wellington | designer
Lorrie Browne Focuses On Sustainable, Low-Maintenance Interior Designs Story by Julie Unger
Lorrie Browne of Lorrie Browne Interiors didn’t take the typical route to becoming an interior designer. After earning a master’s degree in business administration, Browne worked for a financial advisory firm as an analyst before realizing that she wasn’t spending enough time on the creative aspects of her life. She returned to school to earn a bachelor’s degree in interior design. “It was kind of a roundabout way,” she said. “Since I was a kid, I was drawing, painting, crafting — you name it. I loved going to museums. I grew up in a 200-year-old house that my parents renovated. I was right there with a sledgehammer when I was a kid. I really enjoyed that — the history of houses.” When Browne began looking for a more creative career, she enlisted the help of a career counselor. Career tests suggested she become an interior designer, landscape designer or pho-
tographer. “Nothing in finance,” she said. “The idea excited me the more I thought about it.” Browne was able to merge her finance and business background with the creative elements of interior design. She attended the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale, where she earned her interior design degree. After working for other designers, she took her national licensing exam and began her own company. “Before I was even out of school, I had jobs,” Browne said. Since then, she has worked on beautifying spaces in an elegant, livable manner, with small details making all the difference. “Design is in the details,” she explained. “When details are done correctly, you don’t specifically notice them, but they help make a space more cohesive.”
For example, Browne often utilizes artificial flowers and plants inside, which are low-maintenance and always look nice, sort of like the accessories and jewelry when you get dressed up. “We see so many spaces in magazines and online that look very beautiful, but sometimes it’s hard to imagine somebody actually living their day-to-day life wellington the magazine | april 2017
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