by Julie Schmale

Have you ever wondered what a design consultation is, who can make use of one, and how it goes down?

Maybe you haven’t…. I have… So I asked Jess (our design consultant) about it and therefore this post.

Problem Areas

Most often, a consultation comes about because there’s an area of the home that isn’t working very well -this could be anything from a decoration aspect to a functionality aspect. Sometimes just getting a different set of eyes on it can help, sometimes making the time to move all your furniture around and see things from a different perspective can be enlightening. Sometimes we get so stuck in our own train of thought, we keep doing the same thing we’ve always done. We need help steering us towards whatever it is we’re trying to achieve. How do I tie in this room with the rest of the house? How could my mudroom function better? How do I achieve that farm-house look? (or modern, or eclectic or whatever you’re into) Which paint colors better suit my style?

When I booked my consultation, it came out of exactly what Jess described. Our problem area was our home office, that had never really worked very well as an office. Our kids had taken over the entire space and their stuff was EVERYWHERE. We run two businesses and so there HAS to be space for actual paperwork to be done in the office. Enter Jess….

So, you’ve booked a consult…. Now what?

You get a visit, at your house, to walk through/look at/discuss/measure the problem area (whatever that might be). But BEFORE that happens you have a bit of homework to do. This would be to send us some photos of what inspires you (thank you Pinterest!), list your concerns and problem areas, what you want or need the space to be doing for you, things that have to change, and things you want to keep. The reason for sending photos and thoughts is to give Jess time to prep. Think over good options and ideas to suggest.

When I sent my photos of the office, I didn’t clean up or organize a single thing! I wanted her to see how chaotic it actually was -because the whole reason for her coming, was that it’s always a mess and we didn’t know what to do to fix it. I made a list of things that worked and didn’t work….. It was surprising to see the long list of things that DIDN’T work. Even doing that exercise showed us that we really needed to do something about this space.

The goal of a consult

The goal of an initial consult is to create a plan of action that afterwards can be implemented by yourself or can be hired out to the consultant. Jess loves to work alongside people on their projects, and she works hard to make sure the end result reflects the people living in the space.

Using the photos you already sent to her, she takes note of what you are drawn to, why you are drawn to it, what colors you like, which colors create the feel you are after, what finishes to use. We all want our home to “feel” a certain way -and it’s all subject to who we are , what we like, what we do with our time -and because God made us all different, our homes all look different. It’s impossible to copy and paste certain elements or styles from home to home -because they are as different as all of us.

Most often, what people want guidance on is paint colors / furniture placement / getting a cohesive look throughout their home / how to create function but keeping it in the style they love / direction on a reno-journey.

Read our blog on picking the perfect paint color the FIRST time!

Making a plan of action

OK. Moving on. Once the consult is over, Jess takes the information and from what came up in the consult, she outlines a plan with all her suggestions to what can be done, which colors to chose, how to arrange furniture, even where to look for new furniture, what kind of decor items to use to add texture and get that “feel” you desire. She sums up everything you came up with together and gives it to you, and from there you can do with it whatever you want.

Working with people to get where they want to be takes trust. Some find that easier than others, and that’s okay. Some people take everything to heart that she suggests, and in the end are so happy they tried something out of their comfort zone. Some people never end up doing anything suggested. Even in the case where someone doesn’t like the specific suggestions given, Jess can still come up with enough information to guide them forward.

Some people don’t have the time or desire to source everything, and when our consultant is hired, you get more out of it in the end.

The one thing that gets added is a mood board. This is the visual plan of your space -it’s a very exciting stage, because all of a sudden you can imagine what your home might look like at the end of it all. Our society is so visual, and the mood board really brings your project to life. Usually 3 boards are created and together you will decide what you are the most drawn to and what things to incorporate in the final mood board.

The mood board is super exciting to see! As soon as Jess had been to our home, I was anticipating her suggestions while in my mind already piecing things together from what we’d discussed in the walk-through. Waiting for that is like waiting for Christmas!

On a larger project you also get a 3D rendering of the areas that are being transformed. She can source the materials for you, the furniture, the decor items. And again, it’s not about HER style going in to YOUR space. It’s all bout helping YOU create the look and feel YOU want. The project should always represent the people living in the home afterwards.

Let’s re-cap…

A Design Consult is all about helping you with problem areas in your home (there’s no limit to what that could be).

It leaves you with a plan of action and ideas you can implement yourself (or hire out).

It is not about the designer’s personal style. It’s about making your space a reflection of you and all the things you love.

3 tips from the designer

1. When it comes to products, I suggest you only buy things you LOVE. Don’t worry about whether they’ll go with everything else because if you love everything you own, they will all go together in the long run -and it will be a truer reflection of the people living in the home. Thanks to Homesense and Winners (I love those places too) it’s fairly inexpensive to fill your shelves with things just to have them look fuller or more finished. But often those are the pieces that later on get thrown out because we made due, we didn’t love them. Save your money instead and buy things that you really want, and the end-result will be more curated and stand the test of time.

2. Vary textiles, creating layers with different finishes. It gives a cozy effect. If you have a leather couch, add chairs that are fabric, and use pillows with different textures too (like leather / knit / cotton / velvet). Do you have lots of wood furniture? Add a coffee table in concrete. Rugs add huge amounts of personality and coziness to a room and it defines a “room” within a room. Add plants with different shapes and types of leaves.

3. Light fixtures. Add some to your living room! The living room especially can seem so uninviting and clinical when the only source of light is from pot-lights. That’s improved when they’re dimmable of course, but it is always a good idea to add different lighting sources that make the room cozier in the evenings. Types of lamps to add would be a floor lamp, or a table lamp on a side table, wall sconces to highlight art or shelves. (Of course, all of them in line with the style and “feel” you’re desiring!)

Have fun adding some style, texture, and good-feel to your home!

Oh! -And if you want to see the finished office, check out our blog at a later date. Because of Covid we haven’t been able to finish this project yet.

What to expect from a design consultation