Do you know what your ideal home’s style is? Could you communicate that aesthetic to an interior designer, if you had the opportunity to work together?
Today, I’m expanding upon one of the 5 design myths we debunked last month — “designers can’t create a home that’s your style.” Luckily for all of us, this statement is false. Designers CAN create a home that’s 100% authentic to you, but here’s the interesting part…
It’s not entirely up to the designer. Getting the most ideal outcome for your investment (and your boldest life) depends upon several factors. Here’s my best advice for setting yourself up for success…
1. Discover your style preferences
If you aren’t sure of your style preferences, your first step is to do some research… and make it fun! You could create Pinterest boards, Houzz ideabooks, or clip your favorite spaces out of design mags like House Beautiful.
Your best approach is to follow your intuition and collect the images that resonate most with you. Later, when you share these photos with your interior designer (likely during your Design Consultation), they will become the foundation and inspiration for your design.
Take it a step further and document what you like or don’t like about a particular spaces. For example, if you love the dining chairs in the photo but aren’t fond of the rug and light fixture, you’ll need to articulate that, or it will be perceived that you love it all!
2. Find a designer whose portfolio you love
If you love ultra-modern spaces, but the designer your neighbor referred specializes in traditional spaces, it may be more challenging on both ends. I’ve found that the most successful designs are the ones that result from a client loving the designer’s existing portfolio.
Not only does this give you a foundation to start with, but designers typically work in the style they love most. Passion + Talent = A match made in design heaven.
So browse some portfolios before scheduling those discovery calls, and you’ll be happy you did.
3. Prepare to communicate well with your designer
Once you’ve selected a designer whose work you love, it’s important to communicate exactly what you like about it…
What colors and fabrics do you love (or not love)? Do you have any allergies? Do you prefer the heaviness of a duvet or the lightness of a quilt? Do you prefer a soft sofa or one with more seat support? Do you want countertops with a high back, low back or none?
These details make a space uniquely yours. Yes, your designer should ask you directly for these preferences, but it’s helpful to consider them in advance, too.
You and your designer might also browse your inspiration photos together to find consistencies and pull out the outliers. Our job is to find the common threads — what rises to the top among most of the photos and why? That’s how we create a design that is truly unique, inspiring, and authentic to you.
4. Nail the design concept phase
The design concept phase is imperative to a final design that reflects your personal style. This phase, paired with space planning (in the schematic phase of the design process), is one of the first deliverables for our clients.
It consists of a digital design board that articulates the “concept” for the space. Using inspiration photos, color palette, furniture styles, and finish suggestions, we create a crystal clear vision for the space.
You’ll have the opportunity to offer your honest feedback, which will help us fine-tune it to your tastes even further, if needed. Again, communication is key — these concept boards are used as the litmus test for all design selections, so it’s imperative they’re spot on!
5. Bring your style to life
If the design concept is spot on and really resonates with you and your vision, you’re likely to get a great final result. A partnership built on communication, understanding and trust is most likely to deliver a design that is stunning and feels perfect for you.
Not only is your ideal home style possible, if you follow these steps, it could turn out even better than you imagined. That’s my favorite part of design — creating authentic, life-giving spaces that exceed our clients’ imaginations and expectations!
I will see you back here again in two weeks, but until then, you can start planning your own dream home with our Interior Design Project Planner here.
Xoxo,
Well said!
Finding an interior designer who understands our vision and bring it to life is a difficult task. But we can have constant communication to make sure they understand our requirements. Thanks for sharing these tips. It will help for beginners to find a perfect home interior designer.