The Oracle of Delphi in Ancient Greece offers wisdom for those wishing to find an interior designer: “Know Thyself.”
Before contacting anyone, think about your decorating wants and needs. The first step in this process is to consider some questions that an interior designer will ask regarding your project:
Why – really, this is the most important question to answer. What is motivating you to undertake this effort? Be honest now. If you’re sick and tired of listening to that Marge Jones talk about her “exclusive this” and “designer that”, and want to show her a thing or two – then acknowledge it, and make sure that your decorator knows it as well.
- Are you thinking of selling your home in the not-too-distant future, and want to maximize its value?
- Have you just purchased a house with a décor that, to put it charitably, is not compatible with your personal aesthetic?
- Does the incredibly inefficient layout of your kitchen lead you to believe that its original designer had never actually seen a kitchen prior to creating yours?
- Are your furniture, rugs and walls in need of a refresh after years of wear-and-tear have taken its toll?
- Has your taste and design sense matured since the last time you painted and furnished your home (each and every one of us has said at some point “what the hell was I thinking of when I (fill in the blank)”).
There are infinite reasons to (re)decorate a home – but you need to identify the ones that are true for you.
Contact Julie Risman to discuss your San Antonio interior decorating needs.
Where – given the popularity of today’s open floor plans, defining the “space” is a trickier question than it first seems to be. Where does a kitchen update start and end in a space where there are no physical boundaries between the kitchen and the family room?
- What area is being considered for redesign?
- What is its purpose?
- What activities will take place there?
When – how soon do you want to begin?
- How much time have you allotted for completion?
- Is there a deadline that absolutely cannot slip?
- How long can your household graciously accommodate the inevitable dislocation and upheaval before the inconvenience begins to manifest itself in unpleasant ways?
What – exactly what are you seeking to accomplish? How will this living space be different after all of the work has been done? Not necessarily “what do you want to do?”, but “what do you want the outcome to be when the dust (literally) settles?” This is where a good designer will be worth their weight in gold – it may be entirely possible to achieve your goals without a major remodel that turns your home into a construction site for weeks at a time.
Who – Buddhist monks in Tibet create ritual sand paintings called “Sand Mandala”, reflecting colorful and intricate patterns of geometric shapes and a multitude of ancient spiritual symbols. The painstaking process takes several days, and almost as soon as it’s been completed, the mandala is ceremoniously destroyed as a metaphor for the impermanence of life.
Unless you intend your design project to be your own personal statement about the fleeting nature of all things, it is essential to consider who (and what) will come into contact with your redesigned space. The corrosive effect of children and pets on furniture, rugs, walls, etc., has been well-documented. But what impact will traffic patterns have on the room? Or smoke and splatters from cooking oil?
“Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.”
Your decorator won’t be able to create the perfect room for you unless you’re able to communicate just what you want. The more information you can give to your designer, the more likely it is that you will be content with the outcome. It’s often easier to use images rather than words to convey your thoughts about the space under consideration, your aesthetic preferences, and your vision of the outcome.
One of the best ways to do this is to tear out pictures from magazines and newspapers. Even if it’s a photo from National Geographic article on the Amazon that just so happens to capture that perfect shade of moss that you love, clip it. Subscribe to a number of interior design magazines, and shred them for images that strike a chord – even if only in a small way – within you.
Maybe it’s the feeling of the room. Or the style of one of the pieces of furniture. Or the design of the window treatments. The more clues you can give the designer as to your lifestyle, your likes and dislikes, the easier, less time consuming, and less expensive the design process will be.
Don’t limit yourself to photos of the space that you want to have designed. Maybe a design feature of a bathroom sink that you’re admiring could be applied to the bedroom you want to decorate. Photos of rooms, colors and styles that you wouldn’t be caught dead in can also provide a decorator with valuable clues to your personal design style.
If it speaks to you, clip it.
Why stop with magazines? The internet is full of images that can easily be dragged to your desktop. Here’s a neat trick: find magazine advertisements of home furnishings that you like – and then go to their manufacturer’s websites. You’ll often find far more images to choose from, and usually can even download a full catalog of the products they offer. Are you seeking inspiration from art or history? Every museum worth its salt has a website, some of which are outstanding. The Metropolitan Museum of Art website is a superb resource for images and information about historical artistic and interior design styles.
Always keep in mind the more information you provide, the more successful your decorator will be in meeting your needs and expectations. Designers are rarely mind-readers.
How much is all this going to cost? (Part 1): More importantly, the real question to ask yourself is: “how much do I want to spend?” It is absolutely essential that you share this information with your decorator, so that they are able to deliver the most value for your dollar. Knowing your budget will allow your design professional to offer you the most creative options within your means, and prevent them from researching and proposing ideas that are out of range.
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>> contact Julie Risman to discuss your San Antonio interior decorating needs.
