In the second of our series we are interviewing Nancy Zieg, a member of Top Designers for 2004 at Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery. Nancy has a BA in Art and a degree in Interior Design from the School of Architecture (U of Fla.). She has been a professional Interior Designer for more than 30 years and has started and run 3 design businesses. She made her way to Portland from Houston and currently operates Nancy Zieg Interior Design.

LF+DG: Nancy, let's start with how you became a designer and what has influenced you the most?
Nancy: Since as far back as I can remember, I would take pictures of rooms out of catalogs and draw floor plans. My love of art and architecture was nourished by the art history classes I took in college and my travels, especially to Europe. I, also, have a profound interest in cultures and history.

LF+DG: What countries in particular did you like?
Nancy: I love France and the Country French look, and Italy with its warm colors, terracotta, golds, and the washes you see. I have a new appreciation for the Moroccan look in Spain and I have incorporated the colorful tile mosaics in several of my designs.

LF+DG: How do you define good design?
Nancy: The basic elements of design are balance and proportion. That makes good design. Let me expand on that. When I say balance, I want to see one side of a room carry the same weight as the other (is it symmetrical?. It could be asymmetrical and still be good design. A large piece could be balanced by a collection or art or smaller pieces of furniture. Visual weight or balance is also achieved through the use of colors and tones. One error that is made, and is easy to fix, is mis-sized art or mis-hung art. A small piece hung on a large wall would be mis-sized or art hung too high over a sofa would be mis-hung.