Dujardin Design Associates Summer 2008 Leah Votto ‘09

About the Firm Dujardin Design Associates specializes in high-end residential designs and “green” consultations. This company is known for their creation of sustainable but elegant design schemes. Dujardin Design Associates is a small interior design firm, consisting of only three people: Trudy Dujardin, President, Price Connors, senior designer, and Nicole Zezima, office manager. They are based out of Westport, CT and Nantucket, MA. Working with only three other people made for both an intimate and friendly environment, which helped me to feel relaxed but also a vital part of the firm.

My Daily Tasks Typically I worked with Nicole, the office manager, and Price, the senior designer, participating in daily tasks. These tasks included: ◦ Filing s, bills and information on vendors and furniture ◦ Assisting Price in putting together furniture proposals for clients ◦ Corresponding with clients and business personnel via letters and s

My On-going Assignments My on-going assignments included: ◦ Organizing the company archives and then preparing scrapbooks of the materials, which showcased newspaper articles and magazine spreads featuring Dujardin Design and their work ◦ Preparing a “Green Resource List” which involved researching various companies that specialized in “green” product design and compiling a spreadsheet of the companies, their contact information and what type of products they specialize in

Special Assignments In May I accompanied Trudy and Price to Traditional Home’s “Green Space” Panel Discussion at the Decorating & Design (D&D) building in New York City. The panel was featured in the May 2008 issue of Traditional Home, and it included leading figures in “green” design. Amy Elbert, Traditional Home’s chief architectural editor, served as the mediator for the discussion. After the discussion I also had the opportunity to converse with many of the panel members.

Special Assignments In June I accompanied Trudy and Price to a photo-shoot of a house in Greenwich, CT, which they had designed. While at the shoot, I assisted Trudy and Price in setting up each of the rooms in order to allow for the best photograph to be taken. We did such things as rearrange furniture, add flowers and accessories, and play with natural and artificial light in order to create the best ambiance lighting for the photo.

Reflection Overall I felt my experience as an intern at Dujardin Design was a very positive one. The internship helped me to: ◦ Improve upon my communication and organizational skills ◦ Learn the various steps involved in creating designs for clients ◦ Discover new information about “green” design trends and companies

Contact Information for Dujardin Design Associations Dujardin Design Associates 8 Sasqua Road Norwalk, CT Tel. (203)