The best lessons in life (or reminders thereof) hit you out of nowhere sometimes, and the latest for me came from a girlfriend reunion lunch to catch up over some good eats.
One of my peeps shared that she's having artwork framed, including a commissioned piece of Princess Diana. Not sure if I've shared my obsession (since I was ten) for Diana but its true I've always loved her, so my interest was piqued and I begged her to send me a photo when she got home. She sent it and of course I died. The piece is a depiction of Diana in a pink dress and tiara during her Australia tour in the 80's (look at photo 16 of 30 here for the dress), only she's blowing a big bubble gum bubble. #amazeballs
Now someone else may find no significance or joy from that piece, but I loved how cheeky and fun it was, and so indicative of my friend's fun loving and sparkling personality (she's hands down one of the funniest people and by far the best story teller ever). It's perfection (and now I want one!).
It is the coolest piece and and I told her I want clients like you who say - I don't know why I like it, but I like it and let's use it. That thought is so freeing to me. I want everybody to have that feeling in their space/life - be unapologetic about who you are and what you love. And let it shine.
As a designer, I'm not known for a certain look or aesthetic. Some designers out there have a very defined look they do. all. the. time. You can scroll through Instagram or Pinterest and pick out designs from specific people at a glance.
Please know there's nothing wrong with this, but for me personally, I think of design differently because every single client is different. They may like similar things or have similar taste but their personalities are different, their lifestyles are different, their partners are different - you get my drift.
I not only look at the people who hire me when I start on a project, I absolutely take their current house into consideration. How can you not? They picked that house for a reason and together that client and their house have a story to tell.
My job, scratch that, my passion and my goal in any design project I take on is to marry all the parts and pieces together to tell a story that makes sense.
We start at the beginning in getting to know our clients - how they live in a space, what they love or don't love about their house, what they want to change, what their end goal is. We would never tell our clients that they can't use something if they love it - we'll find a way, even if it's in a different room. Rest assured, we will make it work.
We never insist on a clean blank slate unless that's the client's wish, but never because we don't want to have to use our creative side to figure things out. It's part of the fun and why we do what we do...to translate our clients' personalities and lifestyles and their aesthetic into their surroundings...not just repeat a recipe for a room based on years of doing the same style or thing over and over and over again.
All this to say, follow in my girlfriend's footsteps, and own whatever it is you love or collect. You deserve a space made with things that bring you joy! Don't hesitate to reach out if you need help bringing it all together in your own home...I consider it an honor to help clients transform their spaces using what they love while making it all cohesive.
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