Photo by Hillary Ehlen
Q&A with Donna Wiger
In upcoming issues, we will be interviewing members of the local home industry to find out exactly what their jobs entail. This month, we met with Donna Wiger, interior designer at TL Stroh Architects and current President of NDID. Read on to see what being an interior designer means to Wiger in her responses to the questions below.
Q. Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?
A. “I am originally from Twin Valley, Minnesota. I grew up doing a lot of creative things with my grandma and that led me to NDSU to major in textiles and clothing with a design minor. I changed my major to interior design after two years and started in the contract furniture business. I started at TL Stroh 18 years ago.”
Q. What is NDID, and what is your position in NDID?
A. “NDID stands for North Dakota Interior Designers. It is a non-profit organization that was formed by local interior designers to promote public awareness of interior design as a profession; provide a forum for continuing education, networking, social interaction, and support from other interior designers in close proximity to where we live and work; form better lines of communication with architects, industry affiliates, facilities managers and other related professionals in the community; form a continuing relationship with the student interior designers at NDSU in Fargo, ND; and provide support for NDID members in acquiring NCIDQ certification.
“This year I am the president of NDID which is a one year term. You are elected President-Elect or Vice President and are in charge of the NDID Product Showcase that we have every year at the Avalon.”
Q. What is an interior designer and what do they do?
A. “An interior designer can do all types of interior design or specialize in commercial interiors, residential interiors, furniture design, set-design, furniture design, or even be a product representative for any of the finishes or furniture we use. Above all, we problem solve for clients with space planning and creative solutions. We also select interior finishes such as floor coverings, wall coverings, paint colors, countertops, tile, ceiling applications, and furniture.”
Q. For homeowners, when do you think it is best to rely on an interior designer?
A. “It’s always best to rely on an interior designer! Anyone can go to a paint store and select a color, but is it the right shade? It does take skill, even the simple task of picking out the right paint color.”
Q. What do you wish people within the home industry knew about interior designers?
A. “It’s important to work as a team for the benefit of the homeowners. It takes more than one person to design and build a house.”
Q. What do you wish people outside of the home industry knew about interior designers?
A. “It is not a bad idea to use just a little bit of an interior designer’s time. Whether you’re doing a small remodel or building a new house, you could get a couple hours of their time and it wouldn’t be a huge financial investment.”
