Eric Lieberknecht Design
Eric Lieberknecht Design
205 South Union Street
Alexandria, VA 22314
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(703) 519-3790
Design Professionals
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Eric Lieberknecht
About Eric Lieberknecht
In 1996, after a decade working for advertising agencies, I slipped into the world of custom woodwork, succumbing to a family gene prone to construction and furniture making. I apprenticed with kitchen design firms in San Francisco and Atlanta, then spent a decade as the sole designer for another here in Washington DC. I ultimately hung my own shingle in 2007, conceiving and executing tailored cabinetwork for any room of the home.
Q&A with Eric Lieberknecht
Where do you find design inspiration?
Hank Page: Design inspiration can come from many different places depending on the project; however it usually starts from something that’s important to the specific client. Perhaps they have a piece of furniture somewhere in their home that embodies a certain feeling. They might not be able to identify exactly what they love and that’s where our job as designers comes in. With the kitchen being so much a part of most people’s daily lives, we look for elements that will strengthen the emotional connection that they will develop with the space.
How do you approach the design process?
Eric Lieberknecht: Two steps forward, one back. My initial thinking is pragmatic, roughing out the functional space plan. Then the esthetic effort begins, developing the shape and feel of the space and its contents. This often begs me to revisit some of that initial pragmatism, the final plan being the result of this friendly tug of war between form and function.
What makes your aesthetic stand out amongst other designers?
Hank: We strive to create designs that are timeless, with a focus on clean lines and traditional elements. We love to play with different textures and often feel that less is more, with an effort to minimize the number of decorative elements within each space.
What is the greatest value you provide to your clients?
Eric: Perhaps applying as much left-brain thinking as right. Considering day-to-day function, how the household needs to operate, as much as how the space appears and feels. And maybe a little restraint – pulling back the desire for every element of the space to be a star, which of course results in nothing being a star – including the space as a whole.
