I’m sure that you’re scratching your head; and, laughing! Interior design a mystery, you say? Well, yeah. How hard can it be? A little color, a little furniture, a few little accent pieces, and you’re finished. Sorry to burst your bubble, but it takes (a little) more effort than that.
Let me digress; I work from home. It’s wonderful to be able to get up in the morning, grab a cup of coffee, and
sit at my desk. All of my emails are answered before 7:30 a.m., day scheduled, contractors called and instructions given (if I’m not enjoying Facebook posts). The down side of working from home is there isn’t any interaction with others in the field, except when speaking on the phone or conversing on social media sites. So, when my close friend, who is also an interior Designer, calls it breaks up the day and provides that social interaction that is missing when working from home. We speak often; sometimes comparing notes on projects and sometimes asking each other’s opinion.
sit at my desk. All of my emails are answered before 7:30 a.m., day scheduled, contractors called and instructions given (if I’m not enjoying Facebook posts). The down side of working from home is there isn’t any interaction with others in the field, except when speaking on the phone or conversing on social media sites. So, when my close friend, who is also an interior Designer, calls it breaks up the day and provides that social interaction that is missing when working from home. We speak often; sometimes comparing notes on projects and sometimes asking each other’s opinion. The other day she called and said that she was in the window covering isle at a local hardware store and a woman was deep in thought. My friend, believing that she was being helpful, asked her what she was looking for. The woman replied that she needed some window coverings. Well, my friend proceeded to ask a multitude of questions, such as, which way do the windows face, is there a privacy issue, is there a view, what approximate size are the windows, are there any problems you are trying to correct, and more. The woman replied that she just wanted to cover her windows, and didn’t think of the other issues associated with window coverings. After my friend asked a few more questions, the woman looked perplexed and walked away in a huff, and without any window coverings!
Even though being an interior designer is perceived to be an easy and “fun” profession (and, it can be a lot of fun), it’s not just about “pretty.” There are so many other issues involved before we get to the “pretty.” Those issues, discussed during the early stages of a project, and rectified, are what pave the path for our designs. Our designs are predicated on function; “Form ever follows function,” coined by the American architect, Louis Sullivan, (usually quoted as, “form follows function”). First, the function of the space is determined, then the design is conceived.
I, too, while shopping and seeing others with a quizzical look on their faces want to jump in and help with their design dilemma; but, for the most part, I do NOT. And, the reaction from the woman in the window covering isle is the reason why I push my cart right by them and continue my shopping; and, shopping at the local hardware store (to me, at least) is like being a kid in a candy store! I LOVE the hardware store; I see something that is ordinary and picture it functioning as something completely different and it becomes extraordinary. One of my favorite things to do is use a beautiful ceramic garden pot as a utensil holder next to the cook top. The varied shapes, sizes and colors of the wooden spoons and spatulas make a beautiful arrangement. And that, my friends, is why I love being an interior designer!
D M Designs is a full service interior design studio focusing on client satisfaction. This is accomplished through open communication between D M Designs and the client to assess the client's needs and wants, then taking the process to the next step to design a space that is pleasing to the client and reflects their personality.
Donna Marie Mushinskie, CID
D M Designs
donna@dmdesignsinteriors.com
www.dmdesignsinteriors.com
www.fb.com/DMDesignsInteriorDesign
D M Designs
donna@dmdesignsinteriors.com
www.dmdesignsinteriors.com
www.fb.com/DMDesignsInteriorDesign
