Finding Your Style

Hi Friends last month I was invited to talk on an IG live - discussing how I go about helping clients find their aesthetic. I had such a great response and so many follow-up questions I thought I’d write a post and share it with all of you.

I touched on how my passion for decorating started as a child - constantly moving furniture around in my bedroom - grabbing extra pieces my mom Rita wasn’t using... chairs, bookcases and swapping stuff - I loved creating color coordinated bulletin boards by matching paint to my bedding... buying and hanging sheets to make custom window treatments. My love of a mix of old and new was formed in that bedroom!

Everyone has a style - an aesthetic but, do they understand it?

If they don’t - if they feel either lost or maybe they feel pressured by ideals they see on Social Media - are they Boho are they Traditional are they Modern?

These labels while awesome can add to a client’s feeling of being overwhelmed most don’t live in a magazine spread - it’s real life. It’s a dresser from childhood or a couch they don’t love but, it’s super comfy for the kiddos and it must stay. I look to embrace those pieces - look to give them a new life with paint, fabric, a new lampshade.

Or through Pillows... you can all laugh because I definitely love me some pillows! I adore how pillows can offer so much design flexibility for a relatively small investment.

I had a client who disliked her sectional. After being home for 5 months during lock down and looking at the largest piece in her livingroom she wanted to replace it. We chatted about what feeling she wanted her space to convey. She wished for a lighter more beach house vibe - craving time away and well, we were on lock down! So we introduced a new rug, new pillows and some fun new art all in blues and viola’ she loved her sectional again. Those items combined were less expensive than investing in a new sectional. I never want to spend money unnecessarily.

My client fell back in love with her sectional - after we introduced a new rug and new pillows.

You run into clients who are so afraid of “getting it wrong” they haven’t moved forward.

These clients already owned the foundation pieces for an amazing deck. We developed a plan and went shopping. I also shopped their home for additional decorative items. This was pre-covid and they are still lowing it!

My job is to start asking questions - put my Nancy Drew cap on.

What color always catch your eye?
What are your 3 favorite colors?
Sometimes I ask about Clothing - what color/s do you wear?
Dishes, Dishtowels - tell me what you use everyday - why did you purchase these pieces?
Do you have any collections? Sometimes clients have a collection and they may not view it that way. Books, small curios, pieces of china, artwork that can be grouped together - with fresh eyes I will suggest where these pieces could be incorporated into the space in a more impactful way.
Is there a favored piece of art in your home? So either the piece may be used in the space or we can look at the subject and colors.

If I’m in a clients home - I look around / ask to see any collections. Maybe convince them to let me peek in some cabinets. I am on a fact finding mission - I definitely push a bit to learn as much as I can. I jot notes, take pictures and think about the space.

“Everyone is into one of the following: Comfort, Color or Collections”

— Meryl Gallagher King

I hesitate to ask clients to do Homework - they’re hiring me - so before I ask them to send me pics of spaces or objects they like or share any Instagram accounts they follow I ask them to close their eyes and tell me what their dream space is -

I find everyone has a picture in their minds eye of what they want.

I may share an Instagram account or two during the initial meeting to see what resonates with them. Like I said I don’t think anyone’s home is either one thing or the other but, there are some that may speak to the client. But, I try not to muddy the water on the initial visit.

It sounds like oh easy peasy tell me what you like but, it can be a slow process - sometimes I need to do research - send images until we land on Yeses - and the client may not be ready - it’s a big step - to open their home and ask for another to come in. I always tell them I’m here for you. And together we’ll land on the right elements that will speak to them and the client will embrace their unique take on home!

I’m a list person so I start two lists: a must have and a nice to have. And as anyone knows in design and really to me this is a continuation of customer service… things can change. The client may like something and then decide no or the fabric you love may no longer be available. Design is ultimately about striking a balance between beauty and living and that’s what I am here to do for my clients and friends.