Calling all designers

I’m going to try and write this post and not sound “sales-y”. Becoming an Interior Designer is HARD. It takes a lot of persistence, patience, education and knowing the right people. Designers hire designers with experience- well how do you get experience if you have never been a designer? You need to have something (most likely skills) that the designer finds beneficial to their business or they see something they like. Most of the designers I follow on social media post images of their own beautifully designed homes and rooms. How they get their pictures so perfect is unbeknownst to me. I can take 50 photos of the chairs in my living room and not one looks nice enough for an “interior designers” page- and why would I want to put something out there that wouldn’t catch the eyes of potential clients or other designers?

Part of being an interior designer is building connections with other designers, builders and re-modelers. UGH- but getting those relationships is also HARD! You know what busy builders and successful interior designers don’t have time for? Instagram pitches- and my Instagram pitch is going to be awkward as heck (insert hands up emoji) So how do you catch the eye of those you want relationships with- without trying to sell them on YOU? It’s like online dating for the business world- you literally have to catch their eye. Design beautiful things. People (and I mean pretty much everyone) like things that are aesthetically pleasing. Enter Interior Designer. I know people who want things that look good but have no idea how to get there. Builders who are building home after home and they all freaking look the same because you know what (some) aren’t- Interior Designers. Let’s take my Dad for example (sorry Dad in advance if you’re reading this). He is a successful General Contractor. The man is handy- can build anything! Knows only the right way to do things and researches the best products to use for months before committing to using them. Do you know what he isn’t good at? And he doesn’t pretend either. Picking a paint color that will accent the gorgeous built in bookcase he just installed. Telling you which hardware will look best with the brand new kitchen he is working on. You need curtains to go with the windows he just replaced that give you the beautiful view of your backyard? Don’t ask him. He will install them for you- but he will not pick ones that are pretty 🙂

So let me get to the point of this whole blog post. It’s not to tell you what people are and aren’t good at. It’s to tell you what I am good at and why I am a good fit for you and your needs. You’ve hired a General Contractor on a remodel or addition- yes some may have the knowledge and design expertise to help you make it aesthetically pleasing- but most will just know how to do what you ask them to do. Are you a visual person? If you’re not, well now what? It’s nice in theory to think what you want your bathroom to look like? But why wouldn’t you want to see your brand new bathroom in 3D with all of the finishes you have picked before it actually goes in to build? As a designer, part of my job can be giving you that 3D design of your room and working with your GC to design the space of your dreams. I can also work with your Interior Designer and use software to put together mood boards (see @Interiordesign_aholic) of the finishes, furniture, accessories etc to add the final touches to that space!

I’m going to describe a bathroom for you. It’s a master bathroom and it’s in a typical Colonial house. The owner wants a tub and shower and for it to feel bright and airy. They need a double sink and some storage. Their style is farmhouse. Chances are- we all envisioned a bathroom that is completely different. Why wouldn’t you want your vision to be a 3D reality before you start tearing down walls? Enter again- Interior Designer.

Back to the main point of it all- we like things when we see them. We want things to be pretty, handsome, attractive, look nice…but we don’t always have the right tools to do it and we aren’t all visual people. You don’t go to the hairdressers and say cut 5 inches off without having at least thought about how it would look or google searching people with your face shape and shorter hair? Hair grows back- kitchen cabinets don’t 😉 Don’t just think you know what you want your home to look like- you should be able to see it visually and then be able to live in that space and enjoy it and it’s my job to make sure that’s possible.

As always, xoxo

Lexi