Who would think that their child’s lack of focus could be improved with interior design? Or that those ongoing sinus problems are due to the overwhelming amount of plastic products and VOC’s offgassing into our homes? We spend 90% of our time indoors, that time should be spent free of toxins and lack of ventilation.

One-Time Design Consultations are very flexible and can serve a myriad of purposes. Read on about some of the ways this meeting can be used!

During the schematic design phase of each project, I develop preliminary selections. I then confer with the product rep and contractor to broaden my awareness of that particular product and verify that my application is suitable.

There was ONE building I didn’t talk about in the last post, because I felt it deserving of its own post. You see, I finally stepped foot in my favorite architect’s work! Not only did I experience the work of the great Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris (AKA Les Corbusier), I visited a museum he designed which housed a significant exhibit of his work. It felt amazing to look at models built by him (or his office), and see his sketches and planning drawings of Villa Savoye among others. To see models of his ideas for urban planning- the start to what today’s cities are, felt almost surreal, magical. Photos cannot possibly do this building justice, and there were many areas where photos were not permitted, so I’ll do my best to find references images.

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?