Interviewed by Kathryn Soter | GFDA Executive Director
I’m thrilled to welcome Michelle Jacobson to the GFDA Board of Advisors, where she’ll lead our education initiatives and east coast expansion. With over 33 years of experience in residential and commercial design, Michelle is a champion of health, wellness, and sustainability in the built environment. In this interview, Michelle shares her vision for the future of sustainable design, the role of education in driving change, and what excites her most about joining GFDA.
What inspired you to start your interior design practice and how does your background influence the ethos of your company? Or… Was there a particular motivating experience, or turning point in your career that led you to start your business? Could you describe that “a ha” moment?
MJ: I worked in the tech industry after college and realized that it didn’t offer me much in the way of creativity. I always wanted to be in a more creative industry but followed my dad’s advice that women should work in tech in the late 80’s. I went back to college to gain a Fine Arts Degree and studied Interior Architecture. I worked with several designers and architects to learn the business. I began studying for the NCIDQ and also learning about healthy materials and sustainability, which, back then, was a nascent topic.
After getting married and having children, I decided I needed to work for myself to have the flexibility to work around a growing family. The idea of sustainability came after reading many books and realizing that I was specifying materials that weren’t healthy for my own family, much less client’s families, so my business focus turned to that.
How do you define sustainable design? (What are the components of it, as it pertains to your business, e.g., lowering waste, reducing toxins, reducing carbon footprint, etc.)
MJ: I started by trying not to specify toxic materials and trying to figure out what was inside each item I was specifying. That led me to realize that if I was going to get rid of items I already owned or items owned by my clients, how could I get rid of a toxic material by throwing it in the landfill? Who knows what will be affected after that? After I went back to grad school in 2017, I began to learn about carbon footprints, the circular economy, upcycling, and the sustainable snowball began gaining momentum.
You have a lot of accreditations next to your name! Why did you feel it was important to have these (personally and/or professionally)?
MJ: The alphabet soup of letters after my name happened organically. After I graduated with a graduate degree in sustainable environments, I decided it would be wise to continue learning more about the different institutions that offer sustainable building and design platforms. Once the pandemic hit, I was often bored and decided I would use the time to study and learn as much as I could while I couldn’t do much else. That’s how they just happened to pile up!
How important are product certifications to you and your clients and do you feel more manufacturers should attain them? If so, what’s the trend you’re seeing that would push manufacturers toward more transparency in how they make their products, package and ship them?
MJ: I don’t think that many clients care about certifications. Most have no idea what those letters mean. However, when someone asks, they are often quite interested in what I share. I think manufacturers understand that designers and consumers are interested in healthy materials, and these certifications help them feel that they are making the best choice for the health of their families.
Many manufacturers are learning that consumers want transparency, honesty, and integrity and hope they are participating in a healthier environment. I think the trend is moving towards total health for humans and the planet. The millennial generation seems to be the most vocal and active group. I think we are already seeing it in global climate trends.
You’re a busy gal! Tell us what you’re involved in today and how much time do you devote to design work for clients, vs. extra curricular activities (like being a part of the GFDA board of advisors!) And why are those extra activities outside your design work important to you and your business?
MJ: Good time management skills definitely help! But more importantly, I like to walk the walk and talk the talk. It’s important to me to live and work in a healthy environment. It’s important that my colleagues and clients see that I practice what I preach. My students look up to me; they reach out to ask opinions and ask questions. I enjoy being able to teach them and also hope that they will begin designing with the health of their clients and the planet in mind.
It’s also important to connect with ASID as it’s the largest design association in America with a lot of clout in politics, business, and the climate. I also think nonprofits, like the GFDA, are important as well. It’s grassroots organizations that teach younger generations about important aspects of business and the environment. I think they help when many of our young people are skeptical of for-profit institutions.
I am also a member of many art museums and gardens. Art galleries, museums, and travel are what inspire me daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly! I don’t know where I would spend my free time otherwise.
You’ve taught at NYSID and…. and now you want to bring that expertise to the GFDA. Why did you choose to focus on education? What’s important to the students you see coming out of design school that inspires you to keep at it?
MJ: Education is the key to learning. If we aren’t educating the next generation about climate, health, wellness, and sustainability, how will they ever learn what is important to keep the Earth growing and prospering? My students are so inspiring. They have great ideas, their eyes are open, and they see the world beyond where we are currently. They want to make the world better, and they want to create better, healthier, and more resilient environments. That being said, our young people are idealistic and want change to happen quickly. I think it’s important to teach others that it took the world a long time to get to where we are, it seems the environment is changing quickly. It’s important to know that making changes quickly without thinking about consequences can also create chaos. Thoughtful change must occur and each step, no matter how small, counts.
What do you think the GFDA could do under your leadership? What areas do you want to focus on first?
MJ: I think GFDA is starting off on the right foot with a very strong presence in the West. I see my role as growing the mission and awareness here in the East and nationally. Going forward, I think it’s important to offer education at beginner, immediate and advanced levels. It’s important not to lose anyone because a course is either too basic or over someone’s head. There are many sustainable topics. It’s important to address what the audience desires so I look forward to surveying the GFDA community to meet them where they are with their knowledge of healthier design practices. The more who get involved, the more educational ideas and topics will become apparent. I’d like to see some online offerings, Zoom offerings, and participate in more east coast events starting with NYC.
Education is the only way we will be able to teach others about the importance of sustainability and the saving of our environment. I don’t really believe that most people will educate themselves- there is too much distraction in the world!
>> We’d love your input as we develop our education platform- share your thoughts in this brief survey!
Many who follow the GFDA are concerned about the environmental impact of their purchases. Do you see this as a growing trend among general consumers, or is it still niche?
MJ: I definitely see consumers becoming more aware of the environmental impact of their purchases, especially the millennials. However, if young people have parents who don’t care, many of them are slipping into their parents’ ways and not recycling, not reading labels, and not caring about what they buy or where it comes from. Many don’t think of the impact of their purchases. I see it in my everyday life, and it’s unfortunate.
Understanding the value of this awareness is key. I’m not sure what the value is yet for my peers but perhaps making the world a better place for the next generations to come could be a good start.
Care to dream about the future? What does the future customer or future interior design industry look like and how do we address these future trends today?
MJ: Everyone wants to live long, wants to look and eat healthy. It isn’t going to be wonderful to live a long time in a world that is falling apart. Our trees, animals, insects, and humans all contribute to the wonderful biodiversity of our Earth. Similarly, no one is exempt from helping to keep the environment clean. I have only good thoughts about what the future holds but I know, as a design professional and an educator, I am also responsible for helping to make it happen.
Now for some fun. We like to get to know our subject’s design sensibility a little better. Indulge me for a few more questions!
1. My hope for the future of design:
I would like to see all designers make specifications that would positively affect the planet, the environment, and the client. Good Design is healthy design.
2. A place or experience that made me care the most about the environment:
Spending time in India really impacted my thoughts about the environment and what countries and large cities should be doing to make their residents healthier. I’ve never been to a place with so many people and so much pollution. I felt it was unhealthy to even be a tourist adding to their environmental problems.
3. My design icon is:
Gae Aulenti for mid-century designs. Frank Lloyd Wright for his harmony between humans and their environment, and Oliver Heath’s designs that take biophilia and sustainability into account.
Photo: Courtesy of Cedar Rock State Park
4. How would you sum up your design philosophy?
Eclectic mixing old and new with a large focus on sustainability, and health. I love using lots of color and texture and finding objects and art by local makers
5. What color do you identify with most and why?
Rusty Orange. Orange is a happy color. I find it works well with every color from hot pinks, gold, olive, blue, lavender and all neutrals. Every room I design has a little bit of rusty orange.
(Editor’s note: We love orange, too!)
6. What’s one design trend that should stay/go?
Stay – Sustainable and healthy materials – every day. For the health of the planet and its inhabitants.
Go– any items that are toxic and bad for the health of the environment or humans, like petroleum-derived products, e.g., synthetic fibers, glues, furniture finishes, and plastics.
7. One material that’s underrated in design:
Flax for its hand and beauty. Core ten steel for its lasting quality and beautiful patina.
8. My favorite architecture style/era is:
Classical architecture and Georgian
9. A vintage piece/item I own and love:
A very old, small oil painting by a Russian-Jewish dissident painter and two nineteenth century chairs with original caning from Sri Lanka.
Thank you Michelle!
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