Design is a very personal thing. Whether for your home or your desk at the office, we all have this need to make things our own. A little flair. A little show of personality. Tons of throw pillows on your couch or a succulent at the table if that is what strikes your fancy.
As an Interior Designer, it is important to combine my thoughts and expertise on a project with the desired vibe and aesthetic of the client. This collaboration is a very special dance and is my favorite part of the design process.
When approaching a new project, one of the first questions I have for the client is: “What do you want to feel like when you walk into the door each day?” This query results in a myriad of answers: Relaxed and casual? Edgy and creative? Polished and opulent? Once we nail down our design intent, the dance truly begins.
Many palettes start with a company’s logo because branding is important to businesses. That logo took hours and hours to develop and it should be thoughtfully integrated into the design. Sometimes you end up in a situation where the person in charge of design decisions hates the bright red logo. At that point, red may be a sneaky accent rather than a focal point.
My design process begins with making a mess. Samples everywhere! Carpet swatches, paint chips, tile patterns, the works! And from there, I curate what I feel are the best options for the client.
Through this mess process, you are basically seeing what sticks and what does not. Conflicting patterns? Clashing hues?
The next step is to present these options to the client, get feedback, and make tweaks as we go. A tile is chosen, carpets are swapped out, and new ideas are bounced off each other. At this point in the dance, you start feeling like you are learning all the necessary steps and begin to add your flair.
I like to make a digital board of the final selections as well as send a set of samples to the client. This becomes important during the final phases of construction because this digital board can be easily pulled up on an iPad or printed for a project folder to reference on site. The physical samples are extremely helpful for the client to use with their furniture vendor so they can pick out pieces thoughtfully. This extra step helps the process have less “I’ll get back to you on that” moments and more “OMG, check this out!” moments.
Finally, the day comes after construction meetings, job site walks, and final in-field adjustments and “HUZZAH” the new space is finished. I stand back and examine the final product, enjoying how we responded to our first question. Finishing the dance and taking a bow.
