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FeedColor Coach
Robin Strangis paints the town with authority
By Jacquelyn B. Fletcher
Photo by Eric Moore
We’ve all done it—walked into a room that made us feel happy though we couldn’t say exactly why. Finding that mysterious mix of color and objects that makes a particular person enjoy a space is exactly what Robin Strangis, owner of Loring Interiors in Minneapolis, sets out to achieve every day.
Whether she’s designing a colorful getaway home in Wisconsin, a Euro-Mediterranean estate in Wayzata, or a contemporary vacation home with an Asian twist, Strangis balances art, science, and psychology. Then, she mixes in some magic for a finishing touch. “There’s a lot of psychology involved in interior design,” she says. “The first time I meet a client, I try to pick up on their personality, and their likes and dislikes. I psychoanalyze them a little bit and try to figure out what makes them feel good.”
Her approach is spot on, says Sandra Jacobson, a client for whom Strangis designed a Montana vacation house. “She has a sixth sense about what is right for her client,” Jacobson says.
As a member of the Color Marketing Group and the author of Color Idea Book (Taunton Press, October 2007), Strangis is known within the design industry as a color expert. “Color is fascinating,” she says. “It’s a part of the electromagnetic spectrum so the light vibrations are actually reacting with our brains.”
The science intrigues her, but she never strays far from her artistic roots. Strangis was raised in southwest Minneapolis, surrounded by creative people. “My mother, Janice Loring, was an artist, and my uncle and grandfather were architects,” she says. “I grew up watching my mother paint in the basement on the weekends.”
Her grandfather created hand-drawn and watercolor renderings of the houses he designed, several of which hang in her house alongside paintings by her mother. “I absorbed all that interest in art and design,” she says.
In 1975, Strangis graduated with a bachelor’s degree in interior design from the University of Minnesota and began working for local design firms, including a 10-year stint at Gabbert’s in Edina. “I eventually realized that I knew too much to want to work for someone else so I started my own design business,” she says. In 1997, she opened Loring Interiors at International Market Square where she continues to apply her artistic background to every project.
In addition to her design practice, Strangis writes a design-advice column for the Star Tribune and sells magnetic room-design kits through her website. “Robin is one-of-a-kind,” says Mary Dworsky, former American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) Minnesota chapter president and owner of Mary Dworsky Interior Design in Minneapolis. “Many designers have ideas about creating products or writing articles, but she actually puts hers into practice.”
For Strangis, it’s only natural. She just sees her work as part of something greater. “Some might see it as frivolous, but I really see what I do as a needed service,” she says. “It’s not about me, it’s about my clients and their quality of life.”
A golden-taupe with sky blue accents
What’s on your iPod?
Lectures on quantum physics
What book are you reading?
Your Best Life Now by Joel Osteen
What’s your secret goal?
Create a new kind of TV show on design—one that raises the bar and educates
Who is a designer you admire?
Victoria Hagan
Jacquelyn B. Fletcher is a Minneapolis freelance writer.
For more information on featured products and suppliers, please see our Buyer's Guide.
Whether she’s designing a colorful getaway home in Wisconsin, a Euro-Mediterranean estate in Wayzata, or a contemporary vacation home with an Asian twist, Strangis balances art, science, and psychology. Then, she mixes in some magic for a finishing touch. “There’s a lot of psychology involved in interior design,” she says. “The first time I meet a client, I try to pick up on their personality, and their likes and dislikes. I psychoanalyze them a little bit and try to figure out what makes them feel good.”
Her approach is spot on, says Sandra Jacobson, a client for whom Strangis designed a Montana vacation house. “She has a sixth sense about what is right for her client,” Jacobson says.
As a member of the Color Marketing Group and the author of Color Idea Book (Taunton Press, October 2007), Strangis is known within the design industry as a color expert. “Color is fascinating,” she says. “It’s a part of the electromagnetic spectrum so the light vibrations are actually reacting with our brains.”
The science intrigues her, but she never strays far from her artistic roots. Strangis was raised in southwest Minneapolis, surrounded by creative people. “My mother, Janice Loring, was an artist, and my uncle and grandfather were architects,” she says. “I grew up watching my mother paint in the basement on the weekends.”
Her grandfather created hand-drawn and watercolor renderings of the houses he designed, several of which hang in her house alongside paintings by her mother. “I absorbed all that interest in art and design,” she says.
In 1975, Strangis graduated with a bachelor’s degree in interior design from the University of Minnesota and began working for local design firms, including a 10-year stint at Gabbert’s in Edina. “I eventually realized that I knew too much to want to work for someone else so I started my own design business,” she says. In 1997, she opened Loring Interiors at International Market Square where she continues to apply her artistic background to every project.
In addition to her design practice, Strangis writes a design-advice column for the Star Tribune and sells magnetic room-design kits through her website. “Robin is one-of-a-kind,” says Mary Dworsky, former American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) Minnesota chapter president and owner of Mary Dworsky Interior Design in Minneapolis. “Many designers have ideas about creating products or writing articles, but she actually puts hers into practice.”
For Strangis, it’s only natural. She just sees her work as part of something greater. “Some might see it as frivolous, but I really see what I do as a needed service,” she says. “It’s not about me, it’s about my clients and their quality of life.”
Pop Quiz
What color is your bedroom?A golden-taupe with sky blue accents
What’s on your iPod?
Lectures on quantum physics
What book are you reading?
Your Best Life Now by Joel Osteen
What’s your secret goal?
Create a new kind of TV show on design—one that raises the bar and educates
Who is a designer you admire?
Victoria Hagan
Jacquelyn B. Fletcher is a Minneapolis freelance writer.
For more information on featured products and suppliers, please see our Buyer's Guide.
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