Prior to enlisting the services of an interior designer, there are several things you and your family – your spouse especially – should have discussed and brought to a tentative accord:
- the range of interior styles to which you would be amenable. Do you lean toward more traditional furnishings or more contemporary?
- the range of interior color palettes to which you would be amenable. Do you prefer lighter, softer colors or are you drawn more to darker, more saturated tones?
- how light or dark would you like the house to appear?
- do you lean toward feminine decor or more masculine?
- the overall formality of the home
- the intended function of each room
- if you entertain, how many guests per gathering and, typically, what type of gathering. Do you host formal parties, family holiday dinners, football parties, etc.?
You don’t have to provide absolute answers to the questions above, but, they are questions you should consider because ultimately it will make you happier with the decisions made, save the interior designer time and, therefore, save you money. Be honest with your choices; you will have to live with them.
For those unable to determine what it is they are hoping to accomplish with their home’s interiors I strongly recommend assembling a scrap book. Gather photographs of home features to which are drawn, walls painted colors you like, accessories you find attractive, lighting and furniture you find pleasing – basically, anything and everything about a home setting you find attractive, whether you can identify what it is that you like about the picture or that you just find its overall ambiance appealing. Make notes on the pages highlighting what item it is that made you select that particular page; do the same with photographs of home interiors and features you dislike. The more visual information that you are able to proffer, the better. A good interior designer will recognize a trend, a common denominator strewn among the myriad photographs, and establish a style best suited for you and your family; it may require tweaking and several revisions, but, it will be tailored specifically to you.
In working with your interior designer remain open to suggestions and be extremely wary of trendy design. Work with the classics and relegate trends to the “fluff” -non-permanent fixtures easily, and relatively inexpensive to replace – because you will eventually tire of what was dated the moment it was installed. Unless you are intentionally striving for a retro feel in your home, nothing is worse than being able to pinpoint the year the home was built and furnished than by the features that were so current . . . at the time.
