Designing All Seasons

AN INTERVIEW WITH LEIGH BERKHOEL, ALL SEASONS’ EXECUTIVE DESIGN PROFESSIONAL

How did you become an executive design professional?

What were your personal and professional paths like, eventually leading you to All Seasons?

My background includes residential, retail, and commercial design. Before taking on the position with Beztak, I worked for a contract furniture dealer designing a variety of spaces, such as corporate offi ces, hospitality venues, car dealerships, and schools. Beztak was one of my favorite customers! We had the opportunity to design and furnish several clubhouse projects and All Seasons Oro Valley. I enjoyed working with Beztak so much that when the previous designer, Gloria Fransted retired, she recruited me, and I gratefully accepted!

How would you defi ne design?

Design is not only defi ned by aesthetic qualities, but it is also rooted in functionality, purpose, enjoyment, and a meaningfulness to the beholder.

What excites you about design, and specifi cally about design for older adults?

What excites me about design is both the challenges and creative journey that leads to a successful design. Designing for seniors is a creative challenge because you are accommodating for a wide range of people with diff erent personal tastes, backgrounds, age groups, comfort levels and physical abilities. How do you design to meet all of those needs while still maintaining a beautifully furnished environment? It takes creative planning!

Do you have a favorite color, shape, texture? What kind of design elicits joy for you?

Some of my favorite design elements that can create an impactful design are; color which will add a sense of playfulness and can help set the mood, a variety of shapes that complement one another, and an assortment of textures to off er a richness to the space. I truly appreciate all facets of design. The most memorable designs are those that are thought-provoking, eclectic, and have a mindfulness for its surroundings. The most beautifully designed home I have visited is Frank Lloyd Wright’s Fallingwater. How it is thoughtfully positioned on the landscape and how the interior features all pay tribute to its natural surroundings makes it a genius, harmonious, and breathtaking design.

Does ‘good’ design require wealth? What can anyone do to maximize the design around them?

Good design does not require wealth. Anyone can create a beautifully designed environment. Start with making your space functional for yourself. What purpose would you like the space to serve? How do you want the space to feel? Fill it with furniture pieces that make you happy, whether it be for comfort, style, or both! Always remember less is more. Minimally display treasured items. Decorative items can be rotated seasonally and will be even more appreciated. Be mindful of scale, color, shape, and textures. Create a balance in your space and you’ll achieve a good design!

Can you assign one or two words to sum up the aesthetic/design style of each of the 6 All Seasons?

Timeless Sophistication

What’s a misconception you think people have about your work and/or design in general?

I am not just a decorator; I am a designer. My mission is to not just make rooms beautiful. It’s to create spaces that have purpose, off er function, and evoke positive emotion and mental wellbeing.

Tell us a litt le bit aboutyou and your family. Does design run in the family?

Design does run in my family. My grandfather designed custom window treatments for the J.L. Hudson’s department store in Detroit. Both of my aunts also worked for Hudson’s in advertising and in retail display. As a young child my parents discovered that I had a passion for design. I would go to my friend’s homes and redecorate their bedrooms. Their parent’s loved me! My 8-year-old daughter seems to be following in my footsteps. She is already staging her bedroom and rating the designs wherever we go!