Finding The Interior Design For You

Finding the Interior Design for You

Whether you are a new to your home or you’ve been there for years, developing a successful interior design that genuinely suits you takes a creative eye and a

T H E A D VA N TA G E S TO H I R I N G A D E S I G N E R

practical approach.

Many of us are thoroughly capable of buying furniture, art and accessories that we like, but making visual sense of all those elements in a three-dimensional setting is quite a trick.

Interior Designer and longtime design instructor Chandra Stone shares valuable insights for finding the design aesthetic that suits you and your home. “First, I always like to honor the design style of the house, says Stone. “Is it a cottage or bungalow? Is it a Mid Century renovation? It is a townhouse with a loft concept?

Is it a ranch style home? There is usually a strong reason an individual, couple or family chooses a particular home.

Sometimes it’s the schools or other location-driven reasons, but the house itself has a character and it is important to honor that.”

Magazines are always excellent sources for design direction. The articles and advertisements provide photos featuring a wide range of interior design concepts, from entire homes to individual objects and textures. Like many designers, Lynne T. Jones, ASID, asks clients who don’t have design style preferences at the beginning of a project to look through different home and lifestyle magazines. “I suggest

Playful use of color and scale define this living room designed by Saba Jawda.

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they tear out pages of either rooms or items that they like, says Jones.

“After viewing several pages, combined with reviewing their existing furnishings, I can usually determine their design style or taste. I can also usually determine their design style by their preferred style of dress. It’s amazing how much fashion and interiors are related.”

“When I have the opportunity to look over photos a client has pulled out of design magazines, I find there is usually a common theme or style,” says Chandra Stone. “They will tend to select similar objects or finishes. One client did this and made a vision board of sorts and then gave me copies of those collages so that I could refer to them while planning her kitchen. So many aspects of interior design are visual, so get it out of your head and collect pictures and samples of things that make you happy.”

INQUISITIVE APPROACH

Another strategy is to hone in on your design preferences by asking a series of questions. Designer Lynne T. Jones begins with a thoughtful list of questions. She says: “I ask, for example, ‘How do you like to entertain, formal or casual? Do you have any family antiques that play an important role in your room furniture arrangement? Do you like vintage pieces or would you prefer that everything be brand-new and the latest trend? Do you prefer clean lines on furniture or do you really prefer pieces that are more ornate?

How do you feel about rustic pieces? What type of art are you drawn to? Do you have children or pets? Will they play a major role in the design style of the home?’”

Designer Saba Jawda asks her Marie Flanigan Interiors combined organic and geometric elements in this master bedroom.

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Earthy hues lend a soothing tone to this comfortable, contemporary living room designed by Chandra Stone. Photo by Miro Dvorscak.

clients both conceptual and practical questions to help give a project direction and momentum. She asks clients questions, such as “What do you envision? What purpose do you wish for it to serve? What colors and/or styles do you normally gravitate to? What is your objective and lifestyle need? What is your budget and timeline for this project?”

SHOWCASE THINGS YOU LOVE

“Many homeowners accumulate art and furnishings over the years through traveling or collecting pieces that have significant value,” says Jawda. “The best way to approach this is to first narrow down what they can’t be without, then the designer can help with both rearranging the pieces or figuring out which to replace or sometimes one item can simply move to another room.”

“Get rid of anything that makes you mad or sad or in some way annoys you,” says Stone.

“Remove accessories and art from walls and shelves, etc. and gather all items in one area.

One of my designer friends tells clients to then select only 12 items—the 12 thing that mean

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the most to you. Those become the basis for the look of the space. Place those items first, and then fill in with the rest or get rid of what doesn’t work.”

SHARED STYLE

“It's a great combination to mix masculine and feminine pieces to complete the look of the home,” says Jawda. “It will add depth to the space, so working together with both sexes is always great.”

“It’s not always easy to get couples to agree on a unified look throughout their home, especially with a blended family, where each person is bringing quite a bit to the table,” says Jones.

“I think in any instance, ‘compromise’ is the mantra to help couples realize their ultimate goal: a nice home and living environment.”

When tastes don’t overlap, Jones suggests separate spaces for displaying certain collections of each partner’s things. “Perhaps the husband’s hunting hobby isn’t strongly embraced by the wife,” says Jones. “In such cases, I encourage the husband to keep his trophy deer heads and stuffed ducks to a mini-

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Call for an appointment today~ mum and that he hang them either in his home study, or game room, but never in the living room. By the same token, if the wife is really into collecting vintage dolls or lace dresses, I suggest she display these items in either a guest room or hobby room, but not as the main collection in the family or living room. It’s all about respect and compromise,” says Jones.

COLOR YOUR WORLD

Neutral palettes are easy to manage, but what about bold colors? “Strong and festive colors are just as easy to work with as long as you know the purpose of the space and what you want to use it for,” says Jawda. “Accent walls and textures add so much more excitement that basic neutrals.”

“I thrive on color,” says Stone. “Experiment by using small amounts of color that will pop. For instance, go to a retail store and pick up pillows of different colors and see what happens when you put them on the neutral sofa.”

Harmony is important as well. “I like color palettes to flow smoothly through a home, so it is unified, but it is good to break that up with items that stand out. It is often wise for resale to stick to neutral finishes, but the accessories can be in bold colors.”

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A colorful abstract painting inspired the look of this kitchen and breakfast area designed by Laura Umansky.

Resources MARIE FLANIGAN 979.574.9686 www.marieflanigan.com SABA JAWDA 713.419.8018 www.jawdaandjawda.com LYNNE T. JONES 281.437.3307 www.lynnetjones.com CHANDRA STONE 713-622-4455 www.chandrastone.com LAURA UMANSKY 713.522.0855 www.laurau.com MOORE INTERIORS 713.974.9320 www.mooreinteriorsinc.com 58

Why hire an interior designer?

A designer brings much more that swatches and samples to the table. According to the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), many interior designers offer consultation services. Some designers charge a flat fee, and some charge by the hour. Chandra Stone, a designer and experienced instructor shed highlights the rewards of working with a professional designer:

A designer can help you with concept development so a homeowner will have a firm grasp of the design goal.

shape a space, but are also familiar with clearances and dimensions of common fittings/furniture.

Designers have access to sources that are not always available to the homeowner.

A designer can be your advocate with a contractor, helping you to work through the building process which can sometimes be sticky.

Even though a client usually pays for a designer’s time up front, she/he can save you money in the long run.

A designer can be a sounding board for ideas, to determine if they are feasible.

Many designers excel at space planning. They are trained not only in how to

A designer thinks big picture but also takes care of the smallest details.

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