I am sure there are many people out there who are considering redecorating their homes to kick of 2008 on a stylish, organized foot. After working for other designers and now for myself as one, I have learned a lot about what a client can do to make the process either miserable or efficient and inspiring. Designing a personal residence is a team effort between you and your designer, and there is a wonderful balance between high design and personal expression that can be created by this collaboration. A designer should work for you and with you, never dictating that you simply MUST trash that desk from your late grandfather because it's an "eyesore." You won't render him or her into fabric-swatch-slinging hysterics by being firm about what you want and need out of their services. And if you do, it's time to find a new designer. So before signing on the dotted line, here are some tips to consider.
Be VERY clear about your Likes and Dislikes.
You're wasting billable hours if you don't make it clear that you HATE the color red or the look of mid-century furniture. Also, don't feel the need to change every single thing about your home in the name of being "fabulous." To make sure that your designer doesn't waste precious hours looking at things that will ultimately disappoint you, you must be detailed and clear. Don't be embarrassed or think they will judge you; their job is to make you happy after all. Tear out pictures of rooms, furniture, colors and fabrics that you like from magazines. The more you share, the more tailored and precise the choices presented to you will be. If you don't know what you want out of a room, illustrate other things that represent your taste -- taking a peek in your closet can be a big help. What colors are most garments? Are you more traditional or experimental in your personal style? Your home should reflect you as a person and your life story, so taking cues from other aspects of your life will help a designer create a wonderfully personal space for you.
Explain Your Daily Rituals and Habits.
Do you always throw your purse by the front door when you come home? Do you practice yoga in your living room? Plan on having a puppy -- or a baby? The answers to all these questions can help a designer layout your furniture and accessories in a way that will suit your routine and possibly even make it more streamlined and organized. Perhaps you would be better served by a console table in the entryway instead of a bench if you tend to toss your mail and keys there? Or maybe looking for a storage unit to hold your workout gear would be a great investment. Even small things like the fact that you are terrible about taking your shoes off in the house could affect what type of rug will hold up best in your foyer. Be as descriptive as you are comfortable with and watch the results pour in!
Be Honest.
If you hate something, SPEAK UP. You aren't paying someone to pick out things that you don't actually like. If something selected for you just isn't quite what you imagined, tell your designer what specifically about it doesn't work for you. Don't think that they know best or that they will be offended. This is your house and your money and they should both work for you. However, sometimes you should give pieces that you aren't sure about some time to marinate in your mind. Designers can be wonderful tools to help introduce new style to your repertoire, so keep an open but honest mind.
Another aspect to be brutally honest about: your budget. Why send you designer on a expensive sourcing run to look at $400 throw pillows when you really can only afford $75 ones? It cuts down on your designer fees to be truthful and gives the designer parameters in which to source things, making their job less stressful too.
Be Realistic.
Even if that gorgeous white linen sofa is absolutely SCREAMING for you to own it, if you are the type of person who can't keep coffee in the mug and off the couch then you should not buy it. You'll just be upset when months later you inevitably find it covered in Ragu and Sharpie scribbles. The wear and tear of your daily living can strongly determine what fabrics and finishes your designer should pick out. No matter how devastatingly fabulous, if it's too fragile, dangerous or precious for your household-skip it.
I also witness people picking out furniture that looks great, but is uncomfortable. This is a house, not a museum, and you have to actually watch television while sitting in those gorgeous, low slung armless Barcelona chairs -- not just look at them. Your décor needs to be beautiful AND functional in order for you to be happy. Trust me. There are plenty of items that I myself want, but would simply not make sense with the way we live. No matter how many times I tell myself "It'll be fine," in reality I'd find myself pissed off in a really pretty chair.
Even if you don't have it in your budget to hire a designer, these tips can help those of you when pondering what to get at IKEA or Crate and Barrel. Or perhaps, in an even more grand sense, beyond the living room and foyer. They hold true for life itself as well.
Be honest, be real, be true to yourself.