At its heart, the job of an interior designer is to support the human-centric experiences of a space: how a homeowner uses the kitchen, how a family entertains, how a couple sleeps, how a small business builds team culture, and much more. To design for people, we must understand them.
So working with an interior designer is a very personal experience—or at least, it should be. If your designer just asks about a few patterns or colors you like or which design eras you hate, you might want to consider whether you’re getting the full benefit of luxury interior design services.
Because a good designer wants to know about how you live and use your house, and because your home is your most personal space, it’s common for a married couple to feel a little vulnerable working with a designer. After all, you’re investing a lot of money into this project, and on top of that, you must decide and then reveal what you like. It’s very likely that you’ll run into situations in which you and your partner disagree or have different preferences. In Duet’s process, we guide our clients through a very detailed questionnaire and analysis, and very often, we get to a point in the process when one partner loves something the other hates.
A good designer can guide you through these sticking points. Here’s how:
1. We ask you to tell us the truth and be your authentic selves.
Don’t tell us what you think we want to hear. Don’t tell us what your partner might want you to say. Just tell us the truth! Authenticity rules the day—and the best designs.
2. We’re not quite marriage counselors, but we spend a lot of time listening to couples talk
About their lives—and we can find common ground even when partners don’t initially agree. We know how to, ahem, marry each person’s preference into a cohesive whole that both people love and enjoy.
3. We speak the language of design even if you (and/or your partner) don’t.
You don’t have to know why an aesthetic or a fabric or a finish doesn’t appeal to you. Sometimes our clients will say, “That just feels … heavy to me,” or “I wouldn’t sit in that chair.” We can use that information!
4. We have found that authenticity is the key to trust.
We show up as our full selves, ready to guide and use the full force of our expertise and talent. And if you’re 100-percent your authentic selves, we will create a design you love.
5. Your family life is greater than the sum of its parts: So too is your home’s design.
Very often, when we reveal a completed design to a couple, each person sees their individual style expressed in the context of their relationship or family. Even when couples have agreed on most aspects of their style, a highly successful design subtly acknowledges each person’s contributions to the cohesive whole.
So don’t be shy or coy or even too polite in your meetings with your designer: Let us know what you really think, and encourage your spouse or partner do the same. We can find the common ground in your home design while giving each of you details you will relish for years to come. (But no, we can’t help you break the news to your mother-in-law that you’re not coming for Thanksgiving this year…You’re on your own there.)
