Designer Do's and Don'ts

Designers can be pretty opinionated about what people should and should not do in their homes. Sometimes what a designer says should be heeded, and sometimes it should be completely ignored. I've met with clients who are terrified by some pronouncement a famous designer has just made - "You must never, ever ..." - because obviously they had! My question to them is, "Do you like it?" or "Does it work in your space?" Sometimes those designers have some good ideas. I've come across lists of do and don'ts from high powered designers in magazines over the years, and I thought I'd share some of the ones I agree with and even some I don't (my comments are in italics)!

The Do's

• Keep everything classic and simple. (Unless you want to go fussy and overstuffed.)
• Look at the whole picture.
• Consider your interests and passions. These can be a trigger for a collection. (Amen. It's your house, it should reflect you.)
• Invest in a good designer. (Amen. Enough said.)
• Have fresh flowers and plants, always have your house clean, and use paint for a quick change. (Personally, live plants have a very short life span in my house. My family takes bets on how long the plants I buy will actually last. Always have your house clean? A little trick - when I can't get to the housecleaning right away, I just put the vacuum cleaner in the middle of the floor so that it looks like I'm in the middle of it, even if I don't actually vacuum for days, or longer.)
• Have a concept before you begin, have one unexpected piece, and reflect your personality in the space. (There's a theme developing here - your space is your space. If someone insists on my telling him about and then using whatever the latest trend is, I just don't work with him.)

Break the rules

• Use colour, and let a designer take your ideas and run with them.
• Collect objects in depth to make a statement, and always buy quality over quantity. (Put your collectibles in one place for impact.)
• Look for a complete plan, be honest about your budget, and open your mind to a colour you've never considered. (Never, never insist on granite countertops over laminate if you have to use reclaimed - not reupholstered - RV seats in the living room because you've run out of money.)
• Do take risks and strive for quality, not quantity. Have fun and enjoy the process.

The Don'ts

• Try to combine too much. Choose one style.
• Pick apart a concept or get hung up on one tiny detail.
• Do everything at the same level of richness. Create contrast.
• Be trendy - things should look good for 30 to 40 years. (By which time they'll be retro and therefore trendy ... oops!)
• Don't ask your mother-in-law's or best friend's opinion - they're not paying for the project. (And you will go crazy trying to please everyone. Let them decorate their own houses.)
• Try to fill a room with furniture.
• Think about do's and don'ts. (Did I not mention this in my intro?)
• Do a cheap paint job or use fluorescent lights or use a cheap contractor.
• Be afraid or clip your designer's wings. (Sometimes they do have some really cool ideas that will take your place from nice to WOW.)
• Fall prey to the fad of the moment. (Like I said.)
• Design around colour trends. Interiors should have a more timeless approach.
• Be afraid to mix old and new, high cost and low cost.
• Do a formal window treatment with swags on sliding doors or use silk flowers anywhere. (Well the swag thing is just common sense, and that's a biggie - don't let interior design get in the way of living. And the flower/plant thing again - I guess I'm just using pictures of plants in my house.)

Use these ideas (or don't). Have fun with decorating your space, and remember ... Nobody dies in decorating (my sister claims she hurt herself while trying to move some pictures around, but I'm not taking any responsibility for that).

WANT TO USE THIS ARTICLE IN YOUR EZINE OR WEBSITE? Please do, along with this text: Leslie Chevalier is a gifted interior decorator who guides and inspires homeowners in and around Edmonton, Alberta through the maze of dizzying design trends toward their own personal and unique dreams of home. For information about how Leslie can help transform your house into your dream home, visit her at www.chevalierdesign.ca.