Why You Shouldn't Cherry Pick Design Advice
How to Work Best with an Interior Designer
How many times have you asked your friend, neighbor, a relative or just someone else about something you are thinking of purchasing for your home? Admit it, you've probably done it. Making a selection in isolation for DIY renovation projects is the single biggest cause of disappointment. Free advice can sabotage your renovation.
A better approach is to have us create a plan or storyboard for your room or larger project. Those plans are called storyboards because they tell a story, your story. Fabrics, finishes, paint selections, even shape and style of furniture are included in your plan. Design does not happen by accident. We have found over the years, that the best way to guarantee our clients' satisfaction is provide a more comprehensive design package and provide the guidance to get it right the first time.
"Design Does Not Happen By Accident."
Choosing a piece at a time is not how design works. Often people choose finishes and soft furnishings for their home on a need-to-have basis. For example, they purchase a new sofa to replace one that has worn out, but nothing else in the room. The new sofa arrives, but doesn't work well with the existing rug, tables, lamps, or even artwork. Worse yet, the sofa can be the wrong scale and size for the room. So now what? They then start the hunt for a new rug and the search continues. No plan was in place. This can be an expensive way to update a home.
"Those Plans are Called Storyboards Because They Tell a Story, Your Story."
Another common occurrence is that they head to the store to replace flooring, whether it be wood, tile, carpet or a combination. This is not a decision that should be made in isolation, without considering stain and paint finishes of walls, cabinets, doors, etc. and how the floors should flow throughout the home. That one decision impacts many other things.
Often, they will ask a designer to validate their own choices. It can be a bit like asking a doctor for medial advice at a cocktail party. Access to our advice and design advice, in general, doesn't work like that. Design is a holistic process.
If you want to pick a designer's brain and get the benefit of a designer's expertise, you really need more than a quick response from a text or picture of an item, especially for expensive decisions like flooring or countertops. We like to tell clients, "we're all good at some things, but we're not all good at everything." This is why we have professions like accounting, lawyers, real estate, and yes, even interior design.
"Design is a Holistic Process."
So, the better approach is to have a plan or storyboard for your project. A more comprehensive design package will provide the guidance to help you get it right the first time and provide the basis to build on over time.
Hope these insights help as you tackle your next home project.
If you'd like to receive design expertise from the K. Rue Designs team, give us a call at (210) 274-3637 or click on the button below.
