We have a phrase we like to use at Stephen Rust Design Studio- “It’s not about the selection but the selecting.” For example, your mom’s famous lasagna isn’t just famous because of the outcome. It’s her “famous lasagna” because of the special care she puts into choosing each of the ingredients, the handmade noodles, and her secret spice. With this scenario, you’re just excited to have delicious lasagna ready to eat that you didn’t have to make.
Interior design is the same thing. It’s about creating a beautiful and unified home where each decision has been made with great care and consideration. Interior design is as much about the final unveiling as it is about how each element was selected.
Perhaps another way to think of it is that we act as an editor. There are literally thousands of items for every choice you have to make in your home. Whether you are building a new home, remodeling a room or two, or maybe just purchasing a new sofa for your family room, it is so very easy to get bogged down with choices.
Let’s say you’re shopping for that new sofa. You’re surrounded by options at your local furniture store, and they all seem great! The shopping experience is going well and good until the avalanche of important considerations comes crashing down: Will this match the paint color? What about the flooring? Will it fit it my room? Will it fit through the doorway? And what about how it sits? Will it be comfortable for me? How do I know if the seat height listed under dimensions is what I want? Should I get fabric or leather?
Now you’ve reached a state of overwhelm and decision fatigue. If you haven’t heard of the concept before, decision fatigue is basically a fancy way of saying that we get worn out after making too many decisions. The decisions you make at the beginning of the day are usually made with more care than the ones where you’re already mentally exhausted. And no one wants to bring home a sofa they’ll regret in a month.
Then there’s the time element. As if you aren’t already busy enough! If you’re building a new home, you can easily spend several days each week driving from supplier to supplier to pick items like door knobs and faucet handles and countertops and shower tile. Again, how do you make sure it all works together? The guy at the trim shop has no idea what windows or floor covering or cabinets you’ve chosen. He has no idea what works best in your home.
This is where an experienced interior designer comes in. We have years of experience doing this. We know all of the suppliers and what they have to offer. We know your likes and dislikes from the moment we start working with you. We know your choices for one room and how that affects the adjoining room. We narrow down the decisions so you can save that mental energy for other important things in life.
If you’re someone who likes to search the world for yourself to see every possible option, an interior designer might not be for you. But if you want to see carefully edited selections that keep your whole home and valuable time in mind, give us a call.
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