I'll tell you when I get there....

Over the past few weeks, I've read many blogger posts about prioritizing one's design business, one's life, and many other things.  Many of these inspirational thoughts and ideas have included what mistakes have been made over the past year, and how they will change things for the better in the upcoming months.  Refocus, reorganize and make what is important count.  Something that seems to be consistent throughout all these motivational thinkings aloud has been that the passion for design has been overridden by business.  How to run the business more effectively, how to make clients happy, how to maximize hours in the day, how to handle the little things that grow a design business.  "Growing a design business" - this is what scares me as a burgeoning designer.  I use that word because I am just beginning to "put forth young shoots and bud" - so it suits me.  ;)  While I am confident in my design abilities, the business end of design seems to be a ruthless (perhaps too strong a word) perhaps daunting task.  Yes, I am well versed in the usage of design managing software and accounting programs, and have a strong background in project management - all of which are key in this field.  But, this nagging feeling that I will get lost in growing a business and lose sight of what got me started in the first place; a love of design, of helping clients create a place that make them happy, a place where they will make lifelong memories and a refuge in this crazy world.  I might be naïve, but I always want to remember that I changed careers, went back to school to study design without neglecting four children and a husband, waited patiently for the 'right time' to return to work full time, and followed my heart because I love designing spaces for people.  I love creating something for someone who will walk through the door and feel peace and happiness - smiling that they are home and loving where they are.  While I'm still in the early stages of my design journey, and know that my education will never truly be done - just like a great home should never ever be done and should always be changing with you - I know that as long as I remember why I'm doing this, it will never be work, and will remain a privilege to be invited into someone's home to create a great space.  Enjoy a few, a tiny fraction, of my all-time favorite spaces, places & things!

 

 

LI style in designers' challenge!

I was thrilled this past June when asked to participate in HOUSE Magazine's Designers' Challenge 2010.  This is the first challenge the magazine has sponsored and my teammate, Selia Williams, and I were so excited to be invited to join three other teams in the first challenge!  Silia and I had never met prior to being asked to participate, but it has turned out to be a wonderful design partnership.  After what seemed an eternity of very long hours and days spent searching out the perfect design solution for the space, this is our final product. And we love it!  We knew we had to include a glass tile surround fireplace of a decent size; something that had been on the client's wishlist for years, as well as custom built-in bookshelves and drawer space with a flat-screen tv above for her husband to watch his beloved baseball.  Our use of the crystal spheres and other crystal and mirror throughout the space, as well as the gilt silver sunburst mirror above the bed, helped to lighten up the eggplant and chartreuse colors we used in the fabrics.  Although there appears to be an abundance of trim, the only significant amount is actually on the bottom edge of the london shade covering the large window.  Otherwise, the trim was kept to the smaller accent pillows on the bed. Our goal, as the article says, was to provide the client with a space that met their immediate taste needs, as they described to us in our initial and only meeting, as well as provide them a good structure or 'bones' if you will, and long-term, functional pieces to use in the future as their taste evolve and change.  Are there things I would do over in hindsight?  Absolutely.  But, that was part of the challenge -- being able to design on the fly and utilizing sources as students that we had never thought of in our previous design education and experience.  The winner of the challenge is being chosen by the readers of HOUSE Magazine online -- so click over the their website some time in the next week or so, and select the design you'd like to see chosen as the winner! Enjoy!

All Images Courtesy of HOUSE Magazine.

UPDATE 10/25/2010 :  My Partner, Selia Williams, and I were chosen this past week by the owners of the home to implement the design we created for their master bedroom.  Yes, WE WON!  I believe we will be implementing the design after the holidays and will keep you posted.  Congrats also to my fellow designers and classmates, Lisa and Shelly, who won the most votes online by the HOUSE readers.  What fun this was!