Barbara Kaplan,

Interior Design & Lifestyle Consultant

Holistically connecting & colorizing your mindful choices
for mind, body & home

 

Voted Top 5 Interior Designer

2022 – 2024

in Ranking AZ

 

Guest Speaker on

TV, Radio, Podcasts & Live Events

Featured Columnist for Magazines & Newspapers

Phoenix Home & Garden, TRENDS Magazine, Green Living Magazine, Stroll in Paradise Valley

Scottsdale Tribune, City Sun Times.

 

My Artful Journey: From Antiques to Authentic Design

Art was my first word as a baby. Or at least, that’s how it seems. My parents were passionate antiques importers.  I had the privilege of growing up surrounded by exquisite 18th and 19th-century artifacts.

But life has a way of evolving. In my thirties, I decided to sell my home, a treasure trove of antiques, and purchase a sleek, contemporary residence. It was a pivotal moment when I realized that I no longer wanted to live among antiques. Those pieces were a part of my heritage, but they no longer resonated with who I had become or my current tastes. So, I embarked on a radical journey. I sold absolutely everything I owned – and I mean everything. With just the bare necessities, I moved into my new contemporary abode and embraced a minimalist lifestyle for about a year. It was a conscious choice to unburden myself from irreplaceable antiques. I needed to see how I would feel waking up without my beloved pieces. The result? I felt liberated!

This marked the beginning of my personal design voyage of self-discovery. It was a challenging yet exhilarating experience.

I practiced what I preached! Over the years, working closely with clients, I came to realize that I wasn’t merely decorating rooms; I was assisting individuals in expressing themselves through their design choices. My own design journey required me to reassess my choices with fresh perspectives and remain open to all possibilities. I began asking myself questions like “Can I truly live with this?” and “Will I still adore it a week or a year from now?” This is precisely how I collaborate with my clients!

Creation of The Bajaro Method

These insights and experiences are exactly what I share in my book, “The Bajaro Method,” which has evolved over three decades of immersion in the design industry. My approach to interior design is grounded in the fusion of beauty and well-being. I firmly believe that authentic “interior” design emerges from within ourselves. Once you grasp the concept that “Rooms Have No Feelings, You Do,” you’ll understand how The Bajaro Method can help you steer clear of costly mistakes, sidestep buyer’s remorse, and, most importantly, create a personal sanctuary without self-doubt.

“I relish serving as the catalyst for this transformation in my clients’ lives.”

Creation of Barbara’s Picks

The next chapter in my design journey unfolded with the birth of Barbara’s Picks in June 2015. I recognized the vendors I worked with were the “Best of the Best.” Their expertise and commitment to excellence were awe-inspiring. I wanted to share this treasure trove of knowledge with my clients – those who yearned to craft a lifestyle that authentically mirrored their essence through their living spaces. However, I also realized that these experts were not always adept at marketing themselves. That’s where Barbara’s Picks stepped in. 

The Barbara’s Picks Directory is an exclusive online listing featuring high-quality companies, offering consumers a curated selection of products and exceptional customer service.

Barbara’s Picks is more than a directory; it’s a community of professionals and like-minded consumers. It’s a passion project that has become the heart of my life’s work. Barbara’s Picks raises awareness and champions the finest interior design and lifestyle companies to empower consumers to lead their most beautiful and joyful lives in every environment.

My greatest pleasure is discussing design! You’ll find me as a frequent guest on podcasts, in written publications, on television, at public speaking engagements, and within the design industry’s vibrant events. I maintain an active social media presence as a design authority and influencer. The thrill of interviewing experts and thought leaders and discovering new products and services is my source of excitement. When I get to share that knowledge, it feels like a harmonious circle completing itself for me.

 

  Biography

• Graduate Fashion Institute of Technology, NYC.
• Worked as Interior Designer on Madison Avenue, NYC.
• Established Design Dimensions, an interior  design & lifestyle firm specializing in healing environments, Phoenix, Arizona.
• Creator and author of The Bajaro Method: Rooms Have No Feelings, YOU Do! 
• Created certification for design and lifestyle professionals in The Bajaro Method.
• Established Barbara’s Picks & Clicks, On-line Resource Directory for designers and consumers to connect to “Only the Best” quality design & lifestyle companies.
• Consultant for marketing, to promote and connect companies for success.
• Design and lifestyle columnist magazines and newspapers.
• Design & Lifestyle Editor for Trends Magazine spotlighting current design and lifestyle products, people and places.
• Speaker and creator of Interior Design Seminars and Events.
• Past president of International Furnishings and Design Association and Women At The Top. Barbara is a lifetime member of American Society of Interior Designers, Industry Partner of American Society of Interior Designers, and other industry related organizations.
• Devoted her career to growing and raising the level of professionalism in the interior design world.
• Empowering people to feel comfortable “being their own ‘interior’ designer.”
• Interior Design for Holistic & Mindful Living Consultant. Creating Healing Energy Through Designed Environments…A Healthy, Beautiful Way of Living.
• Creator of Your ZoomRoom.com. Barbara enhances backgrounds, image, brand and market presence for individuals and companies when on video-conferencing calls.
• My clients call me their Environmental Psychologist-which I love the most?