“This is SUCH a glamorous job!” I quipped to my colleague yesterday as I headed up the front walk to a clients house with an area rug balanced on one shoulder…

Glamorous? Not really.

I know everyone who isn’t a designer imagines we sit around all day playing with pretty fabrics and paint swatches, and maybe occasionally sketching with colored pencils while sipping tea. And while we DO get to do a bit of that, it’s not all sunshine and roses!  We also manage projects and expedite orders and track down missing pieces or information and spend a lot of time on hold on the phone so that our clients can enjoy the process of creating a home without the aggravation. And there is a lot of schlepping stuff involved…and a lot of miles in the car on the way to meetings, site-visits, workrooms, and vendors.

The genius of a good designer is the ability to listen and then envision the finished product – how it will look and how it will function; And equally important is the ability to communicate that vision. Trusting us to listen well and give you the home you have always wanted is the highest compliment.

So, how DO we do that?

Magic! Well, sort of.  Making magic happen is where the work comes in.  And the creativity and problem solving skills, and a degree in psychology probably wouldn't hurt...

Long before we begin selecting the ingredients, we work on the practicalities of the design – the right furniture sizes and room layouts that will meet the needs of the client and make the best use of the space, while looking effortlessly beautiful and balanced. Then we can begin choosing the right ingredients that will convey the desired feeling and will wear well for the kind of use the room will get and for how the client will live there. We consider the style, shape, and finish of each piece to be sure that they complement the other pieces…and we assign finishes to the pieces for practicality and aesthetics to create a functional space with a pleasing rhythm. Paint or stain? Light or dark? Skirted/solid, or leggy/open? Scale, size, color, durability, function, placement in the room – all of these decisions matter in making a room successful. And by successful, we mean functional, beautiful, comfortable., inviting – a place where you want to BE.

Some days we meet with clients and help them dream of what their home could be, some days, armed with ipads and measuring tools, we record the spaces we will help come to life. Some days we scour vendors for the right ingredients. Some days we talk to craftsmen and research the best solutions. Some days we draft room plans or review and revise architectural plans. Some days we do all of the above!  And some days we spend our time putting all that information together into a clear presentation so we can communicate well and help our clients visualize the possibilities.

No, it isn’t always a glamorous job, but it IS a fulfilling one.

We get to change lives. We get to help people live better. We get to make MAGIC.