Interior design is not considered the most noble of professions: it's shopping with other people's money. It is seen as the vocation of bored wives with not quite enough to do. These attitudes stem in part from society's depreciation of tasks traditionally handled by women, like making a home. They also betray a misunderstanding of what interior designers do.
Not only must Sheila Bridges inhabit the lifestyle and taste of each of her clients, she must also translate them into chairs, tables and rooms, often while educating her clients along the way. This can mean telling people who are paying her...