‘Always Voice Your Opinion’ and Other Advice From Designers
After completing recent projects, these designers share insights on how they’ll do things differently in the future
At the end of every major endeavor, you’re probably a slightly different person than you were at the beginning. Recognizing the challenges along the way and using that insight to inform future decisions is how you grow both personally and professionally. Here, five designers share advice gleaned from recently completed projects.
2. Trust Your First Design Instinct
Designer: Joshua Alan Carpluk of Joshua Alan Interiors
Project location: Boston
Size: 20 square feet (2 square meters); 4 by 5 feet
The project. Transform a dated powder room into an inviting and engaging space that provides a punch of style.
The insight. “Trust your first design instinct,” designer Joshua Alan Carpluk says. “It’s usually the best decision for the project. Design is a journey that I take hand in hand with my clients. When we push boundaries together, we land on a design that truly inspires and delights.”
Designer: Joshua Alan Carpluk of Joshua Alan Interiors
Project location: Boston
Size: 20 square feet (2 square meters); 4 by 5 feet
The project. Transform a dated powder room into an inviting and engaging space that provides a punch of style.
The insight. “Trust your first design instinct,” designer Joshua Alan Carpluk says. “It’s usually the best decision for the project. Design is a journey that I take hand in hand with my clients. When we push boundaries together, we land on a design that truly inspires and delights.”
3. Scale Is the Most Important Factor
Designer: Lauren Winter of Inside Stories by Duet Design Group
Project location: Littleton, Colorado
Size: 340 square feet (32 square meters); 17 by 20 feet
The project. “The homeowners’ two favorite hotels are the One&Only Palmilla in Los Cabos [Mexico] and the Hotel Jerome in Aspen [Colorado],” designer Lauren Winter says. “Our goal was to mirror some of that saturation and depth that both of those spaces have. We were working with a neutral palette and no existing furniture in this space, so we had a lot of flexibility to add pattern, color and texture.”
The insight. “Scale is the most important factor when designing,” Winter says. “The client called when all of the large black-and-white photos arrived at the home, worried that they were too large. I immediately went back to the specs and drawings to make sure everything fit and that we didn’t mess anything up. I love that these large-scale pieces really anchor that side of the room and balance the large windows and sliding door that lead to the backyard.”
Designer: Lauren Winter of Inside Stories by Duet Design Group
Project location: Littleton, Colorado
Size: 340 square feet (32 square meters); 17 by 20 feet
The project. “The homeowners’ two favorite hotels are the One&Only Palmilla in Los Cabos [Mexico] and the Hotel Jerome in Aspen [Colorado],” designer Lauren Winter says. “Our goal was to mirror some of that saturation and depth that both of those spaces have. We were working with a neutral palette and no existing furniture in this space, so we had a lot of flexibility to add pattern, color and texture.”
The insight. “Scale is the most important factor when designing,” Winter says. “The client called when all of the large black-and-white photos arrived at the home, worried that they were too large. I immediately went back to the specs and drawings to make sure everything fit and that we didn’t mess anything up. I love that these large-scale pieces really anchor that side of the room and balance the large windows and sliding door that lead to the backyard.”
4. The Client’s Role Is Crucial to the Design Process
Designer: Nicolo Bini of LINE architecture
Project location: Los Angeles
Size: 36 square feet (3.3 square meters)
The project. Create a powder room that combines styles reminiscent of Los Angeles and Mexico.
The insight. “This project really drilled home the notion of how important the client’s role is, as well as the dynamic between you and the client,” designer Nicolo Bini says. “Positive dynamics and clients that understand and perform their role while allowing and challenging you to perform yours are the ones you end up pulling all the stops out for.”
Designer: Nicolo Bini of LINE architecture
Project location: Los Angeles
Size: 36 square feet (3.3 square meters)
The project. Create a powder room that combines styles reminiscent of Los Angeles and Mexico.
The insight. “This project really drilled home the notion of how important the client’s role is, as well as the dynamic between you and the client,” designer Nicolo Bini says. “Positive dynamics and clients that understand and perform their role while allowing and challenging you to perform yours are the ones you end up pulling all the stops out for.”
5. Be Clear About Your Availability
Designer: Talli Roberts of Allard + Roberts Interior Design
Project location: Arden, North Carolina
The project. Update a dark and drab living room and its stone-covered double-height fireplace to better reflect the homeowners’ style and contemporary art and sculpture collection.
The insight. “It’s very important to be clear about your availability before you take on new work,” designer Talli Roberts says. “We were honest with our clients from the start that we had a waiting list and could not begin their project right away. They were patient and waiting for us to begin until we completed other existing commitments. That helped. They did get some renovation fatigue towards the end of the project. Living with dust during a renovation can be exhausting for homeowners, especially when construction is moving slowly. We often try to get clients to leave town during the worst or heaviest of the demolition or construction so they aren’t being as impacted.”
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Designer: Talli Roberts of Allard + Roberts Interior Design
Project location: Arden, North Carolina
The project. Update a dark and drab living room and its stone-covered double-height fireplace to better reflect the homeowners’ style and contemporary art and sculpture collection.
The insight. “It’s very important to be clear about your availability before you take on new work,” designer Talli Roberts says. “We were honest with our clients from the start that we had a waiting list and could not begin their project right away. They were patient and waiting for us to begin until we completed other existing commitments. That helped. They did get some renovation fatigue towards the end of the project. Living with dust during a renovation can be exhausting for homeowners, especially when construction is moving slowly. We often try to get clients to leave town during the worst or heaviest of the demolition or construction so they aren’t being as impacted.”
More for Pros on Houzz
Read more articles for home remodeling professionals
Talk with your peers in the Pro-to-Pro discussions
Find out how to join the Trade Program
Designer: John McClain of John McClain Design
Project location: Pacific Palisades, California
Size: 720 square feet (67 square meters)
The project. Create a light, bright, airy and kid-friendly living room with lots of storage and display space.
The insight. “I learned from this project to always voice my opinion when it comes to design,” designer John McClain says. “We, as design professionals, are the experts in our industry and it is up to us to lead our clients to solutions to their problems that they might not have otherwise realized. Whether or not the client agrees, I always find it helpful to speak my mind when it comes to an opinion on a certain part of a project. Ninety-nine percent of the time they value the opinion and love the fact that we have come up with something outside the norm.”