Don't Be Bullied By Your Interior Designer or Architect

Obviously you hire a professional because of their expertise and vision, but you have to realize that many architects design form before function or from the outside in. They design shells that look beautiful, with angles or openings or window placements that make it impossible to decorate at a later date. Interior designers try to put together a package which they feel belongs together, and you want their input, but, again, you have to live with it, so you had better like it! If you hate a color or texture, don’t accept someone’s assurance that you will like it better when it covers your furniture or your walls. If you don’t like a style or shape, it’s unlikely that you will like it anymore combined with other elements.

I am an architect whose career has been spent managing the development of rental and for-sale multi-family communities from townhouses to high-rises, as well as consulting on single-family homes. I have worked with many architects and designers and have dealt with the form versus function issue many times. When a plan is being prepared for you, insist, and I cannot emphasize this enough, that the architect shows furniture on the plan, so you can see how, and if, it works for you.

 You know how you want to live, so if you like big fluffy sofas, or a king size bed with a flat screen tv on the opposite wall, or have a baby grand piano, make sure they will not only fit in the room, but that there is a wall long enough for a bed to go on, or a space for a sofa that won’t block an entry, or a corner for a piano and its bench, and that a room can be furnished in a way that will allow you to look at the entertainment wall or fireplace or flat screen or whatever point of interest you decide. If you have a dining table and hutch or buffet, make sure they work in the room that’s being designed for them. Measure any pieces of furniture that you have and want to keep and be sure that they are accounted for in the new design. Do the same with artwork or wall hangings that you want to display in your new or redesigned space. If you have a wall display, talk to your architect or designer about some kind of targeted lighting built into or hung from the ceiling.  Make sure there are sufficient plugs near computer or tv areas, and that the cable lines are located where you expect to watch tv or have your desk located.  Do not count on your architect to take into account your preferences automatically and do not trust blithe assurances that everything will fit. You are the client, you are the boss, and it is your home. 

To test how things fit in a room, please visit www.3dhomedecorator.com , where you can choose a floor plan, size it, place home furnishings, paint, wallpaper, add lights, artwork, rugs, windows, doors and more and see the results rendered in 3d images. 

About the Author:

Susan Rosenstadt-Bresler is an architect, with a master in business administration from a well-known eastern business school. She works in real estate development, architectural visualization, 3d model creation, and website and software development. Her software and website can be found at http://www.3dhomedecorator.com/ and her renderings and architectural visualizations can be seen at http://www.3dhomedecorator.com/render.htm