Good communication is key particularly when it comes to budgets. Laura shares that although it hasn’t happened often, “There have been probably two or three times in my career that the client just wants too much for their budget. And while I can work within a number of budgets, sometimes a client's expectations are just simply unrealistic.” As a homeowner, it’s important to be transparent about your expectations and your budget. The same is true for what the designer promises to deliver. “I think it's so important to be honest and upfront,” says Laura. A good designer should be able to tell you upfront, “Within your budget, this is what can be done.” If the homeowner’s wants exceed their budget, Laura often suggests taking on the project in phases. Discuss what can be completed in phase one of your interior design while staying within your current budget and then planning a phase two in a year or two. HAVE REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS & KNOW YOUR BUDGET
PERSONALIZATION: THE KEY TO MAKING YOUR HOUSE A HOME
Maintaining that “personalization is the key to setting any house apart from the rest,” Laura depends heavily on talking with her clients and learning about their lives, hobbies, and interests such as where they like to travel. With this valuable information, she states “...you can find [decor] pieces that are individualized. For example, items “that evoke memories from a trip, even if it's not a piece that you found or that your client found on the actual trip.” This kind of personalization brings together design elements that evoke memories from special times and places. “You can find something that kind of strikes up that memory, pull it in, and incorporate it into the space. And that feels very personal to them,” explains Laura. “And it also just makes them happy.” Of course, we all have family photographs we prize. Laura shares that her “preference is always to mix smaller photographs in with the decor, maybe on open shelving or mix it in with various artwork on a gallery wall...I just think that when you kind of discover those smaller family photos mixed in with other things, it sort of makes it a bit more special. And, you know, you are kind of like finding a little treasure and it opens up conversation.”
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