
through this space and howwould the furniture be laid out
and what is your focal wall.
Um so I think um that's what Ilove is is to work with an
(21:17):
architect to develop the bigpicture and and then start to
dive in, and then I kind of takeit through the casework
development and mill work andall of that kind of stuff.
Tiffany Woolley (21:32):
So knowing how detailed this business is, and
as you just mentioned, you know,so many of the points that you
have to hit throughout aproject, what does your team
look like and how did you goabout building that team?
Elaine Schneider (21:48):
Yeah, I I have a really small team.
It's uh it's myself.
Um I have two other, I wouldsay, um more interior
architectural driven people.
One who does amazing sketches,um, and another who does 3D
(22:10):
modeling.
Tiffany Woolley (22:11):
Yeah.
Elaine Schneider (22:12):
And then I have a senior um stylist who is
amazing um with kind of becausewe do everything from creating
the vision to clients move inand they're ready to use their
home.
I I would say the the stylistis really key.
(22:32):
So she comes in and webasically at the end of a
project, you know, a sizableproject, we we kind of live at
the house for a week and get itall ready.
So the furniture is deliveredand the styling happens, um, and
all the finishing touches, andand then we do the big reveal at
the end.
It's really fun.
(22:53):
Exciting.
Yeah, I would say typically ateam, I have a team of about
four to five people, and itfluctuates a little bit.
Tiffany Woolley (23:00):
And you mentioned 3D, you know, drawings
and modeling.
We it's become a huge partabout what we do every day here
at in our studio.
How do you when do you infusethe 3D drawings into your
process?
Like do you use those mainlyfor yourself or do you use those
(23:22):
to present the vision to theclient as well?
Elaine Schneider (23:25):
Um it uh we use it to convey to the client
something that's hard for themto understand uh with plans and
elevations only.
Scott Woolley (23:39):
Most people are most people aren't visual.
It's what really helps themfrom a visual standpoint.
Tiffany Woolley (23:44):
Right.
So for us it's a really yeah,it's a huge part of conveying
the vision.
Elaine Schneider (23:53):
Yeah.
I mean, we do we do do it forourselves, for example, this
project um that we're working onin Sag Harbor, uh, we're doing
a theater on a basement level,and it is an extremely
complicated space because it,you know, it has a lot of
components, wood panels thatmeet up with fabric panels that
(24:15):
meet up with cabinetry, thatmeet up with molding.
And it's uh that one we will doas much to uh flush out the
details ourselves andcommunicate those details to the
client and the contractor.
But other other ones, like inthis same house, we um created
(24:38):
this very intricate new post,and there was no way to arrive
at a design for the new postthat the client could understand
and visualize without the 3Dmodeling.
So that's how we use it.
Scott Woolley (24:54):
So you you just mentioned SAG Harbor on l out on
Long Island?
So you're you're you'retraveling or you and you're
doing a lot of work in in somecases, I guess, remotely.
Elaine Schneider (25:06):
And across the country.
Right.
Right.
It's just um like I I think Imentioned at the outset, I I
don't do any marketing really.
Uh it's all word of mouth.
And this particular client, Ihad originally met her parents
(25:28):
in Palm Desert in Bighornbecause they had a home there.
And then when she did her housein Greenwich Village, she was
having issues with her existingdesigner.
And so her mom introduced me toher.
So I did her Greenwich Villagehouse, and now I'm working on
(25:48):
her Sag Harbor um sort of morevacation home.
So it's, you know, back to theword of mouth, it's it's
phenomenal.
Great projects.
Tiffany Woolley (26:01):
You must enjoy that too.
So how often for the projectsthat are literally across the
country for you, how often doyou have to actually go to the
site?
Elaine Schneider (26:20):
You know, probably once every two to three
months.
I think we're going on twoyears with this project.
It is so intricate and socomplex.
But um, but I would say in thelast nine months, I I go once a
month.
And I dunno there for um, youknow, uh two days to travel, two
days to be on site, basically.
(26:41):
Because it is it's not easy toget to.
Tiffany Woolley (26:43):
Oh, to that part of the world, right?
Yeah, a lot of literally planesand uh it's one of our favorite
places to go.
Elaine Schneider (26:52):
It's beautiful.
It's uh oh, it's sort of socharming and and so different.
I I think that's one I things Ienjoy the most because my all
my projects are so incrediblydifferent.
Um, from super contemporary tothis is a historic home that
(27:12):
we're really transforming a loton the inside anyway.
It's I love the variety.
Scott Woolley (27:20):
So historic home.
We've we've done quite a fewhistoric homes.
Has does is the city involvedin terms of from an
architectural historic, youknow, it typically for what
we've dealt with, it slows thewhole process down tremendously.
Yeah, I think that's kind ofdealt with the same thing,
(27:40):
correct?
Elaine Schneider (27:42):
Yeah, same thing.
We have the architecturalreview board who um has to
approve everything that we do onthe outside.
Scott Woolley (27:50):
Right.
Elaine Schneider (27:50):
You know, it just uh yeah, it it makes things
it makes a complex project evenmore complex in terms of the
code.
Scott Woolley (27:58):
We just finished a project where the city had
involvement in the interior ofthe home as well.
Oh, really?
So they were extremely theywere extremely involved in
keeping the integrity and youknow and the style and the look
to a degree in the interior ofthe home as well.
Tiffany Woolley (28:19):
Which I tend to appreciate because I just feel
like those are the homes that weall, when you travel and you
know, as you see our country orabroad, it's just those charming
character, you know, placesthat they're the they are what
add so much.
So I'm grateful for not onlythe board, you know, designers
(28:40):
like yourself and even theclients who are willing to take
on that challenge and lead time.
I'm grateful that you knowpeople appreciate it.
Scott Woolley (28:50):
So you so you've had the you've had the you know
a unique opportunity starting inretail and working with some,
I'll say, iconic retail brands.
Speaker 3 (29:00):
I mean, Nordstroms is amazing.
Scott Woolley (29:01):
Yeah, with Nordstroms and others that, you
know, from a design standpoint.
Is there any you know biglessons or things that you
learned in that process thatyou've carried along and brought
and that you still or use inthe the residential design side?
Elaine Schneider (29:19):
Well, uh I think what I learned the most
from the you know the working onthe Nordstroms or the retail
prototypes is a is um kind of abulletproof process of A happens
before B happens before C, andand it's um it's just uh it it
(29:41):
works, and there's a reason itworks.
And there's um there's a papertrail that goes with decisions,
and it's it's very it's a very II I I I've had people say that
I'm equally left brained andright brained, and I think
that's true.
There is There is a verycreative side, but there is a
(30:03):
very um I would call it amathematical process driven
side.
And I think the biggest lessonis if you deviate from that
process, y you get in trouble.
Bad things happen.
Things fall through the cracks.
Um there's confusion.
(30:24):
So I'm I I will never deviatefrom a process.
It's not that it can't beconsolidated and each phase
can't get shorter.
Um and you can massage it, butthe core process has to be there
for every project, or else it,you know, things won't come out
(30:47):
like the vision gord.
Tiffany Woolley (30:48):
Right.
And I see like that processprobably has a lot to do with
managing client expectations andyou know, your confidence level
managing those expectationswhen you, you know, have those
processes in place.
Do you follow, do you havethose processes like bullet
point it?
Like how do you actually managethose systems?
(31:13):
Do you have spreadsheets inplace existing like your
in-house an app, a piece ofsoftware?
Scott Woolley (31:20):
Right, yeah.
Tiffany Woolley (31:21):
I'm like curious.
Elaine Schneider (31:24):
Yeah, no, I think um, well, it's just it no,
it's not a spreadsheet.
It's just um if you even lookon my my website, I bullet point
the different phases.
Um but I I think it's moreingrained in in my head and my
(31:44):
my teen's head of we gotta dothis and then we gotta do this.
So the way we follow theprocess is to just be very open
and communicative with theclient to say, okay, before we
shift to this, we need decisionson this because that is gonna
affect things.
So it's um it's just kind ofingrained in what we do.
(32:07):
It's um and I I think the thebig picture is to focus first
and foremost on what thecontractor needs to build the
house, and the constructionschedule sort of dictates what
comes first.
So um so yeah, that's just howwe work and how we move forward
(32:31):
and make sure we stay on track.
But I think the the thingthat's the most complicated is
is the documentation ofdecisions when things are
changing constantly.
I think that's that's um theyou know kind of what I'm
saying.
Tiffany Woolley (32:50):
That's the big challenge.
I feel like that's probably thechallenge.
Scott Woolley (32:54):
That's also helping manage clients'
expectations as well.
Elaine Schneider (32:58):
Right.
Right.
So I think, you know, if I evertry to, because of things are
taking long, to speed up theschedule and bypass some
documentation of stats, that'sthat's never that's never a good
solution for anyone, althoughit seems it might be helping the
(33:19):
project to pick up the pace andlet's go, this is move on to
the next thing.
You have to always pause andsay, okay, what do we decide?
And let's make sure this is allthe drawings are caught up to
this, and then let's move on tothe next phase.
Exactly.
Scott Woolley (33:36):
Where where do you draw inspiration from these
days in terms of new ideas andthoughts?
Is it art, travel, and nature?
Elaine Schneider (33:48):
Yeah.
Um I I mean, travel to adegree.
I love to travel and I I seenew things every time I travel.
I actually got married lastyear, but we just went on our
honeymoon this year.
And um the we went to to reallyexplored Rome for the first
(34:08):
time and went through theVatican museums and um
especially when you're workingon a historic home that has
layers of layers and layers ofdetail and mill work and stone
detailing at fireplaces, you gothere and you're just like in
awe of the floors and blown overthe layering.
(34:31):
So so some from there, butreally I draw inspiration from
um my clients' vision.
What is it they're trying to dofrom their imagery?
And that that sets the startingpoint of how I do my research
(34:52):
and where I get my inspirationfor the project, if that makes
sense.
Tiffany Woolley (34:58):
How many projects do you allow yourself
to be involved with at one time?
Elaine Schneider (35:05):
Oh, it um I I'm a small team.
Right.
I'm a very so you can say no toprojects.
I find that hard on my end.
Yeah, it's just there's only somuch I can take on.
So uh I would say at any onetime I'm doing one to two bigger
(35:26):
projects and three to foursmall projects.
But I would call a big projectum like an 8,000 square foot
home.
I do a lot of those in PalmDesert.
So um bigger projects, youknow, I really one, maybe two,
(35:46):
um, is all you can do justbecause of how demanding they
are.
Tiffany Woolley (35:51):
Right, and how detailed and you know, they are
moving targets to a degree aswell.
Elaine Schneider (35:57):
They sure are.
Scott Woolley (36:00):
Are there are there any current design trends
that excite you or you'refascinated by or love?
Elaine Schneider (36:06):
You know, I um at a might may sound like
blasphemy, but I don't I don'tfollow trends.
I I really don't look to seewhat's current or what's hot
because I am so incrediblyfocused on realizing my client's
(36:32):
vision.
So in doing the research for myclient's vision, it's not that
I don't come across trends andthat they don't infiltrate the
work.
I did a house in Palm Desertand Loungy was one of their
words, and all the furniture wedid there was very organic and
(36:53):
curvilinear.
And then um another thing thatwas really key to that project
was the the husband wantedsecret doors and hidden rooms.
So fun.
We had this very textured woodwall in their master bedroom,
and you couldn't see it, butthere was this touch latch door
that opened up to his office.
(37:14):
So that all brings trends in ofthings that are going on in the
design world, but I I didn'tbring that to them.
They said we wanted loungy, andthen I really started exploring
the very organic furniture, Iwould say.
Right.
Tiffany Woolley (37:33):
Do you visit markets or shows or go to you
know Maison Object or any ofthese, you know, historically,
you know, designer designeridea.
Elaine Schneider (37:54):
Yeah.
Well, I went to High Point forthe first time.
Um this last year.
Scott too.
Scott Woolley (38:02):
My first time.
Elaine Schneider (38:02):
Yeah, it was it was so like mind-blowing.
Right?
It is absolutely it was so I Ineed to do more of that.
Again, I am I'm so busy.
Tiffany Woolley (38:14):
That's what happens with us too, is you do
get so busy and so consumed withyou know the everyday and the
projects.
But when you do go to attendthese, you know, design-centered
events, like you realize thereis so much out there.
Elaine Schneider (38:31):
Yeah.
Yeah, it was um, it was it wasmore as a reaction of okay, this
is a very historic home and avery traditional home, and I
need to get to understand andknow more of these vendors that
provide this kind of stuff.
So again, it's always sort ofproject-driven that I that I go
(38:51):
and I explore.
Um, but I love it.
It was uh it was fascinating.
It was overwhelming andfascinating, and I can't wait to
go again.
Tiffany Woolley (39:01):
What was like one of your highlights from
Market?
Elaine Schneider (39:05):
Um I think it's like the quirky little
vendors.
Like I went into this tinylittle showroom of this company
that um that it specializes inall things brass.
So they did these amazingcustom brass bedrooms.
Tiffany Woolley (39:25):
They did brass bar stools.
I'm looking for uh source.
Elaine Schneider (39:30):
Oh, I yeah, they may I don't remember seeing
bar stools, but they could makeanything and they did this
incredible brass shelving andmore architectural brass
components.
So, so things like of course Ilike to learn about and see and
discover um um things that I'mlooking for, like very highly
(39:54):
detailed furniture uh that havemore of a traditional bent to
them, or um I also loved thisone.
I think it was a JefficaCharles fabric showroom, but she
the way she put the fabrics andthe trim and all the the
(40:15):
tufting and the buttons on thefurniture pieces, I thought
that's just really inspiring tosee things like that.
So so I like I like the uniqueis too broad a category, but uh
the unexpected.
I like finding the unexpectedstuff.
Tiffany Woolley (40:33):
And you have to dig because the bigger places
too much.
Scott Woolley (40:37):
I I went for the first time last November with
Tiffany.
We went for the I don't know,four or five days, and we were
flying back, and I said to her,I said, There's like four
clients right now that you needto bring each one here for a day
or two because their level ofyou could do so much of the
shopping and select, you know,and because you've got some
(40:59):
clients that want to sit onthings before they buy it.
Elaine Schneider (41:02):
You know, absolutely, yeah.
And well, and but you have topre-shop, right, for every
client because otherwise you'rejust gonna handy deer in the
headlights.
Scott Woolley (41:14):
Yeah, there's so much there.
Elaine Schneider (41:15):
I did that.
I they're they're not open uhto the public, you know, during
that high point.
So yeah, it was fun.
We had a good time.
She uh yeah, our client thatwe're working with in Sag
Harbor, we went together.
We made her an EchoEnvironments employee.
Tiffany Woolley (41:33):
That is so I bet it was fun for her to see
too.
It it just it inspires a lot.
Yeah, it's nice to touch andfeel and and see it live.
So lastly, kind of diving intowhere do you see the legacy of
echo environments and do youhave any anything new on the
(41:55):
horizon?
Elaine Schneider (41:57):
Um, you know, I I'm trying to be more forward
thinking.
Um but um especially in the themarketing side of things, I'm
trying to get out of my comfortzone and um prepare more of a a
(42:19):
roadshow.
I think I think my happy placeand my niche is working with
builders who do very complex orhigh-end or more involved homes.
So I think the the futurereally lies more in you know
(42:39):
developing the relationsrelationships not just with the
clients but with contractors whoare like-minded and what they
want to deliver for the client.
Um so that's one thought, butbut as I said, you know, and I
think you guys experience ittoo, you just get so busy in the
(43:02):
day-to-day and resolving what'son the plate today, putting out
the existing tires.
You know, it is it becomes sohard to be um kind of visionary
to create your own vision board.
Right, isn't it?
Tiffany Woolley (43:18):
I mean, that's well said, it's true.
Especially in this world welive in, you know, where social
media has such a presence, andespecially in our business of
being interior designers, youknow, it is very visual, so it's
a kind of a good marriagebetween social media and design
work.
Do you know put an emphasis onwhat you put out there for
(43:43):
social media?
Elaine Schneider (43:46):
Not enough.
I haven't.
You know, I I uh I think I I'mso incredibly comfortable
working one-on-one with clients.
That's my happy place.
But in terms of reaching out tothe broader public, um is it's
my weakness and I have to workon it.
(44:07):
So I'm trying to, and I'mtrying to develop more of that
presence.
Um, but I I I'm locally behindin doing that.
Scott Woolley (44:16):
But but you have something I hope the word of
mouth can be.
Which is something that doesn'tthat I think every interior
designer you know aspires tohave is the word of mouth um
consistency and reputation,because that just says so much
about your work and you know,and the continuance of clients,
(44:40):
especially clients coming backto you for other homes.
Elaine Schneider (44:45):
Yeah, I'm very, very blessed and uh I
appreciate I appreciate the thefollowing and the loyalty and um
and I really appreciate justthese people trusting me and
allowing me into their personallives because I think I said at
(45:05):
the outset that that's been thebiggest surprise of residential
design is is the relationshipsI've built and the people I've
gotten to know and the impactI've been able to have on their
lives and their families' lives.
So I I am crossing my fingersthat it continues because if
(45:27):
it's dependent on my socialmedia skills.
Scott Woolley (45:31):
Well, based on your work, based on your work in
and the the homes that you havedone, we we know that it will
continue because your work isoutstanding.
Absolutely beautiful work.
You know, anyone anyonelistening should should visit
and see your site and see someof your work.
What's the the correct URL foryour website?
Elaine Schneider (45:54):
It's www.echoenvironmentsplural.com.
Tiffany Woolley (46:02):
Well, thank you so much for joining us today on
the iDesign Lab podcast fromSan Diego.
And we did have a little bit oflike a couple glitches, meaning
with technology, but ourconversation was inspiring, and
we're grateful for having thetime today together.
Scott Woolley (46:21):
Thank you.
Elaine Schneider (46:22):
Well, thank you so much for having me.
It was an absolute uh pleasureto get to know you two a little
bit, and I would love tohopefully we'll see you at
Market.
Tiffany Woolley (46:31):
I know, we definitely will stay in contact
and hope to see you on this sideof on this coast.
Elaine Schneider (46:39):
That would be great.
Thank you so much.
Voice over (46:42):
Thanks for having me.com.
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