Recently I had a friend of a friend visit me in my home. She was so moved by the way my home made her feel that she asked if I could make her home feel the same (not look the same, but feel the same). I told her I thought I could and when she purchased a home in Florida, it worked out perfectly. I was excited to design for someone else after working primarily on our own properties for the last several years.
For me, the process of designing for someone else begins by listening. I want to hear what they like, of course, but I also want to hear what makes them happy, things they like to do in their home, who will live with and/or visit them, what design style have they had and loved or didn’t love, plus other hints I can glean from. My friend loves French country design and how it makes her feel. She also loves Beatrix Potter whose drawings have much the same vibe, so I had a good starting place to begin my research.
French Country is not a style I have used before and my focus, almost exclusively for several years, has been on vacation rentals which need durable, mostly neutral pieces. I was starting from scratch, but I knew where to look. Online magazines, Etsy, Pinterest and local vintage stores provided inspiration and allowed me to create spreadsheets with links for my friend to be involved in the process. We were able to vintage market shop together when we were both in town and we totally enjoyed the process.
One day my friend showed me a scarf to use as an inspiration for one of the bedrooms. It was lovely and helped in the selection of colors and accessories. She was so pleased with the final presentation of this bedroom that she gave me another scarf for the next bedroom. Carly and Levi have been working closely with me and of course Dave is hanging pictures and moving furniture when he is available. We do love to work on projects together.
Designing a client’s home is quite different from designing for a client who will vacation in your property. My mindset is not focused on what will bless a vacationer and cause them to book another stay with us. My mindset is on understanding my client (my friend) and what will bless her heart every time she enters her home. French Country is all new to me, but I am loving it. I may just do our next property in French Country. We’ll see!
Learning something new,
Karen Conrad