What Fits You Better - Dream Design or Signature Interior Design?
Faith Led Interior Design Show | Episode 5
The question of what fits you better - dream design or signature - design mainly comes into play when you are working with an interior designer. But, it could come into play when you are doing the design yourself too!
The goal of a great interior designer is to create a design that is beautiful and pleasing to the eye. A design that is also comfortable, functional, livable, and yes, even safe.
The best part of my job is happy people! I love to help clients turn their homes into something beautiful and comfortable for themselves and their families. It makes me happy to see them excited and enjoying their homes.
In today's show, I will explain what Dream Interior Design and Signature Interior Design are. At the end of this show, you will be able to decide what best fits you.
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What Fits You Better - Dream Design or Signature Interior Design?
I had lunch with a past client last week and she commented on how happy she is at home. She and her husband love and really enjoy their home.
One thing that has been a constant and is of utmost importance to me as my client’s designer is assuring them that their design will be a reflection of themselves. That their design matches their taste and lifestyle.
This type of design is the type that I do and I have dubbed it “Dream Design”. I will explain more about that in just a minute, but first, let me tell you what it is not. It is not a signature design.
What is Signature Design?
I would say 75% or more of interior designers have their own look, their own style, and that is what you get.
When I had my shop in Danville, California, for many, many years there was a designer who had done many homes in our area.
When I went into a home that he had done, I could always tell who had designed it. “Oh, this is his design!”, I always knew that it was this designer's work. He was very talented for sure.
But I never felt like the people got their own design. It was more of a reflection of the designer than themselves. I also would have people tell me, “I don’t want his design”. It just isn’t me.
The ones that did use him got a signature design and it was his signature, not theirs.
His work was beautiful. He did a great job. Many people did want to have that look in their homes. People were happy and proud to have his design.
So that is what a signature design is.
I've had many people tell me through the years that they tell the designer what they want, but the designer keeps coming back and showing them things that they don't like or want. It feels very uncomfortable to them because they're thinking, “Okay, am I just not getting it?” They question their own taste. At other times, they think, “Is this designer not getting me?”
Just as a side note here:
That is why it is not great to ask your mother, your sister, or your neighbor about your design decisions. Some people ask everybody what they think and they get a different answer from each person. They will all be different answers that are not at all based on you, a design that is not your design plan.
This is because we all like ourselves and what we are actually recommending is ourselves to each other.
I have trained myself through the years to get out of myself and really into getting to know you. It is so exciting for me and never boring!
Many signature designers can’t do that because it requires them to get out of themselves. It requires the designer to get out of themselves and talk to you and create your look, not their look. Most don’t even want to do that. They love doing their own look.
Some people like signature designers because they're predictable. The client knows what they will get because they see designs in several homes.
Many people don't know what they want or they can't find someone to help them establish their own dream design style.
So if you want a signature design, and that is a more comfortable way for you to go, I would say, go for that.
What is Dream Design?
On the other hand, the way I like to do interior design is called DREAM DESIGN...
Dream design is based on making a professional interior design plan that takes you and your family into consideration.
This is uncommon because, in order to give the client their design, it is important for me, or your designer, to get out of ourselves and study you, the client.
Psalms 139: 13-14 says, “for it was You who created my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I will praise You because I have been fearfully and wonderfully made”.
God doesn’t make any mistakes, He is a great designer.
And He makes no two things alike. We are all created uniquely.
How I Get My Client’s Dream Design
First I look at my client’s actual body type.
I look at my client’s coloring - is it warm or cool-based?
What is their texture level?
What is their contrast level?
What shapes do they like? And so much more!
Then, I look at their personalities.
What is their profession?
What do they really love?
What do they get excited about?
What are their dreams?
What are their accomplishments?
Where have they traveled?
What are their future dreams? And much much more.
We create a custom interior design plan. This plan is a reflection of them.
I study the people themselves.
The interior design plan includes their colors, their shapes, their textures, their lines, and their design personalities.
When everything about you is reflected in your home, you love it. We naturally love things that are like ourselves.
The bible teaches us to love our neighbors as we love ourselves. So it is saying that we do love ourselves.
There are two types of loving yourself. There is being conceited, prideful, and arrogant thinking you’re better than everyone, which is a sin…and there is naturally loving yourself.
So that's why I call it a dream design because it's your personal design that you innately or naturally love because it is a reflection of you!
THERE IS NO RIGHT OR WRONG:
But, I do believe it is an important distinction that I don’t think many people realize when they are thinking about designing their homes.
In Summary…
Signature Design is:
It is predictable. You know what you will be getting.
It is the designer’s style. The designer doesn't really need to get to know you too much because they're just going to do their design in your home. Of course, you want to choose somebody who you like.
It is not your personal style.
It is beautiful but impersonal.
The designers may say that they're getting to know you and giving you your style.
The proof is in the pudding. Are they actually presenting to you things that you love, not things that they love? You can end up with expensive items you don’t love or want.
Dream Design is:
The best designs, in my opinion, are unique to you.
The Design is made uniquely for your tastes.
It establishes your interior design personality
It establishes your interior design furniture style
It establishes your personal interior-design plan
With God, He won't just give us what we have, it will always be so much more.
Also, with God, the dream will be a stretch for you.
It probably won't be something that you've thought of doing (or else you would have done that way yourself already).
What Next For You?
With regards to dream design, I'm working on a course to help you create a home that fits your unique style.
We'll come up with your unique style, your unique design that will be a reflection of you and I will help you establish your Dream Design. It will be original as you.
So it will be a course to design like a professional interior designer, on your budget, and in your style.
It will be in person or virtual. I will be introducing that to you in the next few months. I am very excited because I believe it is an important step so that people live in homes that they absolutely love! More about that later…
So I think that's so exciting.
And either way, it's fine. Whether you choose to have a signature interior designer or a dream designer, the choice is yours.
So the next 12 episodes are going to talk about interior design styles. Look at each episode and see if that style fits you. In the end, you may have 2 or 3 furniture styles that fit you and your personality.
At the end of the next 12 weeks, you should have your interior design personality style and your interior design furniture style or styles…and we will continue our interior design plan.
What you would do is meet with the designer.
Steps to Interview Your Designer
Portfolios are usually online. You can usually look at their portfolio online. Does everything look exactly alike in all of the homes or is there a big difference? Because there's a difference in personalities and different people.
Meet with the interior designer.
The client tells the designer their ideas and dreams. That's one way to tell whether the interior designer is a dream designer or a signature designer. I would say probably 75% are signature designers, and maybe 25% actually want to reflect you in your home. Dream designers will be talking to you about your personality. They will help you determine your furniture style, your color scheme, your textures, and your line.
Initial consultation. I'm just going to talk about dream design today because that's what I do. There's an initial consultation where you and the designer are determining the scope of the job. This can be done by phone or in person.
The scope of the project is determined.
Shopping trip: Sometimes if you're local, a shopping trip can be great to go together and then the designer can see what you really love. When I go on these shopping trips with people, I love to do that because there's usually something where there's a real heavy reaction. Like not just, “Oh I like this!” kind of reaction, but “Oh, my God”, and then I know that that's something that really fits them. That thing is really something that they love.
Interior design plan established. This may include a mood board or 3D design plan.
Presentation: So, the designer comes back with the design plan, presents the layout of the furniture and the front end of the furniture, samples and color samples and paint samples and all of that, and if the design needs to be tweaked at all, it's done at that point.
Order process:- Everything's ordered or bought; if it's in stock and put in, and let's celebrate the exclamation point.
I'm still collecting your most pressing interior design questions. Please go to my email at Shereedouglas@gmail.com and submit your question. It may be one that I will feature on my podcast. That would be great, and it really helps me know what you are needing for your interior design projects.
