Randall Waddell has crossed the country and parts of the Caribbean creating innovative interiors and reinventing spaces for residential and commercial use for the past decade as the Principal Designer for HomeWork Design Studio. A Member of The American Society of Interior Designers and an approved Interior Designer of the HGTV Professional Designer Network, his love for this craft is an innate one; a passion born in his youth and moulded through careful study and practice to become his life’s work.
“From as early as I could remember, I liked drawing houses and plans, but what I enjoy the most is the fact that what I do brings joy to other people. I love interacting with clients, hearing the plans they have and bringing it to fruition,” Randall explained during a short break from his work on a residential property. “While some designers may shy away from doing residential interior design – I love it. The emotional connection and investment that people make in their homes is something special with which to work,” he adds. A graduate of The Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, his creative process has remained relatively unchanged over the years – he allows the location, space or home (in the case of a renovation) to tell its own story. “It’s almost as if a movie starts to play in my mind when I’m in a space – I let the house, in a sense, speak to me. I consider the function of the space, and I get to work with my pad and start sketching.”
HomeWork Design Studio partners with a careful selection of contractors, suppliers, labourers and artisans. “Every project is driven by teamwork. I visit suppliers around the country almost weekly as each project has different requests and demands. I depend on my contractors and my suppliers to work cohesively to create a successful project. After all, creating an idea is one thing, but how you put it all together is another story! My contractors and suppliers are the most important pieces to the puzzle – absolute musts.”
As at least a dozen workers proceed rapidly to complete a range of tasks with this latest renovation, Randall seems to thrive in the midst of it all. What seems like chaos is where Randall thrives. “Chaos is my friend – without chaos, we would be bored. There is good and bad chaos, of course, but in any aspect of life where there is disorder – it means that things are changing. Chaos can be a good thing – it brings transformation,” he points out.
For anyone considering creating a new space or a new home, he actively encourages them to note what they like in the homes they’ve seen or visited and identify what works best. “Trends will date. Instead think of how you would like to use your home – after all, function follows form in design. Find ways to mix the traditional aspects with the contemporary – so what you invest in is also timeless and is an investment in your happiness too.”
