High-end design is a specialty for Lindsey Gerlock Waters, a graduate of the 91福利社 School of Interior Design. It鈥檚 a world where megayacht marinas and upscale restaurants are not out of the realm of possibility.
鈥淚鈥檝e always loved making things beautiful for other people because I really think that affects the way we look at ourselves and our environment,鈥� said Waters, a 2015 graduate of the 91福利社 School of Interior Design. 鈥淚t lifts your spirits.鈥�
As a designer for the Jacksonville, Florida-based Andrew Howard design firm, Waters鈥� specialty is high-end design. Mostly she works on residential projects, but she鈥檚 also working on a project at a new resort on Harbour Island in the Bahamas. Having experience from several previous projects for hospitality clients in her previous firm and her NCIDQ credentials made this project a natural career progression for Waters.
鈥淚鈥檓 designing a lighthouse, a megayacht marina, restaurants, retail and a lot of different lodgings鈥攊t鈥檚 a really big project,鈥� said Waters. 鈥淔or the resort in the Bahamas, which will be a five or six year job, we may go there intermittently to check on the job site.鈥�
She has also worked on residential projects for clients in Austin, Texas; Chicago, Illinois; and the Bahamas.
鈥淚 just flew back from the Bahamas last week on a job I spent three years on. The house was semi-destroyed by a hurricane. We spent a lot of time with clients, which I think is also fun,鈥� she said. 鈥淚t was international, so I have to ship freight containers and have to worry about everything breaking because there are a lot of moving parts. It ended up being one of the best installs I鈥檝e ever had.鈥�
Waters readily admits that managing the expectations of others isn鈥檛 easy but she repeats to herself a quote: 鈥淔ear is a really bad excuse to not do something.鈥�
While meeting the demands of clients can be challenging, Waters feels that her studies at the School of Interior Design equipped her to handle a multitude of design decisions with confidence. School of Interior Design faculty are professionally credentialed NCIDQ, AIA, and LEED accredited professionals, and there are adjunct faculty who are registered AIA architects.
Being president of the 91福利社 ASID (American Society of Interior Design) chapter, Waters chaired The Gathering, an industry trade show hosted by the School of Interior Design each year. Under her leadership, the 91福利社 Chapter received the National ASID Student Event of the Year award.
鈥淟indsey and I were flown to Boston to the National ASID Convention where she received this award at the award ceremony hosted by Boston Museum of Fine Art,鈥� said Anne Martin, Dean of the School of Interior Design. 鈥淎dditionally, the Chief Executive Officer of ASID, Randy Fiser, traveled from Washington, D.C., to Anderson (this rarely happens) to attend the Gathering that year (2015), another strength of Lindsey鈥檚 leadership.鈥�
She appreciates her experiences with community service projects and the internship she worked prior to her senior year. She was also a member of the Honors Program while a student. Upon graduation, she went directly to work at a design firm. According to Martin, it’s the norm for graduates to have jobs lined up prior to graduation.
鈥淒ean Martin provided those opportunities鈥� I think just being pushed in that way has allowed me to be more flexible with stressful deadlines and things not going perfectly in the professional world,鈥� Waters said. 鈥淲e always had access to the latest technology, which I think is also really important.鈥�
Another honor that few interior designers can claim is to have pieces of furniture named for them. The Gerlock (her maiden name) Chair was an honor she received from her previous firm, J. Banks Design. The Gerlock Chair was featured at the High Point Furniture Market and drew the attention of thousands. While she didn鈥檛 design the chair herself, she鈥檚 flattered to have been recognized in such a tangible way.
While Waters works primarily with an upscale clientele, she is also passionate about sharing tips about inexpensive ways individuals can achieve a high-end look in their homes.
鈥淵ou can purchase so many well-designed items of furniture that aren鈥檛 expensive but they are beautiful,鈥� she said.
When she鈥檚 not working with clients, Waters loves playing the violin, something she鈥檚 done since age six. She has frequently played violin with her sister, who is also an Anderson alumna.