Lise's Design Musings

Expect and demand more from interior design. You've definitely heard of some design terms already - floating floors, COM, faux finishes, commercial grade, earth-friendly & green products, low VOCs, reuse, redesign, refurbish, sub-contractors, home staging, organization - oh how the design field has evolved.

One simplistic way of looking at what goes into an interior design plan is maybe that we spend lots of time matching fabric patterns to your carpet. But the really good designers have gotta know way more stuff about way more stuff.I love design books, and I laughed out loud when I read a quote from Candice Olsen's book (I think it was from Candice Olson on Design) about how most people approach her and tell her how glamorous they think being a designer is. It's actually the same thing people told me about modeling - I'd think "What is so glamorous about lots of hot lights, heavy makeup, long hours, disappointments, and people constantly telling you what to do??"

Fact is, I think I spend most most of my time sourcing products, learning more about their particular properties and how it will affect the client, the budget, the home, the installation, and the environment - That is not glamorous per se, but rather fun if design is your passion. There are SO many choices that it really does pay to have someone narrow them down for you and help decide on a good look that works within your budget. Anyone can design a room. Anyone can pick up wallpaper samples from a local store to redo a bathroom. And there are many materials available for your basement floor project. Pay a designer to advise you about the important but often-overlooked details.

Depend on your designer for specific information, and to help with making selections and installations. Use them to save time and advise you on your overall design budget. Use them to find those flooring options that are made from a renewable source and have that funky geometric design you were thinking of.

Your designer should be advising you on both the stylish and the realistic information about what it will take to achieve your dream room.

And I only touched on the commercially available products. Truth is, I really love it when you ask me to find something unique. Then I can tell you the story about these beautiful and affordable hand-made fabrics from Morocco, the found object/hand-painted grandfather clocks made by an artist in Vermont, and the furniture made in the mountains of North Carolina - and how to use them in your home. So - expect and demand more from good design.

And, enjoy your Sunday!

Lise