MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: MARIANNA ZIMMERMAN

Business Name:  The Best is yet to Come Designs

Location: N. Dallas Tx

DESCRIBE YOUR JOURNEY TO DESIGN AND HOW YOU GOT TO WHERE YOU ARE TODAY.

It was a long journey! Being a single Mom at a young age created a path for what I needed to do that put my design dreams on hold. I had to work two jobs to generate a living that provided for my son & me. After I met my husband in my latter years, he told me to & “just focus on the gift that I was given.” He encouraged me to do whatever I could to share that gift with the world. Being “older,” I started late in the world of design and had some difficulty navigating the business aspect of it all. Therefore, I had many setbacks. However, I thank God every day for not giving up. Seeing so many happy tears of joy when a client enters their newly designed space makes the journey, bumps and all, worth it! I am so glad that I didn’t give up.

WHO WAS THE FIRST INTERIOR DESIGNER TO MAKE AN IMPRESSION ON YOU?

This is going to sound weird because I am the opposite of Farmhouse design, but Joanna Gaines was the first designer make an impression on me. Although I do many types of design, my niche is more modern-contemporary. That is what I love and is what I specialize in. I remember when Fixer Upper was on TV, It came on around the time I started my business. I was in awe of the reveals. I loved Joanna’s passion for design, and the way she handled her projects, but it was the reveal and the way the clients reacted that drew me in. The reveal would bring me to tears, and that’s when I knew that the way she made those homeowners feel is what I wanted to ultimately achieve myself.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT INFLUENCE YOU, ASIDE FROM FURNITURE AND DÉCOR?

Architecture! I have this weird type of love for buildings and structures that have a unique character to them. I like all kinds of styles in architecture. I love a modern, contemporary penthouse that has nothing but two story floor-to-ceiling windows and grand scale staircase and entryways but I also like old world cultural doors and archways that have oversized cut outs and embellishments. The architectural characters in them influence me. It’s the reason why I always try to find unique, “one-of-a-kind” pieces. I would love to travel to many different countries just to see the architecture. It’s truly inspiring.

WHAT ARE YOUR GO-TO BASICS?

My team would probably say unique decorative pieces of décor! I love a clean, modern “less is more” look but then I add color and fun with the décor. Whether it’s an oversized white stone bowl with cracked colorful glass in it or a colorful sculptured knot or orb on a coffee table or a unique decorative piece that represents the homeowner’s lifestyle or hobbies that may strike up a conversation, I love adding something quirky or whimsical that you don’t expect. Especially in a modern design. Also, books! I love adding books to a design, whether it’s for height and balance or just to look pretty, there’s something about using books that add substance in a design for me.

ARE YOU SEEING ANY PARTICULAR STYLE REQUESTS TRENDING AMONGST YOUR CLIENTS?

Clients seem to want slatted walls or even wallpaper at this present moment. Although my primary goal is to please my clients, I personally am not a big “trend designer” I prefer to design with things that not only work in the space but items that represent my clients and the home they want to live in. If my clients request something trendy, we discuss it thoroughly to make sure whatever I put in the space will belong there long after the trend changes. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love a slatted wall and I’m obsessed with modern wallpaper, but I always feel we can mix it up a bit, so it doesn’t seem too “trendy”. For example- If a client loves the slatted wall look, I will suggest doing black slats instead of the suggested oak or paint the backdrop wall behind the slats a different color and if they are interested in using wallpaper, I suggest maybe wallpapering the ceiling or maybe even a millwork ceilings! This way the client still gets what they want but I push the envelope a bit, so it becomes unique instead of trendy.

WHAT’S BEEN YOUR CAREER HIGHLIGHT TO DATE?

It’s funny that you ask this because my husband and I recently had a conversation about this. There are so many amazing highlights in my career, but we always talk about this specific one time when I first started my business and hadn’t had many projects. I was taking on clients with limited budgets just to build my portfolio. It was just my husband and I (my staff of one) as we always joked. We met this young girl, in her late 20’s who had a few personal tragedies that she was trying to overcome. She was ready to start a new life, on her own, from scratch in a new townhouse apartment. It had 3 rooms and she wanted it to be fully furnished (before moving in). All she said was that she wanted a mature, glam, grown-up space to call her very own.     After asking some “wish list” questions, she handed me money and the keys and said she would be working all the time so have at it. We had 2 months to do everything. My husband (who helped me on weekends and evenings) rented a truck and we got to work. When we were finished, she came into the apartment and saw the 3 rooms that were no longer empty. She put her hands in her face, crying and I remember that overwhelming feeling that came over her. It was like every tragedy that had happened to her disappeared. In that moment, what she saw gave her something, whether it was peace or a place to call home. Her reaction was something we will never forget! That’s why it stands out as a highlight. It laid the ground work for what I knew I wanted to do for many others to come.

WHAT’S THE MOST TREASURED ITEM IN YOUR OWN HOME?

I am very nostalgic and sentimental so although It’s going to sound crazy (only because everything is computerized now) BUT photos! I have boxes of family photo albums! Whether it is my childhood photos or my son’s childhood photos– You can’t ever get those memories back! Also, sentimental memorabilia, like my first of anything, whether it was my son’s hospital baby bracelet or something my son or grandchildren made in grade school or a card from the roses my husband gave me when he proposed or a love letter when we were dating or even something we bought while on vacation that reminded us of that time. Those things just can’t be replaced- Those are the most treasured items in my home.