IP Focus: Susanna Bassanini

The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) is a community of people—designers, industry representatives, educators and students—committed to interior design. Through education, knowledge sharing, advocacy, community building and outreach, the Society strives to advance the interior design profession and, in the process, to demonstrate and celebrate the power of design to positively change people’s lives. Its more than 38,000 members engage in a variety of professional programs and activities through a network of 48 chapters throughout the United States and Canada.

The Oregon Chapter has chosen to focus on Susanna Bassanini, owner of Carpet Expressions, as their second quarter Industry Partner. We thought the background of Bassanini was sufficiently interesting, that we wanted to reprint part of the quarterly newsletter.


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Susanna Bassanini is currently Board Member of ASID as the Communications Director in charge of the newsletter, news flash, website and public relations. She has extensive experience in information technology with a degree in Management Computer Systems and a life, prior to Carpet Expressions, managing a team that tested web sites and software systems that gave management tools to run large enterprises more efficiently.


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Susanna (sounds like sooze ahna) has a need for the mathematical, linear thinking, as evidenced by her mathamatics minor in college. However, she had a need for the creative as a counterweight. She nourished that creative side, as a corporate IT person, by taking lots of watercolor classes. Still feeling unfulfilled, she wrote down four goals: she wanted to be in design; she wanted to be involved in color; she wanted to work in or near home; and she wanted to be her own boss. She took a class in rug crafting and she was on her way.

Now she has her office in her home in the Multnomah Village neighborhood on almost 13,000 sq. ft. lot and a workshop in the garage. Not to ignore the mathematical side, she uses those skills measuring, ordering carpet, figuring out repeats, running her business. She has a comfort with numbers. Susanna’s IT background is helpful as she built and maintains her own website, carpetexpressions.com. Her watercolor background is helpful as she designs the rugs that she fabricates She and her husband Augusto, spend many hours landscaping and entertaining in their yard with their chocolate lab, Shelby. She’s been married 7 years to Augusto who’s from Italy. They frequently travel to visit his family in Milan, Italy.


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Susanna said of her position as board member of ASID, ASID is a volunteer organization and offers a number of benefits to designers and IPs. She feels a duty to give back to the organization and encourages others to do the same.

She feels strongly that designers need a web presence and ASID has an inexpensive program that gets your web page connected to the asidoregon.org site. It’s a great way to show prospective customers your portfolio.

Susanna is a vivacious and energetic young woman who enjoys spending time with her family, friends and pets. The DVR is her favorite piece of technology, so she doesn’t miss an episode of 24 or American Idol, and can skip the commercials. Her biggest business goal is to have a larger workshop.

Carpet Expressions
Phone: 503.348.5973

Bev & Mike
Landfair Furniture + Design Gallery