Most of the buildings we saw in Tokyo were exterior only (no photos allowed inside), and many were along the main shopping strip. The two things that stood out to me the most were (I’m sure you can guess) the use of texture and the extravagance of it. There is definitely a show happening with design from every angle. The clothing, the buildings, the presentation of goods. Every single building was a work of art, almost as if each one was trying to outdo the next.

I could write all day just about our first few days in Kyoto, and all the interior design observations I’ve made. So many details, approaches, elements, etc. have been noticed! I definitely feel growth as a designer being here, observing and learning about the architecture and interiors of the spaces I’ve visited. Much of the observations I have made have been cultural and in nature, and this absolutely influences my design choices. The Fushima Inari Shrine has been my favorite outing to-date (not necessarily my favorite design or structure). The fact that it was an outdoor space, or vastly outdoors, tells me something about enjoyable spaces. We enjoy being outdoors! Okay, this is nothing new, I have stepped foot into my favorite architect’s designs (as of yesterday) and he definitely still holds his position as my favorite. Even after that experience, my favorite was by and large, outdoors. I’m sure there are many factors that play into this:

A hotel would give us an amazing commercial experience, but we stayed in AirBnB’s while in Japan, because it was so important to me to see how people live on a day-to-day basis. When we remodel or build a new space, we are looking for a lifestyle and atmospheric change. What better way to view this differently than to see how people live?

Remember that schematic means "symbolic" or "diagrammatic". This is absolutely where we are during this phase... looking at a visual representation of partially formed ideas.

Take a look at the daily tasks and ins and outs of an entrepreneur interior designer! This is a snapshot of one week of my time, including some of the sketches, notes and technical drawings.

This is the phase where all these decisions must be finalized. It is typically this phase where we do any shopping trips. A trip to the appliance store, the granite yard, the tile showroom, the plumbing showroom, etc. will help us see the preliminary ideas we have developed and determine whether they work as well in person as they did conceptually. Sometimes, samples need to be ordered and other times there is no way to view the item in person, so we work with what information we have to ensure the finishes match and/or complement one another. 

One of the biggest problems we face with employing a General Contractor, an independent contractor, or a design firm is simply the misunderstanding and miscommunication of expectations. It is easy to see how this happens, because renovation projects are a discovery process as the project unfolds. Sometimes we just don’t know that we want a custom item until we realize that the items on the market don’t match needs, or the opportunity arises in the budget that was not expected.

So, how do we protect ourselves and develop realistic expectations?

In a way, the design process is like writing a research paper.

Programming can be compared to doing the research. Schematic Design is our project outline. Design Development is the rough draft and Construction Documents is the final draft. It sometimes seems as though the final set should be the easiest part. It's all done, right? But, remember finalizing those papers and getting it from rough draft to final? It is detail work that requires reviewing again and again and again.

One of the challenges in working with furniture as a designer is that my policy is to give my clients the absolute best their money can buy. Sometimes, retail is the best match, sometimes designer, and sometimes a little of each. So, when does one make sense over the other, and what is the difference? Let’s break it down:

What is involved in replacing a window- can it be a larger window than what was there? Taller? Wider? What about placement? Read on for some quick thoughts!