Behind The Scenes: Design Consulation

Ever wondered what our design consultations were like? Is it something you could benefit from? Well today is your lucky day! We are going to give a behind the scenes on our design consultations. I will start off by saying all consultations are different, clients are looking to achieve different things and have certain goals. It is our job to try and meet those goals and sometimes give some helpful suggestions along the way. 

Most of our consultations start with a client needing help with something. It could be something small like paint colors or needing a different layout for a space you can’t quite understand how to use or a whole remodel. I love to start my consultations by seeing the space in person and getting a feel for the way the space is used by the homeowner and how it needs to function. For example, I had a client who was looking to remodel her master bathroom. She had a jet bathtub that was unused and wanted to update the space. However one consideration was to leave the plumbing in the same places to minimize the cost. I took some measurements of the space and asked some questions about the space and what she wanted to accomplish.

 After our meeting I went back to the store and drew her space on graph paper. I know there are fancy programs out there that you can map out a space with, but I like to keep things simple and graph paper never lies about the dimensions of a space. First I drew out her bathroom the way it currently was to give myself parameters on where the stool, shower and vanity needed to stay. One thing my client stressed about needing in this space was more storage, a zen/modern feel, and not to lose space in her closet (which was in the bathroom). One thing I noticed was the stool’s placement and thought it needed to feel more private. I also had room to extend the vanity into a double sink now that the tub was gone. This then allowed me to extend the shower as well. Once I had the new lay out drawn, I began pulling samples. I pulled the vanity color, hardware, quartz for the vanity, the shower color and the flooring. Once I had these things ready I presented my ideas to her, and let her give me any feedback on anything she didn’t like or wasn’t crazy about. Once we had fine tuned all those bigger details and met with the contractor who was doing the remodel to make sure we could do all the things we wanted to do. I got a quote ready for her and once that was approved I placed the order. 

This is typically how almost all of my consultations go. House call and first look at the space, create a plan, present that plan, make any changes, meet again and fine tune the details and get the order placed! It’s hard to look at a space and know what to do with it when you’ve lived in that space for so long. A consultation allows a fresh set of eyes to notice the details you might have forgotten about or never thought to think of. I had another client who added some artwork on her walls and the space didn't quite feel right to her. After sending me a few pictures I suggested she move the furniture around to compliment that art work more. The funny thing is she never thought to re-arrange the furniture because it had always been that way. Sometimes that’s all it takes. It's a different arrangement or some art work on the wall to really make a difference. I think a lot of clients think they don’t qualify for a consultation because they think their problem is too small or consultations are too expensive. Trust me no project is too small and sometimes the solution doesn’t cost you a thing. If you have a space in your home that could use some help, reach out to us about our consultations today!