We spend over 90% of our time indoors and the quality of our indoor spaces clearly has a significant impact on our lives. I work with many busy people who appreciate the value of well-thought-out interior design. They want a home that is comfortable and inviting while reflecting their style and priorities, but they may not have the time or expertise to make this happen on their own. My main objective as an interior designer is to help my clients uncover their unique design style and create beautiful and comfortable spaces that contribute to their happiness and overall sense of well-being.
In addition to being transformative, Interior Design projects also have the potential to be quite stressful. Furnishing a home is a big investment and it makes sense that there be anxiety and stress around possibly making an expensive mistake. People also want their homes to be inviting and express who they are and what they value rather than representing somebody else’s aesthetic and personality (i.e. the designer). Understandably, the thought of hiring an interior designer can feel daunting.
Over the past year or so, it has become clear to me that interior design projects have the potential to get too complicated and drag on longer than they need to. Most people feel intimidated by a full-service design contract that could potentially take months and months to get through. Most clients would prefer a process that is efficient, fun and not unnecessarily complex or stressful. And they also need a little instant gratification along the way to stay motivated.
In the past few months, I have been testing out a new way of working called “Design Clarity In A Day”, which provides a remedy to much of the potential stress associated with renovating and furnishing your home. My clients are loving this focused and fresh approach. “Design Clarity In A Day” will allow you to see quick progress on your projects without having to wait for all selections to be made for multiple rooms or an entire house.
A Recent Client:
A recent client who down-sized into a new condo in DC was concerned about her new space potentially feeling small. Here is what she had to say after completing three Design Clarity Days: “Holly is creative, efficient, thoughtful, practical, and a great listener. She just helped me with two rooms. She really understood what I wanted — and needed — for a small space. She sorts through what’s out there, narrows it down to a manageable selection and presents options and alternatives at several price points. She is great at staying on budget — whether it’s modest or more — and she’s super practical. She saved me from making several mistakes. …I am thrilled to be able to recommend her wholeheartedly! She’s really easy to work with regardless of your budget and your style”. As a designer, I LOVE taking a seemingly challenging space and figuring out the ideal layout for optimal comfort and beauty. Helping my client to feel comfortable and excited about her move so this transition could be less stressful,and more fun was a truly gratifying experience.
My typical clients share some notable characteristics: First, they are very busy and don’t have time to dedicate to hours of interior design. Secondly, they have lots of responsibilities and they don’t want yet one more thing to worry about. They either have stressful jobs or growing kids (or both) and they need to feel that their home is a haven, rather than a source of stress due to a never-ending renovation or interior design project. In addition, they are already over-stimulated with the zillions of options and possibilities available, and they need selections to be thoughtfully curated. Finally, despite all of the above, they want their homes to express their preferences and values while being comfortable and welcoming spaces for their children, family and friends. They need an approach to interior design which provides them with clarity, efficiency and peace of mind.
What A Design Clarity Day Looks Like For Your Project:
So what does one day actually look like and how much time is required of the homeowner? We will reserve your day (or days) at least two weeks in advance of starting your project. Your day is exclusively dedicated to your project. You will be given some simple pre-work to complete about your budget, style and priorities at least seven days prior to meeting. We will start out your day with a kick-off meeting where we will get a thorough tour of your design challenge, we will determine the priorities that you would like me to address and I will measure and take photos. From there I will go back to the office for 7 hours of intensive work on your project. Within 48 hours of this intensive day, we will schedule a follow-up meeting (either in person or on Zoom) where we will review everything that has been accomplished during this intensive day and clarify your next steps.
So how will we do this? One small project or room at a time! The process will be fun and invigorating, rather than feeling drawn out for months on end.
In one day of focused design, a lot can be accomplished!
Here are some examples of things that I have helped clients to achieve in a single day of intensive design work:
Generate the ideal layout for a new sunroom space (after reviewing multiple layout options), including paint color, lighting, window treatment and furniture suggestions. The layout selections were then passed on to the Architect and helped to inform the architectural drawings.
Select new wallcovering and paint for a guest room and bathroom, in addition to selecting new fabric for window seat cushions. After making the selections and helping with purchasing, I passed on the name of a wallcovering installer and upholsterer so that all the work could be carried out through coordination with the homeowner.
Select a new countertop, tile backsplash, paint color for re-painting existing cabinets and cabinet pulls to provide my client with a clear blueprint for their kitchen remodel.
Generate the ideal layout for a living room with some obvious spatial challenges, thereby making it easy for my clients to select furniture with confidence knowing the sizes and types of pieces were the ideal fit for the way they hoped to use the room.
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And this model can easily be applied to larger projects. For example, in three intensive days, we can provide full-service design on smaller rooms like a small dining room, entryway or home office space.
And in four intensive days, we are able to provide full-service design on larger rooms like a living room or family room.
So, what could this look like for different-sized projects? If you know you have one room to be completed and you could really use a feeling of instant gratification, a room from start to finish will take 3-4 intensive days to complete. Depending on my schedule and yours, we can schedule one to two days within one week. So, you could have a complete room design in two weeks!
Maybe you have a three-room project that includes your Living, Dining and Entry space? First, we would dedicate a half day to determining your style, budget and needs and thinking through how the spaces will flow and relate to one another. Then we would start with the room that you find most inspiring. Say the Living Room. And we will schedule four intensive days to complete that room. You could schedule a Tuesday and a Wednesday of one week and a Tuesday and a Wednesday of the next week. Assuming that decisions are made quickly and efficiently, within two weeks you could have a complete room design. And we would then schedule subsequent meetings for the Entry and the Dining Room. So potentially, you could have a complete room design for all three rooms in 6 weeks.
And you may be wondering, what if I have a whole house to furnish? We can provide you with an overall estimate (including the number of intensive days needed to complete the project) for all of the rooms where work will be done to help you with budgeting before getting started. We would start globally with one day dedicated to establishing the overall budget, priorities, style etc. And then just like in the example above, we would dedicate 3 to 4 days to the first room in question. When (and only when) that room is completed, we would move on to the next room.
This new way of working will keep you engaged and motivated. Interior Design can be fresh and interesting, and you can allow yourself to enjoy the self-discovery that can be found through this fun and creative process. Much of the stress and overwhelm is eliminated knowing that this will be a focused and step-by-step endeavor, accomplished in bite-sized chunks.
So tell me, would you hire me for a day or multiple days? Send me an e-mail or set up a discovery call so we can talk about your specific needs and how I can help you to create a home that you love!
We are offering a limited promotion ending on December 23rd of $200 off on the “Design Clarity In A Day” service. Schedule a discovery call or reserve your day here: