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The Design Questionnaire with Sarah Latham of Latham Interiors
In this edition of Love Happens’ Proust-style Design Questionnaire, join us for a peek inside the creative design mind of Sarah Latham, founder and principal of Latham Interiors. Based in Idaho’s mountain resort community of Sun Valley, Latham’s trademark is natural, simple, modern spaces—a gorgeous “mountain modern” aesthetic. From new builds to renovations to luxurious interior design, to each project Sarah brings unrivaled enthusiasm, expertise, and a knack for working within her clients’ budgets and goals.
Finding Her Way to Latham Interiors
Sarah began her career training with Fisher Weisman Design in San Francisco. She then brought her talent to Lake Tahoe in California where she worked as a designer for Bentley Interior Designs. Next, Sarah made the move to Ketchum, Idaho. It is here, after more than 10 years working for Ruscitto, Latham, Blanton Architecture she founded Latham Interiors.
Now for a Peek Inside the Fabulous and Inspiring Mind of Sarah Latham with the Lh Design Questionnaire
What is your idea of perfect happiness?
Quite honestly, this can change day to day. But one perfect moment of happiness for me is getting away from it all with my husband and boys at this lake I love, where you can always count on peace, perspective, and a great day of mountain biking. I’m happy in the moment. I’m happy coming home from these getaways. And I feel inspired and energetic toward the design work I adore.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
While my family and business both evolve daily, they are certainly my greatest achievements.
On the family front, we’ve made it through distance learning while both my husband and I worked! And from a business perspective, building a firm that supports and employs Sun Valley residents is particularly meaningful as we are a tight-knit community that depends on each other.
What profession does your alter ego have?
I love tending to things—getting my hands in the earth and working hard to see something beautiful grow. I would absolutely be a gardener!
The project you will never forget.
Snowy River was the type of project designers dream of. We had complete trust from the homeowner, and permission to spread our wings design-wise. The existing residence—built in 1981—initially seemed like a dated disaster. But we were able to completely transform it into a beautiful mountain modern retreat.
Your favorite business tool or resource.
It’s almost hard to imagine how designs are pulled together and communicated to the client without 3D rendering. Just like life before cell phones, 3D rendering has been a game-changer in our industry and a huge benefit in helping our clients understand the design vision we are so passionate about. It also helps expedite the process to ultimately deliver an end product to the client sooner and can be useful in navigating requests that are out of scope, out of style, or out of code.
Your design motto.
Design spaces with purpose—this is often confused with designing spaces for function. Intentionality is so often overlooked with emotional or trend-based designs. We spend an incredible amount of time getting to know our clients and their needs, and that knowledge is our best tool in executing thoughtful, quality, and cherished spaces that were designed with a purpose in mind.
The most timeless design.
My view is that quality and thoughtful details will always be timeless.
The biggest design faux pas.
A big part of our job as designers is to help find the right places for the life happening and items needed within a space. Organization takes a lot of thoughtful work to get right in kitchens, closets, ensuites, and home offices—and if not done correctly, the spaces won’t function well.
If you were to design a room around one KOKET piece, which would it be, and why?
The Intuition Dining Table. A statement dining table like this can be dressed up or down. The freeform base gives interest and an organic nature to a room that can both stand alone or combine with other natural elements for a collector’s space.
Love happens when…
Love happens and continues to happen in part due to the ingenuity and creativity people have in expressing or feeling acceptance, fostering connection, sharing gratitude, or growing together.
