Can an interior designer make your home look like someone else’s?
Yes we can, but it doesn't mean we should.
We've all done it - screenshot a photo we've seen online, fold down a page in a magazine, pinned to a Pinterest board.
Inspiration is everywhere and if we see an image of a beautifully finished and styled home or space, we get the instant rush of happiness and that image then becomes our end goal. And I get it because people connect with something very visual.
Don’t get me wrong. It can be a genuinely useful starting point for a conversation. So, you may turn to your interior designer and ask that they replicate that as part of your project. "Exactly that, please." And our job, as interior designers, is to ask "why?" "Why do you like it?"
And that's the nugget and it is something that we should all be asking ourselves when we see something we like.
Why do we like it? Why does it move you? What has made it stand out? What in particular do you like? What has it made you feel?
It was something I was taught in my previous account management role at a creative studio - challenge the thinking. Ask questions. Get to the nub of what it is that is liked and disliked. Sometimes it’s an instant gut reaction, sometimes it’s something obvious. Either way, unearthing the reason is important. One client said she loved green and all the images had green walls. But once we drilled into it, green signalled slowing down, letting go, taking breath, so it became the feeling we wanted to bring to life, rather than painting everywhere green. It then opened up a new colour palette which tapped into that feeling.
In other words, an image rarely translates to your own home.
It doesn't take into account how you want to live. The proportions. The movement of light. The flow. The layout. The day to day of life. Who lives with you. The furniture you want to keep. The feeling you want to create. A west facing room will receive sunlight in the afternoon/evening so warm shades can feel too intense; a home with pets needs a different sofa fabric.
It's really important that you understand all of this as these elements will help you create the space that represents you and works for you.
It is not a simple case of you picking out that image's particular paint colour because you have no idea if it will work in your room with all the conditions it's got to work with.
So, that's the actual job of an interior designer. Not recreating the photo, but translating it. Taking the feeling, the nugget, and working out how it lives in your space, with your light, your furniture, your life. Don't forget your home was never meant to look like someone else's, it is meant to look like yours and that's the only version that will ever work.
Are you considering a design project in Surrey, South West London or the surrounding areas?
If you are planning a project and would like to explore working together, you can learn more on my Services page,or get in touch at hello@roxanarahamandesign.co.uk