“Design is coming to grips with one’s lifestyle, one’s real place in the world. Rooms should not be put together for show but to nourish one’s well-being.” Albert Hadley

This is a favorite topic of mine when it comes to designing a space and is crucial during beginning stages of any project, large or small. Have you ever walked into a space and felt at ease or ‘at home’? It’s almost ethereal in nature. You can’t put your finger on it but it’s a feeling only certain spaces can reveal. Today, we’re going to discuss how you can better understand capturing that sense of ease when designing spaces and what to look for in an interior designer if you’ve decided to hire one for your project.

The key in creating a space that truly speaks to you starts much before a paint color or tile is chosen. It should begin with questions uncovering the recipe it will take in order for you to feel at ease in your home. So, let’s take a step back for a moment. Before we talk about the design stage, we need to discuss YOU. How do you live day to day? Are you organized? Are you messy? Are you easily distracted? Are you an introvert, extrovert? Where do you like to travel? What does your dream vacation look like? You may be thinking to yourself, what the heck does this have anything to do with the color of my wall paint?? I completely understand, it sounds a bit off topic BUT it couldn’t be more important to your project.

I’ll give you an example of my experience and how my own home reflects my personality and the way I live. I am an introvert, for the most part, and I feel best when my batteries are full and my mind is clear. I prefer my home to feel quiet, calming and nurturing. I have minimal artwork carefully placed, I enjoy the negative space just as much as the artwork I’ve created and purchased during memorable trips and beyond. The color pallette is neutral with bits of color splashed throughout on smaller pieces that can be relocated if necessary. I like to keep my spaces feeling ‘fresh’, every few months I will move smaller pieces around to change the feel a bit. I also utilize different materials in the same color pallette to create depth and texture within the space. As someone who leans more toward introversion, I am drained quickly in spaces that demand too much visual attention. By that I mean a space with too many items, dark paint colors or artwork that is loud and visually stimulating. I tend to also shy away from an overload of pattern. I know this is a huge trend right now, we’ll talk more about that in a minute. These aspects would be overwhelming to me and therefore, not be a good fit personality wise.

BUT, let’s flip the script. Let’s say you’re the complete opposite and being in darker spaces with bright artwork and patterns IS recharging your batteries. You also feel as if what I described above is boring and you’d never want to live like that. Amazing! The design I described above that is ‘boring’ would actually drain your batteries and not recharge them. It would stunt creativity not lend to it. That is why the process of gathering information before hand is so vital to a design that speaks to you. The information gathered on a questionnaire from myself and the person described above would be very different and that is ok, that’s the point of why I ask the questions.

I also want to discuss trends and how designing a home with styles that truly speak to you will never be ‘out of style’. I for one enjoy seeing design trends and I think every interior designer should be abreast of current styles and trends, HOWEVER, just because a style is trending doesn’t mean it needs to be used. Trends will eventually become outdated and if your home is designed with every latest and greatest trend, you will grow tired of your space. Why? Because it’s not you, it’s a trend and who wants to spend thousands of dollars on a design that you’ll want to change in a few years? A great design will take pieces from a style or trend that resonate with you and weave them into a design you will love for years to come. If you truly love a trend or style your designer will find a way to tie them in without it becoming overwhelming. We want you to be at ease in your space, not feel like it’s the latest trend.

To get the best direction on designing a space that speaks to my clients, here are a few of the questions I ask before embarking on their project.

• What does your ideal day look like? What makes it ideal?

• If you could vacation anywhere in the world, where would it be? Why?

• If you are alone at home for an entire day, how are you spending your time?

• What are your hobbies? What do you like to do in your free time?

• Would you rather have a relaxing night at home or a night out with friends?

If you are looking to hire an interior designer for a job large or small, make sure that designer is doing their due diligence to ask thorough, thought provoking questions in order to truly understand the way you live. This extra step will ensure your home or space is designed with your needs and wants in mind. That is the key to designing a space that nourishes your soul.

If you’d like to learn more about our design services, visit our services page or contact us.

Thank you for reading! Let me know in the comments if this is important to you when thinking about design.

xxLH