Interior Designer Suzette Fox at the Smart House in Los Alamos. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost
Designer Suzette Fox’s Green Passion
Interior Designer Suzette Fox created the modern ambiance that greets tourists visiting the renowned Smart House in Los Alamos.
“It was so much fun to work with Julie Williams-Hill on the Smart House project,” Fox said. “Julie is the public relations manager of the Department of Public Utilities. She was open to the contemporary design I had in mind for the furniture and accessories at the Smart House.”
Fox began the decorating process in February by shopping locally. The living room’s leather sectional and the kitchen table came from CB FOX.
Leather sectional selected by Suzette Fox in the living room at the Smart House. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com
“The pieces have clean, beautiful lines. I absolutely love the metal feet on the sectional and curved lines of the legs on the kitchen table,” she said. “However, my favorite items are the very fun, acrylic counter stools with metal frames that seem to surprise everyone who enters the kitchen.”
Now that the Smart House project is complete, Fox is working on several special new projects. Besides revamping her website, she is creating a new design blog with three women from across New Mexico.
“One is a foodie, one an artist, one a furniture restorer and I am working on design projects – especially ‘green’ design, Fox said. “We will be posting about the various projects we are working on. So every time you visit the blog you can read a variety of things you are interested in. It will be called Haven Mavens, so look for it soon.”
Acrylic counter stools with metal frames selected by Suzette Fox in the kitchen at the Smart House. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com
She explained that she assists people and organizations with all types of design needs from picking out paint colors to large renovations, adding that most importantly she enjoys helping her clients “keep it green.”
“Green design is my current, all-consuming passion. It’s a grass roots effort to educate people who are renovating rooms to keep green materials in mind,” Fox said. “Once clients grasp the concept of using green materials in their renovations, they want to get more involved in sustainability efforts.”
To that effect, Fox is gathering information on creating an online green design magazine. This will be a national outreach in her effort to educate, inform and renovate in a fun, creative way while using sustainable materials.
“The coolest thing in my repertory is that I am pitching a design show to HGTV,” she said. “The work is coming along nicely. I am speaking with national experts in green building to appear on the show.”
Fox began her interior design work in 1996 in Florida. Her interest in sustainability began in 1999 when she was an editor for Homefront Magazine in Colorado Springs, a publication of the Home Builders Association. She has been designing in New Mexico since 2002.
The Los Alamos Smart House. Photo by Carol A. Clark/ladailypost.com
“It has continued to evolve into the passion it is today,” Fox said. “My latest article on green design resides in the current issue of the Los Alamos Chamber of Commerce Essence publication.”
Fox also serves as vice chair of the Los Alamos County Environmental Sustainability Board. In her attempts to stay current in the field, she recently completed an Introduction to Sustainability program and is enrolled in a national certification course in green design.
“Having a passion is great, but, honestly, it drives my family crazy,” she said. “They can find me the night before trash recycling pick up day, going through the recycling bin making sure they haven’t thrown in the wrong type of plastic or paper. If the bin has too many items that are unaccepted, the entire thing goes to the dump in Los Lunas instead of being recycled. I can’t have that happen!”
Fox has been working in interior design with clients throughout Northern New Mexico since 1996. To learn more, visit suzettefoxinteriors.com.
