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palimpsest

Strong arm Project Management for DADD

palimpsest
11 years ago

Designers often get criticized for presenting the client with only one or two options for a piece of furniture or project. There is often a good reason for this.

I am doing a project for someone who has Decorating Attention Deficit Disorder. It's my sister. In 30 years of buying furniture, she has almost nothing to show for it. In the last 4 years she has moved four times, and that has made it worse. For some reason, decent pieces of furniture disappear, and she drags around some broken up antiques, that aren't particularly useful.

My parents had stopped staying with her because they were tired of either No window covering, or one that fell down on your head if you moved it--and falling out of a chair because the leg is broken is not good for you at 80. She still has a rocker that has the runner Under the legs but not attached.

She also wanted to change an entire room (that was about 75% complete) based on a fabric memo sample that I sent her to make a pillow out of for another room. I had gotten the big samples because they were discontinued.

These aren't criticisms, but this is just the way that she is, she lacks focus to complete this type of thing.

Anyway, my father now stays with her regularly, and the plan is to get him a good room with window treatments that work how they are supposed to, drawers that open and close, lamps that can take higher than a 40 w bulb and have shades that don't fall off or aren't dented or torn, and a decent chair.

Most people are shocked at the cost of window treatments, and that is a particular weakness. So, we are starting there. A roller black-out shade with a chain mechanism that actually fits the window properly will probably be the most expensive individual item in the room except the mattress.

So rather than starting with the inspirational purchase like the rug or something that will set the scheme, sometimes it is best to start with (1) your Weak Point (the area you tend to neglect) or (2) the expensive thing you are most likely going to want to cheap out on and shouldn't.

My father is 88 so we don't have another thirty years to get his room together. I am pushing for a couple months. I will keep you informed.

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