In April I went to the Design Leadership Summit. One of the speakers at the Summit was Stephen Covey Jr., author of The Speed of Trust. According to Mr. Covey, as designers our relationships with our clients goes more smoothly when they trust us and our ability to create the home of their dreams.
I thought this was an interesting premise, but my sinking question (that I was not confident enough to voice) was "What do you do if you are not sure that you can create your client's dream house"? To my amazement, one of the interior designers that I have admired for decades raised her hand and said "Every time I start a job, I am afraid that this will be the job when I will fail. How am I supposed to gain the trust of my client when I'm not sure I can do the job?" Now, this is a woman who has written several design books, has her own furniture, lighting and fabric lines, and has been doing this for probably 40 years!
All I could think was "Wow, I'm not the only one!".
I share this story because this is the big dark secret of being an artist. Anxiety and self doubt are often part of the process for many of us. I had to remind myself of this many times during my trip to Atlanta. Quite often I think we compare our inside design turmoil to the final beautiful designs of others. This certainly was true when I saw the "b inspired room" designed by Suzanne Kasler.
I saw this room and thought what would I do if I was given an empty space and told to do anything? I must admit that the first feeling I often get in this situation is anxiety. What should I do? What will look the best? The possibilities are limitless. What I am starting to realize is that this anxiety is just part of my design process. It's o.k. not to know exactly what I want to do at first.
Sometimes all it takes is a piece of furniture to inspire a room. Suzanne Kasler's antique chaise is enough to set the tone for this room. The fabric provides the blue and creme color scheme. The slim curved lines are repeated in many of the other pieces.
A strong color scheme makes it easier to select fabrics and finishes. Suzanne used an off white on the walls, the upholstery on her Nanette chair....
the un-glazed pottery...
the accents on her Percival Chandelier as well as her Choate Dining Table with
blue and gold accents.
Once a couple decisions are made in a room , many of the other decisions fall into place.
It seems like Suzanne's room was about her new furniture designs and the antique pieces that she used to inspire those designs. That idea set parameters for the room.
Suzanne's antique cane back dining chairs add warmth and depth to her room as well as showing her inspiration for her own Amsterdam side chair design.
The vintage Belgian library cabinet held down the back of the room and was a fantastic back drop for a pair of Suzanne's Alexandra Side Chairs.
I truly was inspired by Suzanne's room.
I don't know if Suzanne shares my anxiety during her design process, but it's nice knowing that other designers do. What is your design process? If you have anxiety or fear during a design how do you deal with it? I'd love to hear from you.
xo
Brooke
