When you wake up in the morning at home you should open your eyes and think, "This bedroom is beautiful." And when you return home and open the door you should say, "Ah, my home, this is my favorite place."
This is what everyone wants, but something stands in the way, and that is the tendency to look outward rather than inward. This is a common scenario: You look at all the images of well-designed rooms in magazines, on the internet, and on TV. These rooms look warm and welcoming, so why not try to copy them? You then buy what was featured and fill your home with the latest trends. The result can be disappointment. Your home doesn't feel like home. You don't feel a connection to the color scheme or the trendy furniture the truck just delivered. You wonder what you did wrong. You say to yourself, "I thought I had to have charcoal gray in my home for it to look current. But I really don't like the color." Or, "I loved the bed in the showroom but I hate it now." Or, simply, "I can't take everything back, so what do I do now?"
At this point, people often call me. First, I calm them down. Then I make a house call. I make an informal inventory and ask questions. I want them to look inward. What furniture do you like and dislike? What pieces don't work in your life now? What color have you always liked to be surrounded by? And: What's your budget? I tell them they have to be realistic. After all, it doesn't make sense to visit a Rolls Royce dealership if all you can afford is a Chevy. But you can have a beautiful, wonderful interior at any budget.
The best results come when my client is clear on the budget, color, lifestyle, a wish list, and is actively involved in the planning. Even if you work with an interior design professional, you need to know what your dream room looks like. Any well-designed interior begins with a plan. The plan is based on the six elements of design: style, function, color, materials/texture, lighting and accessories/equipment. Your plan and six key elements are all based on your personal needs and desires. Filling your space with what you love, being in a room surrounded by your selections, will make your heart sing.
This is the introduction to a group of blogs that will show you how an interior designer approaches a project, whether a bathroom re-design or an 18-room home. The goal is to guide you to creating rooms you love.
