TOP DESIGNERS AND DECORATORS
Whether you’re embarking on a full home renovation or just want to update your space, we’ve pulled together 50+ tips from some of the city’s best interior designers and decorators to make your home a beautiful reflection of your aesthetic and lifestyle. FINDING YOUR OWN STYLE
Make it personal. I love to work around a favorite fabric or piece of art that is personal to our client. Art, antiques and custom pillows do wonders for making a space unique. But it’s also important to take the stage of life that clients are in and work with that—the function of the furniture we choose is key, as is the placement. —Jan Ware, Ware Designs How to design for outdoors. It is easy to get overwhelmed with design choices! I see it all the time when customers come in to Black Jack Gardens. They are so surprised at the many choices in styles, fabrics, textures, etc. for outdoor furniture. I consider it part of my job to help the customer sift through all the many choices available, and make it a fun and enjoyable experience. By asking questions and getting to know my customers, 70
B-METRO.COM
their likes and dislikes, I can better guide them to the choices best suited for them. First, I ask about the location of their outdoor space. For instance, is it located in the front or back of the home, full sun, covered porch, pool area, sunroom? How do they want to use their area—for dining, relaxing, entertaining large or small groups? It is a process of getting to know our customers and their dreams for their outdoor space. Our strength lies in being attentive, building a relationship and spending time with them to find everything they want. —Tammy Powell, Black Jack Gardens Browse Houzz. Before I begin work with a new client, I always recommend they do some “homework” on Houzz. It is such a great platform to browse for photos of rooms or of elements that they are drawn to, or that illustrate the look they want to achieve. In this case a picture
really is worth a thousand words! My ultimate goal is to create a space that truly reflects the client’s tastes, not mine. The photos they save to their idea books may actually help shorten the amount of time it takes for me to solidify their design plan, which saves them money. —Cindi Jones, Savvy Shoestring Interiors Trust your instincts. My favorite secret design tip is to trust your instincts! The world of design is amazing with how many options are out there and how accessible most of them are, but I often find that instead of people feeling excited about all of the possibilities, they get overwhelmed. This often can create a scenario in which people do not know what they want or what they even like. However, I find that when I am putting schemes together I have a gut feeling on whether or not it’s going to work. If I keep trying to make one thing work and