Profiles

Meet Desirae Putnam, Founder & Principal at Desirae Interiors

Desirae Putnam is the Founder and Principal Interior Designer of Desirae Interiors. After graduating with degrees in Business Communications and Interior Design, she moved to Fargo where she was mentored by Shelly Neal at McNeal & Friends and became their Principal Interior Designer & Merchandising Lead.

About

Desirae Putnam is the Founder and Principal Interior Designer of Desirae Interiors. After graduating with degrees in Business Communications and Interior Design, she moved to Fargo where she was mentored by Shelly Neal at McNeal & Friends and became their Principal Interior Designer & Merchandising Lead. She left their showroom in 2020 with nearly 10 years of experience, passionate to continue serving residential and boutique commercial clients. When not designing, she spends time with her teenage son, teaches meditation and restorative yoga and contracts as the Client Services Director for Bondeye Marketing. Desirae takes a holistic and edited approach, selecting materials and furnishings that are timeless investments with a personal story. She takes all aspects of her client’s lifestyle, energy, and passions into consideration to make their home truly individualized. It starts with a thorough discovery meeting where she asks questions and actively listens. This communication guides the relationship from beginning to end of the project so that every detail is implemented. Building a home is often one of the biggest investments in both time and money that people make. Having an interior designer like Desirae through that process adds another layer of creativity and experience to your team. She gets hyped about the details: investing in materials that last; understanding the reveals of how those materials meet on your floor, ceiling, millwork, et cetera; staying mindful of functionality like door swings where a pocket door might be a better use of space; leaving allowances for the door trim and light switches to live harmoniously; taking cabinetry up to the ceiling (because who wants to clean up there anyways!); will the square feet of your dining room accommodate your desire to host holidays; kids or no kids and pets or no pets and all of the thoughtful planning around that; and so on. Nothing is an after-thought for Desirae.

“I hope to inspire people to live well and live better”

Inspiration, Colors & Trends

It was Jessica Helgerson who inspired Desirae to become an interior designer. Now, she has been successfully in the industry for 12 years, eager to expand her projects around the globe.

Because she’s drawn to a timeless over trendy aesthetic, Desirae loves the revival of traditional layers on top of modern, clean lines. It’s familiar, comfortable and rooted in history yet influenced by how we continue to evolve today; Desirae loves a neutral palette with layers of texture, millwork details, thoughtful wallcovering, heirloom furniture and artwork commissioned by a local artist.

Desirae stays refreshed through traveling, experiencing other cultures, meeting new people, meditating, reflecting and writing.

“I hope to inspire people to live well and live better,” said Desirae. “Your space can be that place you go for energy or relaxation and should be a reflection of what makes you, you. Surround yourself with what makes you happy.”

 

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