Thriving in Creative Spaces
John Turman grew up in eastern Oklahoma, surrounded by people who loved art and design. His mother and grandmother loved interior decorating, and his father's first cousin was an interior designer in Nashville, Tennessee. So, his parents were not surprised that he enrolled in a design program at the University of Oklahoma after graduating high school. Soon after, his professors and the deep study of the history of interior design inspired and expanded his small-town perspective of the expansive world of artful conception.
John graduated from University shortly after a market crash in the bank and oil industry which made finding a design job virtually impossible. The sudden economic shift inspired him to refocus on retail, where he advanced through the ranks to a position in merchandising, all the while moonlighting on interior design projects after hours. He spent 29 years in retail before becoming a full-time interior designer. He discovered that his education and experience in industrial and retail design gave him a distinct creative perspective and rare knowledge of a diverse design language.
John believes a good interior designer is a creative facilitator. He says, "I want someone to hire me to help them create a vision. It is my job to determine what they are looking for and help them bring their creative ideas to fruition." Since John's clients come from customer referrals, the most critical element of his process is the trust established from a connection with a previous client. The recommendation creates a confidence baseline that he strengthens during a series of creative conversations with the new client. The trust allows a solid relationship to develop so a clear mutual understanding of the project's intention can take shape.
John Turman
Trust and respect for each other's work laid the foundation for John and Objets Trouvés owner Susan McCalmont's collaborative relationship. They became friends shortly after Susan moved into John's neighborhood. He had visited the first iteration of Objets Trouvés when it was a small one-room gallery. Eventually, Susan asked John to visit her house to provide his professional perspective of her design. John's creative consultation resulted in a few aesthetic edits that helped bring Susan's house into another viewpoint she had not considered previously. Soon after, Susan invited John into her world of art, and the neighbors became great friends and collaborators. Today, Objets Trouvés is the first place John takes his clients when an interior design project requires original artwork or treasured décor.
Artwork is a vital aspect of most of John's interior design projects. While some clients might say they do not relate to art, John feels that "Everybody relates to it, but they just don't know it." The decision to integrate artwork into the interior design emerges in early discussions with his clients. For some clients, the process can lead to purchasing their first original artwork, while other clients who own artwork make their collections the focal point of their homes. For example, John has several clients with extensive art collections who have asked him to take everything down and rehang the work so the room's design can make you perceive the art in a new way. Lighting, room size, color, room décor, and the space where the artwork is hung all play a crucial role in how the art influences the mood of the room. John believes the artwork helps communicate the client's story because each different creation means something to the homeowner.
In some instances, the artwork can change the feeling toward the home. He recalls one client, a couple, who had listed their house but had not found a buyer. So, they asked John to come over and provide his creative insight. After walking through the home, he shared that he felt in the homes’ decor were items the homeowners no longer shared a connection to or wanted. The couple was impressed with John's awareness and decided to redesign the whole house instead of selling it. Finding new artwork was a critical component of the process. John called Susan and told her he was bringing his clients to the gallery to explore her consigned collection. He recalls that his clients immediately connected with Susan. "She showed them a piece that an artist painted in Connecticut. The couple had lived in the same state, loved the painting, and purchased it on the spot", says John. Today, the couple frequently returns to Objets Trouvés to discover original artworks for the home they now wouldn't dream of selling.
People often do not understand how an interior designer like John can help someone fall in love with their space. Once John understands how people live in their homes and the intention of what they want to feel in the rooms, he can design it, so the client feels more comfortable, content, and connected. John believes the connection with the places we live and work is vital to our well-being. We do not feel our best when we don't experience an authentic association with our living spaces. However, when John facilitates a design transformation where a genuine connection can occur, the interior space comes to life, and the people that live in it thrive. He is grateful for this opportunity to help people create relationships with the places where they spend the most time living. He has learned that people live much happier lives when the places they live make them feel good.
Please visit www.johnturman.com if you are interested in connecting with John and learning more about his services.
