With the current popularity of home design shows on television, it’s apparent that the public has become increasingly fascinated with the design process.
With the technical revolution and fast-paced lifestyles, people want to come home, shut the door, and be in an environment that gives them refuge; a place where they are comfortable and in control of their lives.
All of this media attention on design fuels the imagination, creating many possibilities for just such a place.
However, the huge number of ideas, products, and styles can also be confusing the consumer.
If you have looked around and decided that you want more from your home, where do you start? What are you looking for and where do you find it? How do you keep from making expensive mistakes?
That’s the goal of this new, multi-media column. In addition to appearing in print, you’ll be able to connect through the newspaper’s website to a blog I’m writing and, there, offer your comments or ask questions.
We want to help you wade through this complicated process; find answers to questions you have been afraid to ask, and even ask questions you didn’t know you needed to ask. Connect with us and let’s have some fun.
Each month we are going to explore different topics on interior design. If readers have questions or want to share experiences they have had, they can connect to the Design Blog on the Digital Courier’s Spotlight page.
The first question is always “What do you want from your home?” Years ago, as long as most of your friends, and all of your relatives thought it was pretty, you were satisfied.
Now my clients want more.
They also want, more often than not, to be involved in the design process. They want to be involved in the decision making. Setting goals, budgets, and priorities relieves some of the fear and uncertainly that exists when starting a home project.
It can be fun. Many clients tell me that they are a little sad when their design project is over.
To get started, ask yourself the right questions. My father often told me that the answers were not always as important as learning what questions to ask. Here are some to ask yourself:
When you are home, what do you do?
What do you not do that you would like to because you have no place to do it?
Who lives there and who visits? How often?
Will these answers change as children grow and you age?
Have you prepared for the evolution process?
Have you controlled your clutter?
Do you need to incorporate more storage in the design or just “get rid” of some things that no longer work for you?
And the biggest question in today’s changing world: “Have you incorporate new technology into your design?” Are there cords everywhere? Are chargers, computers, DVD’s, remotes, and speakers scattered about or do they look like they belong?
Take a picture and look at it as if you were an outsider. And don’t get overwhelmed. You can’t do it all at once; just pick an area and start. We’ll try to help.
Kitty McCammon is owner of KSP Design on Charlotte
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