The design process is nothing like it is on HGTV. It doesn’t happen overnight.
We don’t just jump inside your brain and spit out your dream kitchen in a day. You need to be personally involved in the process because, essentially, you’re picking everything.
Every once in a while we’ll get clients that want us to go ahead and pick things out for them and just come in at the end for final approval. For the most part, however, we encourage you to be active participants. You’re going to go shopping with us and spend a few hours over one or more meetings where we’ll be asking you about pretty much every little thing that’s going to go into your space.
A Collaborative Process
Remodels are a very collaborative process. We want to know what you think so we can incorporate as many of your ideas as possible. We want to know what you love, but we also want to understand what you don’t like.
There’s certainly no right or wrong answer. In reality, there’s rarely something that doesn’t work or doesn’t fit, it’s more a matter of “which one do you like the best?” and “where can we use it?”
Some of our clients are very guarded about making suggestions, thinking that we’re not going to be on board with their ideas. In reality, it boils down to whether you like it or not. In design, it’s never a wrong decision if it makes you happy.
It’s All Subjective
Sometimes we’ll have a situation where a particular element matters more to one person than it matters to their partner. But, there’s almost always a level of compromise, because again, we don’t care about the same things that you care about – meaning that our personal tastes don’t necessarily have to align. What bothers you may not bother me, and vice versa.
There is a perception among many clients that the designer would rather not have the clients offer their opinions, but for us, it is completely the opposite. There is an impression among some people that because they’re working with a designer that, in the end, people will walk in and know that such-and-such designer did this space and it will be more connected to the designer or the store rather than the people who are living there.
Do you really want to live that way?
For us, what we do is more about the client and the family that lives there – what’s going to work for them. This is why we take the time to get to know our clients so we can keep the process focused on their vision.
“Which one would you pick?”
We hear this question all the time. Without context, this would be difficult to answer. It’s not about our tastes; it’s about yours. In your house, with all of your things, one choice may make more sense than another, but even if the things you like are all over the map, there is usually a way to make it work.
The important thing is that the design feels like you and that it’s unique in its own way. Anyone can buy matching furniture and décor to make their home look like a catalog, but that’s not what most people want.
In purchasing new furniture, for example, we urge people not to buy the matching sofa, loveseat and coffee table. If everything matches up so perfectly, your home will end up looking like a furniture store showroom. Mixing it up will help it look and feel more lived-in, more like home.
There’s No Right Or Wrong: Our Recipe For Success
You should never feel like you’re making a design decision because it’s right or wrong. Your house is an extension of yourself, and it’s important that you can walk in there every day and feel that it all makes sense to you.
We love working closely with clients to give them a result they can connect with. It’s more fun for us that way too because, at the end of the day, there’s symbiosis. That’s what we’re going for.
It’s like cooking a meal by yourself or cooking collaboratively with someone else. When you make things together, it tastes much better in the end.
Have you got some ideas for a remodel to your St. Louis home? We’d love to show you how we can help! Reach out today to start the conversation.
