Anna Marie Fanelli isn’t about to let her clients settle for what everyone else is doing.  The award-winning designer believes a home should reflect the owner’s personal style.  “The way one’s home is designed is just as meaningful a style choice–and presentation of oneself–as the way one dresses,” says Fanelli.  “It’s all about how the space comes alive.  It’s about energy.” Over the past 20 years, Fanelli, co-owner of
Floor & Décor in Tenafly, has designed homes for the most discriminating clients in New Jersey—and beyond—offering tile, stone, plumbing, hardware, lighting, fireplaces and more for both new construction and renovation projects.

On behalf of Confindustria Ceramica, the Association of Italian Ceramics, and Italian Trade Commission, Fanelli’s work has been selected as Honorable Mention in the Residential category of the 2012 Ceramics of Italy Tile Competition for an NY Residence.  With steep competition in the Residential category, the Honorable Mention award was based on the project’s functionality, visual appeal, original, use of tile and overall design.

For two years in a row, Anna Marie was honored by Coverings, the largest international tile and stone trade show, and Environmental Design + Construction magazine for a “green” bathroom that won their
“PROJECT: Green” competition.  This year, her PROJECT: Green submission did demonstrate visionary ideas with regards to sustainability and the use of tile and stone.  The project was showcased in the “PROJECT: Green Idea Center” onsite at Coverings 2012.  She was also one of only 42 female entrepreneurs nationwide chosen to be featured in the book
Never Underestimate the Strength of Women (Jas Literary Publishing).

Fanelli’s work has been showcased in The New York Times, Newsday,
The Bergen Record, The Star-Ledger, on TV’s Best for Less, News 12 New Jersey, WABC Morning Show and in numerous consumer and design-industry magazines, including Better Homes and Gardens Kitchen Makeovers, Better Homes and Gardens Bath Makeovers, Natural Home, Design NJ, Kitchen Style & Design, TILE, New Jersey Life, Stone World, Small Room Decorating and Contemporary Stone and Tile Design.  She also wrote a regular column for New York Spaces and Bergen Health and Life magazines and is a frequent guest on a variety of radio talk shows.

Fanelli regularly serves as a home fashion expert speaker at industry trade shows such as Coverings and Surfaces, and she spoke on behalf of the Italian Trade Commission about artistic tiles from the region of Campania to an audience of architects, designers and journalists.  She is a member of the Marble Institute of America and the National Kitchen & Bath Association, as well as a member of the Tenafly Chamber of Commerce.

Fanelli grew up in Cresskill, N.J., where her Italian-immigrant parents “instilled in me a strong work ethic and the importance of education, kindness and respect to all,” she says.  After graduating from Muhlenberg College in Allentown, PA., (where she now serves on the Board of Directors), Fanelli spent a successful 15 years in advertising and marketing before beginning her design career.

“Many peoople don’t think of tile and stone applications as having any home outside the kitchen and bathroom. That’s where they are missing tremendous opportunities to define their own personal style and fashion.”
“The key to creating world-class elegance and style outdoors with tile and stone is not having a big space or a big budget, but knowing how to best utilize what you have through the right mix of materials to achieve the same level of elegance that is achieved in the interiors of the most stylish homes. Small budgets and tiny spaces are the perfect place for big doses of creativity.”
Hear more about what Anna Marie has to say on her blog…

My skill is intuition & perception. I really get to know my clients, and that sets my work apart. In the planning phase, I pay close attention to certain things about my clients:

• • What they touch: The world of home design is very tactile—the tile, the faucets, the plumbing. I watch people roam around a showroom or my studio, I see what they gravitate toward, and that gives me an overall direction.
• • What they wear: If someone is always wearing black and neutrals, I’m not going to throw greens and oranges at them. At the end of the day, they will not be stepping out of that box.
• • What kind of energy they generate: They may be like me, a Type A who likes a lot of color and movement in living and working space. Or they may be subdued, quiet and reflective—qualities they’ll want in their own personal spaces.
• • And, of course, what they say: People are very savvy these days. They come in having done a fair amount of research, with examples from the Internet, or from magazines. They might not be able to articulate the exact shapes they want, but they can guide you with overall themes—the colors they like, the feel they want. And then we have a starting point.

Beyond that, it’s essential to appreciate the architecture of the space, either by walking through it or looking at the plans. Is it traditional, contemporary, transitional? Does it work with the kinds of things the client is saying about design?

Once I know what the space looks like and what the color element is, my approach is very systematic: We pick the tile design, then the plumbing, the vanity, the lights, and so on. When you’re organized, it’s easy to go to the next step.

Here’s what my design approach is not about: the latest trends. I’m on top of what they are, of course. But I don’t care what it is—if it doesn’t fit you, the client, it’s not happening.