What the Design Process Looks Like
How We Turn Your Ideas into A Holistic Home Design
So I love talking about design and my journey, but I also really want to give you my best advice for how this design journey should go for you, the client. I believe every home design is a holistic experience - bringing your most beloved treasures and authentic self into your home. I want this process to be about you, your family, and the space you want to come home to every day.
So for this month’s blog, I wanted to walk you through some of the process of working with me, and my best advice for how to approach your home renovation.
One of the questions I get asked often before a new project is “How do I save time and money when working with a designer?” We all have dreams and Pinterest boards, but we also have to balance that with practicality, and I’m all about finding that perfect balance between the two. Nobody wants to waste time, hold up the schedule or make you spend money you’re not comfortable with, so I’ll be tying in some tips on how to make the most of your time and budget during our design project.
So before we even start off, I highly suggest having a ballpark budget. Explore options, weigh your priorities, and maybe do some research into your favorite appliances or brands. I go a lot more in-depth about creating a budget for your design project here. But your budget (and your priorities) set the stage for everything else going forward.
Second, bring some photos to our first meeting together. Bring that Pinterest board, collect some design magazines, sneak some pics of your favorite spaces. Having thought about the direction you’d like to take your home and what you want to “fix” will cut hours off the design process - and also makes sure I know what vision you’re looking to bring to life!
For example: What do you prefer - a light kitchen or a dark kitchen? I love designing both, but preferences like this are the foundation of our project - and just this one nugget can save us hours drafting up kitchens you just don’t like. Of course, we can also walk through some of these decisions together, figuring out what you like the most and adding a unique spin to it!
As your designer, I’m happy to give my insight into your vision too. There is something to be said about a timeless airy kitchen, light and bright. They are fun to design, but I make sure to add details to make things interesting! And dark kitchens are dramatic and can be the perfect statement in your home. I’d suggest adding a light countertop can help reflect light and keep the cabinets from feeling super heavy.
Your vision also comes down to your home itself. If a client had an open great room with a lot of natural light and we had to work in a kitchen, dining and living space - light may be the best option. It allows for the eye to not be distracted by a heavy element in the corner of a large room. You can place dark anchors throughout the great room, like a dark wood dining room table or a leather accent chair - but overall the space is bright and open.
I’ve found that smaller homes with lower ceilings (like ours) can have a bit more fun and drama. Our home was built in the 1990’s with separated spaces, making perfect opportunities to change things up from area to area. If your kitchen is situated at the end of a long space or divided into its own area, it’s a perfect excuse to go dark! Your eye is already being drawn to the end of the room, so why not end on an exclamation point?
These are the kinds of conversations we’re gonna have a LOT of at the beginning of our project! Testing ideas, bouncing between insight and visions, and making sure that your dream home is both practical and intentional.
There’s three things I love about a new project: the high energy, working in the concept phase, and getting to know my client. It’s always exciting! As we’re working together, we are both so motivated by the most fun part of design - concept! This is the first glimpse into what the space will look like, either through preliminary finishes or mood boards. Rough sketches are also one of my favorite things in the process, and there are loads of them during the first couple of months working together!
As far as the nuts and bolts of our design process, we start with a kick-off meeting to really nail down the objectives and programming, with loads of photos and notes. Once the baseline is established, the fun begins! I start pulling samples of hard finishes and even some fabrics to help paint the picture of what I see for your home. I absolutely love this part because we get to slowly see things come to life.
Our second meeting is when the finishes, sketches and mood boards are presented! We get a deeper understanding of likes and dislikes, since most of them are hidden in your subconscious. Trust me, the fun happens when a client realizes their deep hatred of a color or finish that reminds them of something in an obscure childhood memory!
Finally, by our third meeting within the Concept Phase of design - we have everything pretty much nailed down. There are preliminary SketchUp renderings that start to show how finishes will be applied, or some more detailed sketches to get a head start on Schematic and Design Development.
And here’s the big kicker for working together: once a decision has been made - accept the process. That’s why I’m so big on lots of conversations and really getting clear on what you want before we move to the next stage. It’s a lot harder to go backwards once we’re three steps ahead.
Another big part of our design project will be knowing where your wiggle room is. The big three areas this comes up in are time, budget, or quality. Usually something is going to come up that asks you to wiggle a bit on one of these three things, and you’ll need to know what matters most to you. I usually find we can achieve 2 of the 3, but one’s gotta be a little flexible. When push comes to shove, which of these will you give up?
There’s even more steps to working together like the actual renovation process and, of course, the final turnover but here’s how we lay the groundwork for our design project during the official design phase.