So I went into a dilapidated shop last week and found old boards, broken tricycles and useless chairs and screamed with delight! Perfect for the wall I was working on in a dog room/office for a client on a 3 acre property with six dogs. Since Chip and JoJo have made these kind of items so popular that a cracked terra cotta pot can cost $400.00, someone has to bring it home – bring it into the real – out of the unrealistic budget and schedule realm – here goes:
Living the designerly life for 28 years has been an odyssey into emotional shadow-boxing that has left me feeling like a sage with wisdom to be passed on to the next generation of designers, but mostly clients; home-owners with pictures of the life they want. This is something we all do. We see a picture of a delicious menu and we want to learn to cook better. We see a photograph of a front porch with a hanging swing and we sigh – we are exhausted and the overstuffed cushions make us long for respite – so we dream of designing something into our homes that is more than the boards that form the walls. We all want our lives to form an experience that makes us happier people.
But clients are generally a bit afraid. They begin by telling me that their idea is not a good one – and they apologize for having a thought of something better – they tell me about a problem: The room is not big enough for their family, their kitchen does not allow for gathering, the bathroom does not have a shower, and they just don’t like the floors. I listen and formulate solutions but first, I allow my clients to borrow my confidence. Yes! To BORROW my confidence that their idea IS a good one – that we CAN find a solution. So, starting out with the timid idea whispered, becomes a shout for action!