I have incredible respect for designers. These men and women, for the most part, start with what is known as "a good eye" and educate themselves, either through school or experience or both, to create spaces that allow us to live our lives in beauty and comfort with a understanding of function and practicality. My latest piece in Spaces Kansas City sheds some light on the design process and how to treat these professionals with respect. You can find it here.
Image, above, Spaces Kansas City, June 2015; photography Aaron Leimkuehler, whom I think is pretty swell.
Great article! You make so many valid points. Besides doctors I always see decorators being bombarded for their advice and yet people are reluctant to find value in their work!
ReplyDeleteSo how about a credit for the designer of the above space? Kudos for the credit to the photographer.
ReplyDeleteI didn't know you are writing for KC Spaces, Patricia. Of course, now I am a follower through facebook! :-) Thanks for a great article.
ReplyDeleteI love that room done by Lisa Curran and would give my eyeteeth to live in it; a room with color( yayyy!!) and antiques( no RH style furnishings, yayyy) and a sense of comfort, serenity and permanence is wonderful.
It always makes me sad when a designer does pretty much the same for every single client. But over the yars, I've discovered in some towns, that is exactly what the client wanted! They want their friends to walk in the door and immediately say "I can see Tim has been here!", this meaning one could actually get Tim to even take the commission and that one can afford Tim. It's not at all about the client's taste but about their social position and affluence. What a waste on all accounts, but I can see how a designer who needs to pay his bills can fall into this if that's what clients want.
ReplyDeleteThere is a story in one of Billy Baldwin's books about him being "shopped"--ie his design plan being implemented by the "client" using other sources and her being very proud of herself for doing it.
ReplyDeleteI learned myself not to give too-much detail before getting money and a contract in a totally different business. The line between selling and giving away the store is often tricky.
In one of Billy Baldwin's books, he writes about a woman who took his design plan and "shopped" it--ie implemented it using other sources. If it can happen to him in his heyday, it can happen to anyone. She was very proud of herself and showed off the results to him. He didn't say who she was, but you can guess.
ReplyDeleteIt happened to me a few years back in a completely different business. The line between selling and giving away the story is a narrow one.
Beth - I decorated the space above. This was my previous house. Perhaps those things are so familiar to me that I didn't think about mentioning it. Silly of me.
ReplyDeletePatricia, it's gorgeous! Beautiful play of colors! (Haven't had time to click through yet, but I DO think the designer deserves her due here in this post. ;-)
ReplyDelete