Interior Design Multi-Tasking

Designers are decision makers for clients and builders. One of my jobs as an interior designer is to assist in picking out the best possible materials for projects. Multi-tasking, organization and creativity are key. Here’s a list of design related items I’ve helped clients with in the past couple of weeks:

Counter top selections – man made quartz or natural stone? Lately I’ve been suggesting a lot of quartz products that resemble Carrara marble or travertine. Very hot!
Tile details for kitchen backsplashes and for bathrooms – floors, showers floors and walls, accent tiles. Large 12” x 24” or 18” x 18” floor tiles are very popular. Glass tile and “arabesque” shaped tiles are very popular with clients for kitchen backsplashes. I’ve been using beautiful, decorative cement tiles for floors in bathrooms and hallways and for shower walls lately too.
Fireplace details – mantels, surrounds, and hearths – stacked stone surrounds in neutral colors (grays and white) have been very popular recently.
Hardwood flooring stain colors – dark floors in tones of brown or gray are popular and handsome.
Interior paint colors for several projects – for neutral schemes, gray still rules the day but beige is coming back into the mix.
Lighting specs for several projects – LED lights are a great choice and options have become much more attractive over the past few years. Large pendants over kitchen islands create an upscale appearance and can really dress up a kitchen.
Exterior specs for several projects – roofing, siding, shutters, deck and railing colors, door colors. Spring is here and building is picking up!
Area rug shopping and selections – washed out, faded designs that are contemporary takes on classics are popular and flexible. Soft, monochromatic textures are also popular choices for area rugs and stair runners.
Sofa and lounge chair shopping and selections – I help clients weed through a myriad of options to make smart choices within their budgets. So many options to choose from!
Table and desk lamp selections – again, LED options are popular for desk lamps and reading lamps.
Bed linens – when called upon, I even help clients choose bed linens, bath towels, shower curtains, throw rugs, etc.
Artwork selections – recommendations run the gamut from original art to framed prints from on-line resources depending on clients’ budgets.
Carpet, tile, wallcover, paint and lighting for commercial projects – always great to branch out from residential projects to commercial. Working on a few right now!

Although projects can be complicated and time sensitive, it’s always rewarding to help clients with decisions and to keep the process as fun and efficient as possible. I love what I do and I think it shows!