Black Is The New Black
by Priscilla O’Kelly Wilkinson -Sanctuary Design

There is a reason that the houses in magazines always look so wonderful!

Working with an Interior Designer is the wish of many homeowners.  More than two-thirds of my potential clients that call start out our conversation with “I really should not be hiring a decorator, my house is not fancy.”  Or “I probably can’t afford to hire a designer.”

But It Looked So Good In the Store

What many people are unaware of is the bigger expense that comes with making the wrong purchases for your new look that you want to achieve.

I cannot tell you how many times over the past 19 years that I’ve had folks say to me as I walk through their homes “ I never should have purchased that sofa, but it looked so good in the store.”  How many times have you selected paint for your home only to find it was not the perfect red you had visualized?  Do you find yourself getting hung up in the current trends only to find one year hence these trendy things are dating your rooms?

The Virtual Designer

Most folks only re-decorate a few times in their lives and in today’s world of instant decorating on the television where in a half an hour you see an entire home taken to the extremes of design, it’s common to get caught up believing that it really is just that easy!  What they don’t show you is the team of people that are behind the scenes who are working non-stop to create a virtual wonder before your eyes.

Experts in color, fabrics, design and building with excellent resources at their fingertips, and years of experience, working as a whole. Still most folks assume that armed with a few magazines and a home improvement show or two later that re-designing their home will be a snap!  Ask anyone who’s undertaken a kitchen or bath remodel on his or her own about the whole process and their feelings on it. Chances are they will tell you it’s a lot of decisions, a lot of information to absorb and study, a lot of endless calls to various merchants and above all, a lot of money.

Too Many Cooks In Your New Kitchen

One of the biggest problems that I’ve seen over the years with people who take on a design project without the help of a trained designer is the lack of cohesion that comes through. It’s very easy to get swept away with buying for the new living room, credit card and magazines in hand and purchase items that are lovely, but won’t necessarily work with your overall concept.  In other words, it’s very easy to end up with a house that is too eclectic.    It’s also very easy to get too many opinions on what you should do from the general public, family or friends.  Then the total confusion sets in!

While there are many talented and artistic folks out there working in retail that could be very helpful in selecting a set of blue towels to go with your floral shower curtain that you’re purchasing at their boutique, they may not be aware that the adjacent Asia Modern bedroom will not work well with a Victorian floral bouquet theme in the master bath.

It’s the old adage “Too many cooks in the kitchen.”  With one home you can get 100 varying opinions on how to design and decorate it.  All of those concepts may be beautiful.  Within the talent and art of Interior Design lays the ability to create a seamless flow between the rooms.  To see the total design scope of the project to effectively bring out the essence of each area, while maintaining a subtle connection to the surrounding space.  A good Interior Designer assists the client to achieve a unique and fresh approach to the room while maintaining a look that is timeless to give them years of enjoyment.