Meet the Designer: Linda Abbott The Woman behind the Design

At StoneHardscapes, we strive to offer the best natural stone for inside and outside your home or office, while guiding you through the complete process of renovating or designing your space. For this reason, we have our fabulous in-house designer, Linda Abbott, who aims to help you achieve the oasis of your dreams. Producing only the most beautiful natural stone decor, we decided to sit down with Linda Abbott to understand her process, her inspirations and her drive.

Linda Abbott

SH: How long have you been in the design industry? What kind of architecture do you usually work with?

LA: I have been in the home building/ construction industry for the past 26 years.  For the past 17 years, I have worked as a design consultant with track home builders, such as, GL Homes to semi-custom and custom home builders as well.

SH: 26 years, that’s a long time. What keeps you going?

LA: I truly enjoy and have a passion for creating beautiful spaces with my clients.  Whether, inside the home and/or outside the home, the favorite part of my job is the overwhelming joy and satisfaction on my client’s faces after they see their finished project come to fruition.

SH: 26 years is a long time, there have been many changes how do you stay current with the latest design trends?

LA: I read a lot of design magazines, like you would do with fashion, and attend a lot of trade shows that’s how I keep on top of the trends. This also includes research, and architectural books.
 
SH: What would you say is the most important step you take when coming up with a design concept for someone’s space?

LA: One-on-one time with the clients is a key factor to learn their interest, our natural stones weren’t very popular a couple years ago, and now it’s like boom! Everything got more contemporary and people suddenly want them. By talking to the client, we get an idea of their taste and where they want to go; from there we can define the right combination for their home.

SH: What do you think caused this sudden liking to a more contemporary look?

LA: People were tired of Mediterranean homes; they wanted something different, something modern and more unique. If you drive down the intercostal highway of Fort Lauderdale, FL modern homes are popping up everywhere.

SH: What happens when a client has a Mediterranean home but wants a more contemporary look?

LA: I work with pattern and color variation– If you have a Mediterranean home, I would work with a color variation and a more contemporary stone that matches your home. Let’s say the house is a mustard color with an orange roof and there are no plans to change it, we work with that color palate. We could do gold pavers, we don’t have to do it in an Ashlar pattern, we can do it in a 16 x24 to give it a more contemporary look, and we can pair it with sunset ledgestone for your outdoor BBQ and kitchen, that would pull the gold pavers, and then you can do your flat screen TV and Tiki hut. You’ll have the look you’re going for without having to touch the architecture of the house.

SH: What’s one outdoor accessory you try and include in all your designs?

LA: I always suggest fire bowls for the backyard. I think they are beautiful, they add a little edge to your outdoor living space, and they are awesome to sit around when the temperature starts to drop, with a nice glass of wine and good company. It really makes for an experience.

Make sure to follow Linda on Houzz and Linkedin to keep up to date on the latest on design and her ongoing projects. Here are some examples of the extraordinary work:

If you would like to learn more about our team members check us out here! Feel free to leave any questions or suggestions for Linda or any of our other team members, we love hearing from you!