Boutique Design - November 2019 - 100

incredibly
rewarding. Though our
two offices typically
worked on different
projects, it was invaluable to be able to pick
up the phone and
bounce things off each
other. My partnership
with Pam is the most
successful long-term
relationship I've ever
been in.

L AURIE MILLER
PRINCIPAL
ANDERSON/MILLER, LTD.

WHAT'S AHEAD FOR THE LUXURY SECTOR?

I believe there will be a general pushback against
"casual luxury." A number of luxe brands have
undertaken some intensive introspection and
relaunched their design platforms. It doesn't really
seem that the traveling public is buying in-especially in terms of the up-and-coming traveler.
WHAT SHOULD THEY DO TO BE RELEVANT?

Service is still key. But, on the design side, luxury
touches must be evident and aspirational without
being overly conspicuous. It's incumbent on
designers to give guests something more than what
they already have at home-intuitive technology,
heated floors, sumptuous bathing spaces (inclusive
of bidet toilets), ample interiors, thoughtful design
detailing. Discerning guests are smart; they know if
they're being sold a bill of goods.
YOU DIDN'T USE THE E-WORD (EXPERIENTIAL).
WHY NOT?

I didn't use the P-word (personalization) either! I
may be proved wrong, but I'm not personally
convinced the high-spend traveler is looking for
experiential environments and the ability to
personally customize their interiors on a shortterm stay. Beyond technological advancements, the
mission of the luxury sector remains unchanged.
It's about delivering high-end, luxurious and refined
"residential" products.
100 boutiquedesign.com

NOVEMBER 2019

ANY OTHER CONVENTIONAL WISDOM YOU'D
LIKE TO DEBUNK?

Yes-the contention that sustainability is inherent in
the "new luxury." With the exception of 1 Hotels, we
have not seen evidence of owners and brands
requiring eco-consciousness. Until sustainable
choices become equivalent in cost to standard
options, I fear it will be difficult to entice owners and
developers to comply without an implicit brand
mandate. As an architect and designer in this
industry, I've personally struggled with the amount
of waste/consumption required to deliver new solutions to a market when the existing projects have
not necessarily worn out but have simply ugly-ed
out. We're always striving for timeless design, but the
market craves new trends to keep up. These things
are hopelessly at odds with each other.

I think some women strived so hard to get where
they are that there wasn't much eagerness to keep
the door open for other women. As I see it, it's my
job to be a mentor and it's incumbent on me to set
a good example. I'm not saying I always succeed,
but that's the goal. Internal competition is tricky.
Competition for ideas channeled in a positive way
can be a good thing, but it doesn't sound like that's
what you're describing. I don't care for office drama.
We try very hard not to silo ourselves because our
best designs happen when we all work together. In
this way, we all succeed (or fail) together.

WHY DID YOU BYPASS THE CORPORATE DESIGN
LADDER?

There are some great young firms out there, and I
would never discourage owners from chasing what
they believe is the best fit for their project. But, what
some fail to understand is that not every company
has the experience to produce a cohesive design,
drawings and specifications to bring their job in on
time and on budget. Experience matters when
things become complicated and stressful-and they
inevitably will over the course of construction.

My journey to becoming the Miller in Anderson/
Miller, Ltd. is a story of luck, timing and youthful
naiveté. My former partner, Pam Anderson (who,
Miller says, deservedly retired after a successful
career at the end of last year), hired me as an
employee in 1989 after founding the company in
1982 when she wrote the first standard renovation
spec for Hyatt Hotels. By the end of the recession in
the early '90s, we went from 20 employees down to
just the two of us. She and her husband decided to
move from Chicago to Detroit to start a family. I
approached her with the idea of keeping the
Chicago office open on my own at the age of 24. At
the time I thought, "How hard could that
be?" Suffice to say, it was hard, but it was also

A LOT OF CLIENTS SEEM TO BE SHOPPING FOR
UNDER-THE-RADAR DESIGN STARS. HOW DO
ESTABLISHED FIRMS MARKET AGAINST THAT?

WHAT KEEPS YOU COMING TO WORK?

There have been many sleepless nights over the
decades, so I'd be lying if I said there weren't times
when I've thought about trying something else. But,
the truth is I love the work, and I love, respect and
value our team. When I'm sitting at my desk, I feel
like I can handle whatever comes my way.

C O U R T E S Y O F A N D E R S O N / M I L L E R , LT D. ( A N D E R S O N ) ; S T U D I O I N H AU S ( C A N O P Y B Y H I LT O N G R A N D R A P I D S D O W N T O W N )

CANOPY BY HILTON GRAND RAPIDS DOWNTOWN

A NUMBER OF
PRINCIPALS HAVE
COMMENTED THAT
WOMEN AREN'T SO
WILLING TO OPEN THE
DOOR FOR OTHER WOMEN-OR OTHER MEN.
WHAT'S YOUR TAKE ON THAT?

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Boutique Design - November 2019

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