Column: Stretch your design time

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Interior designer's  hand working with illustration sketch and c

Once you have made the decision to pull your home together with the help of a design professional, it is time to do some homework. You can glean far more from your designer’s visits if you have done some easy prep work in advance.

Determine your budget

This is critical even if you have no idea how much to expect. It begins the conversation. If a client tells me that they expect a new, quality sofa to be around $600, I know that it has been quite a while since they have been shopping so I am able to manage expectations early in the process.
Whether your budget is a hundred dollars or a hundred thousand dollars, it is so important to determine in advance how much money you would like to spend on your decorating project. This information is critical to your designer in that it determines what sources can be utilized. To show you something way beyond the scope of your budget is frustrating and a waste of time while proposing something that is way below your expectations will be a huge disappointment.

What is your style?
You may not have a name for it but you can probably recognize a room that takes your breath away in a photograph. Hang on to those pictures as those files of rooms and furnishings that “wow” you are a jump start for your design project!

What has to stay and what can go?

Be realistic here. Please don’t tell your designer that everything can go when, in reality, your husband, is attached at the hip to his leather recliner and secretly, your heart would be broken if grandma’s rocker were removed.

Whatever is deemed disposable should remain until your designer has had an opportunity to see it. Re-upholstery might breathe new life into a solid sofa that is currently wearing threadbare fabric. A neglected furniture piece can be painted, thus allowing you to stretch the decorating dollar. A simple change such as moving a piece to another room might make all the difference.

How long do you plan on living in your home?
If you are planning to reside in your home for many years to come, the design result will improve the quality of your life and will be an investment towards the point when you do place your home market. If, however, you plan to move again in a few years, choose design materials that will have wide appeal for home sale profitability without sacrificing design personality.

What are the functions for your new space?
Your decorator will want to know how you plan to utilize your new space and how you live. Think about things such as how your family watches television. Do you sit in a chair or lie on the sofa? Do you eat in this room? Do you entertain guests and how many? If you read in this room, your designer will need to know this so that appropriate lighting is planned. Flooring options, for example, are recommended according to how your space will function. Some carpet fibers are more durable than others and will wear better over time. Will your new room function as a dual space such as a home office and guest room? It is a good idea to mention to your designer any potential changes that you anticipate for your future such as kids and pets.

Any organizing issues?

One thing that we ask of clients is to avoid picking up before a first visit.
If organizational issues are a problem, your designer can develop creative solutions. If you need space for a particular function, perhaps to pay bills or deal with mail, your decorator can make allowances for this in the design.

Decorating a single room or an entire home can be an overwhelming while coupled with feelings of delight and excitement. With a bit of forethought about your project, you can achieve more of your design professional’s time and expertise.


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Stay CURRENT with our daily newsletter (M-F) and breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox for free!

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By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: . You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact

Column: Stretch your design time

0

Interior designer's  hand working with illustration sketch and c

Once you have made the decision to pull your home together with the help of a design professional, it is time to do some homework. You can glean far more from your designer’s visits if you have done some easy prep work in advance.

Determine your budget

This is critical even if you have no idea how much to expect. It begins the conversation. If a client tells me that they expect a new, quality sofa to be around $600, I know that it has been quite a while since they have been shopping so I am able to manage expectations early in the process.
Whether your budget is a hundred dollars or a hundred thousand dollars, it is so important to determine in advance how much money you would like to spend on your decorating project. This information is critical to your designer in that it determines what sources can be utilized. To show you something way beyond the scope of your budget is frustrating and a waste of time while proposing something that is way below your expectations will be a huge disappointment.

What is your style?
You may not have a name for it but you can probably recognize a room that takes your breath away in a photograph. Hang on to those pictures as those files of rooms and furnishings that “wow” you are a jump start for your design project!

What has to stay and what can go?

Be realistic here. Please don’t tell your designer that everything can go when, in reality, your husband, is attached at the hip to his leather recliner and secretly, your heart would be broken if grandma’s rocker were removed.

Whatever is deemed disposable should remain until your designer has had an opportunity to see it. Re-upholstery might breathe new life into a solid sofa that is currently wearing threadbare fabric. A neglected furniture piece can be painted, thus allowing you to stretch the decorating dollar. A simple change such as moving a piece to another room might make all the difference.

How long do you plan on living in your home?
If you are planning to reside in your home for many years to come, the design result will improve the quality of your life and will be an investment towards the point when you do place your home market. If, however, you plan to move again in a few years, choose design materials that will have wide appeal for home sale profitability without sacrificing design personality.

What are the functions for your new space?
Your decorator will want to know how you plan to utilize your new space and how you live. Think about things such as how your family watches television. Do you sit in a chair or lie on the sofa? Do you eat in this room? Do you entertain guests and how many? If you read in this room, your designer will need to know this so that appropriate lighting is planned. Flooring options, for example, are recommended according to how your space will function. Some carpet fibers are more durable than others and will wear better over time. Will your new room function as a dual space such as a home office and guest room? It is a good idea to mention to your designer any potential changes that you anticipate for your future such as kids and pets.

Any organizing issues?

One thing that we ask of clients is to avoid picking up before a first visit.
If organizational issues are a problem, your designer can develop creative solutions. If you need space for a particular function, perhaps to pay bills or deal with mail, your decorator can make allowances for this in the design.

Decorating a single room or an entire home can be an overwhelming while coupled with feelings of delight and excitement. With a bit of forethought about your project, you can achieve more of your design professional’s time and expertise.


Current Morning Briefing Logo

Stay CURRENT with our daily newsletter (M-F) and breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox for free!

Select list(s) to subscribe to



By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: . You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact
Share.

Current Morning Briefing Logo

Stay CURRENT with our daily newsletter (M-F) and breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox for free!

Select list(s) to subscribe to



By submitting this form, you are consenting to receive marketing emails from: . You can revoke your consent to receive emails at any time by using the SafeUnsubscribe® link, found at the bottom of every email. Emails are serviced by Constant Contact