Bauer/Clifton Interiors
Bauer/Clifton Interiors is an interior design firm located in Juneau, Alaska. Jeremy Bauer and Jason Clifton, the principals of Bauer/Clifton Interiors, are designers that share a passion for creating stylish, organic, and contemporary spaces.
Tell us a little history about Bauer/Clifton Interiors: When were you founded? We began working together in 2005. That year we completed Jaded/Zen and Sandpiper Cafe. These projects really gave us the attention that expanded our recognition throughout town and led us into really focusing on residential kitchen & bath remodels.
What do you do? We both have different skill sets so once we have gathered the necessary information from the client interview, we divide the job into the tasks that best suit our interests and skills. Jeremy works more with the spacial analysis, reworking the floor plan, completing the drawings, specifications of equipment and appliances, cabinetry, and works closely with the contractors on those particular issues. Jason completes all of the product & material selections, while also color analysis, furnishings, window coverings, and then also works with the contractors concerning the installation and specifications of these elements.
Who can benefit from your services? Our services benefit anyone interested in reworking an interior by achieving a solution that encompasses factors beyond just replacing the old with the new. Of course, our services can also be utilized for interior consultations regarding furnishings, interior & exterior consultations, and even home staging for those who are wanting to put their best foot forward when placing their home on the market.
Where are each of you from and what brought you to Alaska? Jeremy Bauer: I grew up on a farm in Kansas and moved to Juneau in 1994. I originally came up to work in the Summers during my college years and basically fell in love with Juneau and couldn’t stay away. I first worked at the Jewel Box and managed it for about 8 years; also becoming my first remodel in Juneau. Jason Clifton: I’m originally from Crawfordsville, Indiana, which is a community similar in size to Juneau. After first visiting Southeast Alaska via a cruise in 2004, it felt like a natural place to move to after school and to start my ‘adult’ life. I figured if Juneau didn’t stick, then I could always make my way down the West Coast, but Juneau obviously stuck on me!
What inspires you? Bauer: Nature is a huge inspiration. I’m always impressed with nature, how things grow, color combinations, and natural sequences such as the fibinanci numbers… Clifton: Anything and everything. It really just depends on the project. My clients typically serve as the greatest inspiration, as it’s often their own style and possessions collected over the years that guide me to truly customize a unique design around their needs and aesthetic. Of course, I also like to infuse my own aesthetic into every design that is often inspired by my travels and affinity towards contemporary spaces.
Besides your work, what do you enjoy doing for fun? Bauer: Camping is probably my favorite Alaskan past-time. Gardening, landscaping, painting, and woodworking are other hobbies that tend to make it into my professional life from time to time. Clifton: Yeah, pretty close to the same: camping, landscaping, traveling, and entertaining friends and family. Of course, a good sale never fails to entertain me either!
Tell us something about Bauer/ Clifton Interiors that we might not have known before? We have been co-sponsoring the Wearable Arts event – Juneau Arts and Humanities’ largest fundraiser for the last 8 years. This year the show’s theme is Fusion. The process for this show starts every October with initial planning that lasts until the end of January, when we start building the set for the installation of the show in February.
What kinds of things is Bauer/Clifton doing to sustain the idea of green living? When possible, we like to incorporate as many products that take much consideration in producing their goods in an eco-responsible way. Showplace Wood Cabinetry, Liebherr, & Duro-Design flooring are just a few of the companies that manufacture sustainable goods in environmentally friendly facilities; in fact, Liebherr is the industry leader in the green manufacturing of their refridgeration appliances. We have also recently started incorporate LED lighting into many of our remodels as well; a great alternative to halogen & incandescent bulbs that uses a fraction of energy and still maintains a warm glow for superior lighting. As far as construction goes, we often source lumber from the Icy Straights Lumber Mill located in Hoonah; as this helps support regional manufacturing and achieve minimal transportation. We also strive to find new homes for the original cabinetry, windows, furniture, & appliances that are removed from each house too. Through advertising these goods on Free Cycle, Craig’s List, and the Problem Corner. Through these measures, along with recycling, we’ve been able to prevent a large amount of these goods from going to the landfill.
What is your favorite Bauer/Clifton achievement? Completing each project and seeing the absolute joy on our clients’ faces is always rewarding. While everyone involved with each project is aware of what the final outcome will be, their surprise and sense of disbelief that this is “actually my home” ensures us that we did our job well. Of course, we’re also really excited about our new design studio too!
Tell us about your new design studio downtown? We are located in a historic building at 119A 2nd Street in downtown Juneau. The studio offers several stations for the designers to operate from. It also incorporates a centralized area for meeting with clients and contractors that is constructed of kitchen cabinetry and a beautiful white marble top designed to give it the appearance that it’s a piece of furniture instead. We’ve also incorporated several design styles in the space from modern to traditional and demonstrate how we effectively make them all work together using specific design methods to ensure that everything is cohesive even though it’s fairly eclectic. The remaining cabinetry stores our product sample library of hundreds of tile samples, cabinetry, lighting, fabrics, flooring, Hunter Douglas window coverings, and even fabrics for Kravet & Norwalk furniture lines. There are even appliances installed for demonstration as well. One of our personal favorites being the Sharp Microwave Drawer that we have installed in our working kitchen located in the front reception area of the space.
Where do you get your project materials from? We source our materials from some of the top designers, manufactures, and suppliers from all over the world. Fortunately the majority of these materials are stocked in the Pacific Northwest so that we’re able to maintain quick timelines and low shipping costs. Many of our other goods, such as furnishings and window coverings, are made in the USA which is also something we’re proud to represent as well.
What is the best part of your job? Being able to work with such a wide variety of different people in our community. From contractors to clients, each one makes every project unique; leaving us to never really know what’s right around that next corner.
Photos by Alan Corbett Photography. More information about Bauer/Clifton Interiors can be found on their website at www.bauerclifton.com.