© Eliza Doolittle Design 2011
Lesley's Rant
From time to time I am requested by clients to come by and see if they can improve their space. Maybe the sofa looked better in the store showroom or the huge TV with custom built cabinet - how come it doesn't look as good in the new home that is open concept and 1650 sq. ft? Does one need a design specialist to tell them it just does not fit!!! Sometimes it is just that simple, other times when one needs a place for the TV and the spouse still wants to set a dining table for 10 or 12 at holidays, it gets a little more complicated. We are not licensed to do relationship counseling, but we can usually find common ground and with a very reasonable budget, (always negotiated and approved by the client) we can usually come up with a solution to keep the peace and have the space planned to give everyone a sense of harmony.
The most wonderful item to come along in decades has been the wall mounted flat sceen TV, it is a design tool extraordinaire!! However, it amazes me how people still leave the cords hanging, speakers all over the place and install it at heights that require one to sit on a chair with one's neck back so far they need a chiropractor to get them back to work. By now you know some of my pet peeves, let me throw a couple more at you. Lamps plugged into the wall with at least 6 ft. of cord stretched across the floor - curtain rods installed by the DIY homeowner who has only one screw in each bracket and it isn't even in a stud....HELLOO does anyone out there know what a drywall anchor is or a stud finder? There is no need to make do and what are you making do for? Why does a 98" sofa, that was originally sized to fit a large living room, moved to a more compact home that should have a 78' sofa! PEOPLE we are making poor choices!!! This is what is costing the consumers money, not design professionals who can stretch your resources and set you on the right path. The most important thing is to communicate with your stylist or designer, tell them the truth about your budget and your likes and dislikes. A true professionl needs to hear it so they can get you where you want to be... I always tell my clients (by now you know I have opinions) when I leave your home it should reflect your taste, not mine and should look comfortable, functional and easy to live in. It should not look like a stranger came in and copied a page from a magazine. Original design is usually in some way inspired from Mother Nature, however, it is magic when a collaboration of clients, stylists and trades people come together to complete a project that no one person would have done by themselves.
Sometimes it is just as easy as "please remove that table from there and move it over there and change the pendant light"...can you believe it?
Sometimes it is just as easy as edit and delete...
Sometimes it is just as easy as a new paint colour, washing the windows or buying a new tossed cushion...
Maybe it just takes a new eye to give a different perspective!!!! I was asked once, what could I do that a best friend could not... my answer was simple. My paycheck is determined by how many good, solid decisions I make and how many clients tell friends about my business - how much fun it was during the process and why it was the best money they ever spent! It is not always about design, sometimes it is just about saying "yes" or "no".
Give me a call and find out!!!
My name is Les Macdonald and my company is Eliza Doolittle Design.