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!"

Planned Renovations

Have you been thinking about a remodeling project?  These days many families are choosing to invest in their existing homes rather than building or buying new. There are many reasons for this trend but the ones we hear most often are about heart.

One client 'June' called because she needed a main floor Master Suite. Her husband had mobility issues. This meant he needed to minimize his use of stairs and seriously needed a walk in shower. June wanted to stay in her home.  She loves her location, loves her neighbors  and did not want to abandon her beautiful garden which had taken her 15 years to perfect. She first called to ask if we could come and see if it was even possible to do what she was thinking.  What she had thought of doing wasn't really feasible but we were able to show her a way to meet her goals, honor a budget and improve the value of her property.  In fact, we were able to space plan her new Master so the primary view was of her beloved gardens.

Our client 'Andy'  called because she had a major plumbing issue. The quotes to fix the problem were substantial . When first she called it was to say she was simply  not going to spend that huge sum of money in a bathroom she had never liked!
If she was going to have that sort of disruption she

wanted the long desired heated stone floors, deep soaking tub and a vista.   In this particular instance we not only gave her the bathroom of her dreams, we actually  did a renovation plan which  both moved and expanded the bathroom in a way which brought it into this millennium. Andy now has dual sinks, a separate shower,  and linen storage  to go with her her new soaking tub, heated floors and fabulous view. Had she just done what the plumber recommended, she would have  never had the bath of her dreams.

Do you know how this works? Sometimes a family will have an idea about a renovation or remodeling project. They do a search, call 2 or 3 contractors to come and see if what they are thinking is feasible. A contractor evaluates from the professional viewpoint
of  can it be built?  For those of us who have a professional practice offering space planning and interior design services we start at a different point.  Is this the best option? Does it improve function , aesthetics, flow, resale? Is there a better approach to reach all the objectives  within the budget? Not just can it be done but is it the best that can be done? A contractor is credentialed to build, not design.  Designers and space planners are credentialed to plan space for maximum benefit and to infuse that space with style. 

How do we do this? It is a process. It starts with listening to your ideas , evaluating your architecture, your design style, you budget and making a plan. We do drawings!  You must have the correct space  before you place anything into that space.

Right now, on Keowee,  there are many houses with fabulous views and grounds for sale. Bargain prices abound. However,  quite a few of these houses are dated but can be renovated without the price per square foot exceeding prudence. Often these homes have floorplans with  isolated Kitchens, all the Bedrooms are  either up  narrow stairs or down steep stairs.  Many are plagued with beautiful rooms which are never used because they are at the front and the view is at the back! Decks are narrow, Porches are cramped, Bathrooms are ...  functional . We don't even need to talk about old carpets, wallpaper and tile counter tops  do we?  If the price, the view, the grounds are right for you, chances are we can renovate the house to make your biggest dreams come true.

Not long ago we updated  'Karen's' house.  We  took out just a portion of two walls, extended the kitchen, added texture to the fireplace wall, replaced all bath fixtures,  removed carpets, added hardwoods, paint and a few window dressings. Now, for the first time in a dozen years, Karen tells me every morning when she pads out to the Kitchen to make coffee she thinks, "I love my house!" .

Not long after Karen's renovations were complete she asked us to help her friend "Georgie" who had looked at purchasing a   1987 built house, off North Flagship,  which had never been updated. Georgie loved everything about the property except the house . She had assumed it would cost too much to " fix it"so hadn't made an offer.

We met on site with her realtor to discuss what worked for her needs and what did not. To her absolute delight we were able to show her how a few inexpensive changes solved all the space planning problems and everything else was just cosmetics. Georgie bought the house.  When she is entertaining on the Porch, she  reflects on having walked away from this dream  because she just had not been able to  recognize it was there.

If you have a dream for your home which has not been realized,  give us a call. Our services are listed on this blog pages right side column as are our e-mail address and phone number.  Don't be shy:

 keoweedesigner@gmail.com
 or
www.perspectivesinteriordesigns.com