I've been BUSY which is never a bad thing but I've neglected my faithful blog for too long.  A new article came out in the Sun Valley Magazine on yours truly.  Always nice to have some local support.

Valley Style Makers

How a local designer, architect, developer and store owner created their own unique style in the Valley.

Interior designer Sarah Latham sources a lot of local labor and craftsmen in the Valley.

Shades of Green

SARAH LATHAM, DESIGNER

Sarah Latham, Designer. Photo Five B Studios

When Sarah Latham named her interior design business White Canvas Designs, she had a clean slate in mind—a white board, if you will—an idea that would lead to more possibilities. Today, many of those possibilities, oddly enough, seem to be green.

Founded “by accident” while working part time as a designer for Ruscitto | Latham | Blanton Architectura (RLB), a local architecture firm, White Canvas was born when Latham got increasing referrals from clients and their friends. Seven years later, she continues to do both jobs.

An artist by training, Latham earned degrees in fine art and journalism from the University of Colorado. Upon graduation, she found herself loath to “sell my paintings on street corners,” as she put it, so she moved to San Francisco and worked as an apprentice with interior design firm Fisher Weisman. In the process of learning the business, she found her interest in green design peaked.

“Sustainable design can be as complex as a LEED-certified building [LEED is an acronym for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, a rating system developed by the U.S. Green Building Council to measure green building design, construction and maintenance]or as simple as a home furnished in an environmentally friendly way,” she explained. “Making a home green is really up to the individual, but it’s something I have knowledge of and I like to give my clients the ability to choose.”

Latham met her future husband in Lake Tahoe and he brought her to Hailey where she fell in love with the landscape. It was a simple twist of fate that her father-in-law was a partner in a firm that needed an interior designer. “I feel lucky to work in an architecture firm because I’ve learned a lot about the mechanics of design. What’s more important in this room—is it the view, the air temperature near the windows or the structural integrity of the building?” Latham mused.

A LEED-certified Associate Professional in Interior Design and Construction, Latham knows what she’s talking about. Karen Brown, who owns a 1970’s era condo on which Latham performed a facelift, swears by her. “Sarah’s very positive and upbeat. She allows you to make your own decisions without letting you make big mistakes. She could almost read my mind at times—I gave her a real general concept of what I wanted and she whittled down the choices to make sure I got what I wanted,” Brown recalled.

The challenges of building green in a mountain town are ubiquitous. “It’s a weights and balances thing. You try to make the best design decisions, because traveling outside of the area for products can defeat the purpose. I try to source a lot of local labor and craftsmen—and there’s an amazing amount of talent right here in this Valley,” noted Latham.

Latham offers prospective clients a free consultation so they can get to know her. “I create relationships with clients and walk away from projects with friends,” she said. “You really need to know clients on a personal level to make sure that you design spaces that make people happy.” -Jody Orr

Read more at Sun Valley Magazine's website: http://www.sunvalleymag.com/Sun-Valley-Home-and-Design/Fall-2012/Style-Makers/