Motivations

One of the more interesting aspects of the design business is what motivates clients. There are two broad categories which induce clients to commit to a project. Need and desire.  The need for improved function or safety are the top two. If you can no longer step over the side of a tub to take a shower then you actually do need a walk in shower.  If your home has no main level master,  you can no longer navigate stairs and, you cannot sell your house in a dead market then,   a way to get to other floors or a way to live on the main floor is a functional reality. We have solved these issues , and others, many times over. There is always a solution even when it seems otherwise.

While we do find creative problem solving to address a functional
reality exciting;  to creative problem solve  something as winsome as a desire or a feeling is a rush!  I once had a woman come into
the design studio sans an appointment,  carrying a  vintage pitcher from a favorite Aunt. What she said was, " I want to feel in my Kitchen what I felt in my Aunt's Kitchen.
She loved this old pitcher and so do I"

As designers we cannot return your Aunt to the Kitchen.  Often,  with an object like this vintage Villerory and Boch pitcher, a good conversation and, maybe a picture or two , we can create the desired  feeling of comfort and love.  In this case what was needed was not a change of layout but a change of finishes. We were able to paint cabinets, replace  hardware and lighting, update the countertops and splurge on a beautiful blue enamel  Viking dual fuel range.

Their appliances had been in need of replacing for some time. Unfortunately She and her husband had been unable to agree on the type of appliances or the finish. He wanted an indoor gas " grille worthy" stove in  stainless  while
she was a baker hoping for commercial ovens and a new  panel front refrigerator to blend in with the cabinetry.  The surprise of the dual fuel
blue range with the stainless top solved the problem ! The burners and grilles are gas, the ovens electric or convection. The new counter
depth stainless refrigerator provided the needed clearance for the mobile island they both wanted. We all  agreed to a concealed dishwasher.  The result was not just happy home owners with a beautiful ,professional, efficient Kitchen but, more importantly, a client who awakes every morning to the feeling of well  being she experienced in her Aunt's Kitchen. I still feel lucky she walked into our design  studio!

A few years back we had clients with a home under construction in Acadia.  They had bought the home  from a contractor who was building it as a spec house. At the time of purchase the slab was poured, structural materials had been ordered and there were blueprints. I phone call from the site, " We bought a house! Come see!" resulted in a Sunday afternoon delight. The timing was perfect for making changes to the floor plan; expanding a porch and adding an outdoor Kitchen. Once we began the process of working with the builder in selecting finishes and fixtures the Mrs. said, "There are some light fixtures from my family home I would like to use if we could." A field trip to  the family homestead where she and her  seven siblings were raised  resulted in the rescue of a pair of vintage silver chandeliers. Quite beautiful fixtures which we were able to send out to be refinished and re-wired. We also worked with the cabinet makers to create a built-in  sideboard in the passage between Kitchen and Dining on which we showcased her mother's collection of silver serving pieces.  The delight in this project was not just the ground floor opportunity to address the floor plan, the finishes, fixtures and  furnishings. Or even great clients who were a joy from beginning to completion.  There was great  creative satisfaction in  combining  space planning and design services  to meet  this family's functional and aesthetic needs. Having the opportunity to incorporate meaningful  family heirlooms into a perfectly functioning, beautiful and nurturing home was an additional honor.

Just today I received an E-mail from a  Keowee Key client for whom we have done some renovation plans and installations. She is recently retired and still adjusting to being at home.
While she and her husband remain busy with interests in sports, music and volunteering, they
are not accustomed to the many hours at home together. Both achieved successful careers and were acclimated to private offices, decision making and autonomy.  At home, sharing an office has been problematic, resulting in one in the office and the other on a laptop in the Sunroom.

 Today was the day the Mrs. recognized the office was "his" not "theirs" and  sent an e-mail asking, "do you think I could have an office upstairs?"  I responded, "a woman who has lived with all males for 40 something years  (1 husband, 4 sons) has surely earned  a room of her own!"

 In truth we often see clients who do not use a third or more of their homes because it is reserved for guests. That is fine if you do not need the space for your own use. We encourage our clients to enjoy their homes! Unused, empty rooms are not a good thing. I will do my best to motivate this wonderful woman to allow herself to be as important as sometime guests.  That she will in fact choose to have an entire room dedicated to her. Not just a desk  tucked into a corner.

Motivations  can be as random as a beautiful Spring dogwood bloom or  the return of the bugs.
Today Penelope called to say, " I need a Porch! I am not spending another summer on Jocassee with these bugs!"