Most of us have had the curiosity or the dream of commissioning an interior designer but have left these aspiring notions only as notions. Fears will conjure naturally when pursuing a high form of luxury. The mystery of its affordability and the question of how it will truly serve a purpose in your life comes with the territory. Being well-seasoned with first-time design clients at J. Hettinger Interiors, I will completely agree but I will strive to show you its reason and logic.
Ruth, my recent Pleasant Hill client, was the perfect situation of a virgin client thoroughly guided through the process and was left breathless with screams of excitement at the reveal of her new master suite. Her only words of logic were, “I can’t believe this is all mine!”
What’s the point of a beautiful room if it has no purpose other than looking pretty? My job is to make rooms function for one’s lifestyle and enhance their way of living. Ruth is a veterinary anesthesiologist surgeon and a very busy gal who needed a soft, soothing retreat for rejuvenation. The room also needed to coexist and endure her dog, three cats and their occasional, furry-friend visitors.
Not only was Ruth’s project to be designed around a family of pets, but her dog, Dylan, is disabled. Obviously the textiles specified in the bedroom area would have to be paw-friendly. I had to be particular about what accessories to place and where. Being a pet owner myself, this was familiar ground. It was imperative that the master bath would provide a place for Ruth to easily and safely bathe Dylan. We opted to build a generous shower in place of the existing garden tub. The idea of doing this to any master bathroom would make any homeowner cringe. By pairing off beautiful materials and producing an excellent layout, I was confident that the end product would be very elegant. The glass block shower was my jumping point. This enabled me to moderately open up the room and not create a “sense of dead space” in the shower by using simple, clear glass panels. Glass block can have a charming presence in a space with classic detailing, in contrast to the contemporary settings seen in the 80s.
I carried the watery reflective character of the blocks into glass mosaics but in tones of bronze. A polished granite vanity top was specified to complete the pairing of reflective surfaces. In limited spaces, shiny and reflective materials really give a sense of openness. The cabinets have a painted finish just to echo the blonde burl wood of her bedroom furniture and to keep the bathroom light and soft. A matte finished porcelain field tile seen in the shower walls and the radiant heated floor proved to be cost-effective. It also provided a soft backdrop to highlight the glass surfaces.
Verbally expressing your vision to a client and a contractor can only take it so far. I find that the use of new technology for visual depictions is very effective in showing the client exactly what the entire room will look like and also saves time and confusion on the contractors end. In addition to conventional 2D construction drawings and rendered elevations, I utilized digital 3D modeling in this situation. A photo-realistic image of the bathroom-to-be depicting all materials and completed layout in context was presented to Ruth and my outstanding contractor, Ron Shafer, of Ron Shafer Construction. This one digital rendering put Ruth and Ron at ease and ready to push forward. Ron was seeing the built environment even before it was built. In the end, the entire project was completed in four months, just in time for the holidays and on budget.
There are key elements to undergoing any design project and making it affordable. Finding a designer is your first priority. Interview a few as they usually give a free initial consultation. Can you visualize yourself working with this person for the next few months? Do you enjoy their company? Make sure there is a strong, reliable company behind the designer. When contemplating a remodel, your contractor will play a major role. If you have a trustworthy referral, go ahead and set a time for your designer to meet with them.
I advise referrals from your designer as they probably have collaborated in the past and can better guarantee a steady process and deliver on budget. The last thing that must be addressed is your budget. It is okay for you to tell your designer what your dreams are, regardless of how extravagant they are and how limited your budget is. There are always alternatives to every ideal proposal. Perhaps a major project can be executed in phases. A good designer will give you options to make it happen and to make the process comfortable for you.