Jo Ann Bellistri
Flynn Interior Design, LLC is a full service residential and commercial design firm. Whether your project is new construction or just decorative, the Flynn Interior Design team is dedicated to creating a space that tells your story and fits your needs. We take pride in transforming spaces by unifying function, quality and beauty to create harmonious interiors.
Jo Ann Bellistri, Principal Designer earned a Bachelor of Science at California State University, Chico and is attending Metropolitan Institute of Interior Design in Syosset, New York. Jo Ann has had a passion for interior design for decades and has completed numerous commercial and residential projects in the New York area.
Q&A with Jo Ann
What inspired you to become an interior designer?
Loved it for years, done it for years, but informally. I designed my husband’s office. I have been renovating my own home room-by-room and not only did I enjoy doing it, but friends would ask me who I used, that each room made a different statement... had a unique feel. When I told them that I used myself they your comment that I had “such a good eye”. And maybe that’s true but I think design is so much more than visual. It releases the emotion inside a person… makes them feel that a room carries a certain weight, from a place to relax to a space of reverence, and everything in-between.
So that’s what I am doing now, complimenting my lifelong informal pursuit with a formal education in design. It’s so interesting that a lot of it – the rules of design – I know and follow them instinctively, and consistently. Like the rule about modern design, in which one should use short furniture with high ceilings. With every project, my interest in learning more and more about interior design is amplified… and I want to transfer this knowledge to other people and help them have the environment that most brings them joy.
As a designer, what inspires you?
My inspiration… is you. An environment must reflect the people living in it. The personalities of the family members… their passions… what inspires them. Everything contains a certain amount of inspiration, but my interiors truly are an extension of what inspires my clients. It’s a full circle.
For myself, nature inspires me and is reflected in my own home. I’m obsessed with trees, animals, textures in nature. For example, I have a table made from a dead tree that my husband cut down. I love it because of the story it tells—the beauty of the life it lived and the utility value of what it brings to the room. So my natural inclination is to bring in some of these elements into my clients’ projects. But it has to resonate with them as much as it does with me.
Do you have a particular style and if so how would you describe it?
So that is kind of a trick question because I know what I like. But it does not necessarily translate into what I do for a client. So this answer is couched in that mindset. That being said, while I don’t want to use the word bohemian, that’s what truly appeals to me – a little bit of ethnic flair – mixed with modern –that is uncluttered and clean. I like to mix in vintage – as well as pieces and object d’art that are a little unexpected and eclectic. I really appreciate vintage stuff but mixed with modern space to give the room a really interesting take. I also like lines… when I mix straight and curvy with modern and softened. Makes for an interesting eye flow.
How do you approach a new client to make them feel comfortable?
The key is not so much to define my style but to recognize and help clients carry out their vision. I design around elements that are foundational to a room, but I insert the client’s design touch on it to make it their own. I can make most anything work… even to take the worst element and make it lovable.
It all emanates from my kickoff client interview, which is interesting. Most people want nothing to do with the process – “this is my style, just design it” — but as they begin to talk about their likes and dislikes and what inspires them personally, it’s like opening up an onion layer-by-layer until you have a great mix of what represents them combined with what works in the particular environment.
How do you work with what a client already has and loves?
If there are room elements or furniture that has special meaning for a client, I make it work. Period. I understand the emotional attachment to these pieces and the memories they generate. So I complement these elements with other elements that all contributes to the feel of the room… what makes it really work for the client.
What are your thoughts regarding functionality vs visual appeal?
There is not a break here – you have to have both. There is nothing that will make a beautiful element ugly more quickly than poor utility value. It’s a balance, and not a compromise.
What are your thoughts on sustainable design, and materials?
It’s critical for me personally, and for the planet as well. I know that sounds crazy because sure, it’s only a room, but the mindset that it contributes to is very important. When someone walks into a room and feels the quality… the fact that the materials took sustainable practices into play makes the entire story of the room so much more enriching.
I walk the walk too — I’m a vegetarian, I buy vegan leather, I’ve been an environmentalist for years, and in fact started an organization called Earth Matters Now to educate and influence local politicians who have something to say about the environment.
When designing a room, what is the most important factor to consider?
The wants, needs, loves, passions, and inner spirit of the client. Oh yes, also proper lighting, as well as mixing style types.