From magazine clippings to design concept
Every design needs a jumping-off point. When speaking with clients for the first time, one of the obvious first question I ask is “What is your design style?” And I understand that they likely don’t have a clear answer for me, and that is totally fine. Really, I want to start a conversation. Hiring a professional designer is not about reproducing the exact look from a magazine, or a social media post. When I do ask clients to collect some inspiration for me, I want to get a sense of getting to know them more personally through the visuals that inspire them. I am like an archaeologist, digging and carefully brushing away the fine layers of dirt to get at the information I need.
What is it about the images that is appealing?
What is the feeling that is evoked?
Which specific elements do they like, or not like?
The answers may be vague, which is understandable. It’s my job, as an interior designer, to translate the information tidbits into a cohesive design concept, infused with the client’s preferences, built-out with their needs in mind.
room for personality
In many cases, clients own a furniture piece, special object or art that they would like to incorporate into the new design, but are not sure how they will fit in. These can also serve as a strong design inspiration, and we do our best to incorporate these in a contemporary fashion, to personalize their space.
a nuanced design concept
We go beyond a single-faceted statement style such as “coastal design” to inject nuance and personality into the design. We take the best of the inspiration, and weave it into a unique design concept. This is an incredibly important phase in the design planning. We often express this design concept as a detailed written statement, and we include it as part of the initial design presentation.
Sometimes the details of the design concept change a bit along the way, in terms of specific finishes or features, but the essence of the design remains constant. I often encourage clients to refer back to our concept statement down the road during the design process, to see that we are indeed, on track, especially when so many decisions are on their plate and the process seems interminable.
If you have a design project in mind, I encourage you to start gathering the images that inspire you, or that evoke an emotion. Start a Pinterest board, dig around on Houzz, or choose images from an upscale shelter magazine. These will go a long way in inspiring the design concept.
“What is your design inspiration?”