November 15th, 2011

Operation: Decoration, Part 2

Meeting Izzy

We met with Izzy to find out more about her family, their needs, and to check out the rooms.  Tons of potential, we are so excited. Always love starting a new project.

First, a look at the rooms (we will be doing two). We take measurements, start thinking how the girls will use their rooms and what furniture plan would be best, and decide what sort of window treatments make the most sense.

Right now R. is in the room that will become the nursery; it’s about 10 x 11 feet.

R. will move into the existing guest room, which is a bit bigger at about 11×11. Perks of being the big sister.

Next, a conversation to determine what sort of “look and feel” Izzy envisions. This is actually one of the most interesting (and sometimes challenging) parts of being an interior decorator who specializes in children’s spaces. Not only do we need to interpret what the parents’ style is, but we also need to capture the essence of what they believe will appeal to their child. While some clients have torn out pages from magazines and bookmarked design blogs, which of course can be very helpful, what’s really essential is knowing how to ask the right questions. It’s all really very subjective—one person’s light celadon is another person’s chartreuse—so you have to know how to parse answers.

We start by asking about the preschooler R.’s personality. Izzy says, “She’s less ballerina, more stars on the ceiling; more a blue than pink kind of girl, but pink is OK if it’s not ‘too’ pink.” See what I mean about how it can be tricky? But her statements are actually totally helpful. I get it: R. is not a super-girly girl. (And phew, Izzy’s not hoping for a Barbie pink and lavender sparkly princess extravaganza. Not that there is anything wrong with that. Ok, there usually is, but I digress…)

For the baby’s nursery, she says wants something “soft” and “old-fashioned” but also says that she likes the idea of pink and green. Now pink and green is a great color combination, but the pairing is usually done in bolder tones and can trend pretty preppy, not what I’d consider “old-fashioned.” After some more talking I get that by “old-fashioned,” Izzy means a look that’s classic, traditional and sweet. Got it…I already have some fabrics in mind.

Next in Operation: Decoration

We pull together boards and present design concepts.

 

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One Response to Operation: Decoration, Part 2

  1. Pingback: Operation: Decoration, Part 3 | Finnian's Moon Blog

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