Thursday, November 19, 2015

This is what I see....

Friends and people I meet often make some version of the following comment to me,

"Oh, I don't want YOU to come over to my house, my house is a disaster, isn't quite finished, a work in progress, etc.  Don't judge me ok? Ha Ha!"

I always laugh and smile because although I would never judge someones character based on their focal wall gone wrong, I will definitely notice...and will most likely have it redesigned in my brain within minutes.

As a passionate designer, I can't turn that part of my brain off.  Ever since I was a kid, I loved the idea of moving furniture around in my bedroom, trying to figure out the "best layout" for my 12 year old self.   My brother and I would design homes on graph paper in the backseat of the car while my dad got lost on our family vacation to Florida.

So, I will absolutely notice your half finished bathroom or your unorganized office/basement that has been taken over by the kids.  The really bad layout of your living room and the artwork that could have been SO much better if it was moved over there, I see that too.  But don't worry, it's not just in your house that I notice these things.  I notice them in every space I am in. The restaurant, the waiting room, the airport and the office at my children's school.  That is my job.  But it is also something that I am extremely passionate about, and it comes quite easily to me.

I hesitate in saying that it comes easy because I do not want people to assume Interior Decorating & Design is an easy job, because like most professional jobs, it's not.  It was easy for me to come up with the idea in my head about how your living space could be 'wow' instead of 'ok' while chatting over a glass of wine at your Christmas party.  Then comes the part where professional experience is key.  The right questions need to be asked and answered, detailed measurements and plans executed, research on specific styles and products, and knowing the best trades to contact to get your project completed on in a timely fashion within a specific budget.  That is how I make the original idea grow and come to life in a way that compliments your lifestyle, design & decorating goals, budget, and timeline.

Plain and simple, all of the above elements are the best reason to hire a professional designer.  For most of the designers I know, the initial ideas and excitement of creating, manipulating, and changing a space come easy.  But from experience and expertise come the answers to why, how, when, where, and the ever important "how much will all of that cost".

Our team at ARIM considers the details of how to create a beautiful and functional space while balancing your Wish List along with your life. We will consider what will actually work for YOU and what impact the design will have on your life.  Elements considered include ...

~ Kids & pets.
~ Work schedules.
~ How and where you entertain.
~ Day to day routines.
~ Specific timelines and budget.
~ Future plans.

The combination of creative thought, passion, and professional experience is how design projects turn into picture perfect spaces, from conception to completion.