“With parents who built a new home each of the eight times we moved, I have been around the grass roots of building homes all of my life. I begged for my first design project at 12 years old. In order to design my new safari themed bedroom complete with a rattan swing chair I hit the streets selling Avon door to door.” Anne-Marie Barton has come a long way since her first job, which included one of the same iconic ‘70s swing chairs you may see in her projects today. Now, as the principal and owner of AMB Design, a high-end, start to finish interior design firm in Utah, she enjoys work from coast-to-coast.
Barton’s penchant for embracing challenging projects results in quite a range of residential, commercial and hospitality clients. “What distinguishes our firm may be our range of styles along with our abilities to work deeply with the architectural planning and all build/design needs. At heart, we are designers who crave a challenge and step out of our comfort zone to create within every genre,” says Barton. AMB Design specializes in the “turnkey experience,” meaning they provide complete design builds while ushering the client through the whole process from architect to builder and then polished design. “Our goal is to create an experience of ease and enjoyment resulting in an emotional attachment providing client’s a more beautiful life.” says Barton.
Though she enjoys work outside of Utah, Barton is most proud of the work and design she does in her local stomping grounds. “Being from Connecticut originally, I understand the naivety of those outside of our state when it comes to realizing the amount of design and style here. There is absolutely no lack of fine design here. Utah has everything from high-end, organic modern to refined, traditional classic homes.
Q&A
Q. How does your personality influence your business?
I’ve always said that this job is not made for the faint of heart. Having a good amount of confidence is equally as important as your aesthetic vision. I believe in the my own 50/50 Rule: A home must be based on 50% aesthetic, 50% practical. Ultimately, I believe anything practical can be beautiful.”
Q. What is satisfying about your work?
“I literally eat, drink and sleep what I do. Surpassing the expectations of my clients usually means little sleep, but it’s worth it!”
