THE BIG PICTURE IS ALWAYS IN THE DETAILS

Since I am an interior designer first, writer second, contemplater of life third, I thought I would begin this post with the thought above.  Life & decorating have a common thread as I see it.  Piece by piece, step by step, the big picture is always in the details.  I have spent a great deal of my life thinking big and often forgetting that I have to start small.  I have to think small, I have to consider every detail, every component part and I have to do this while I keep my vision for the design that I am to accomplish, or as in life, the goal I want to reach.  All the while I have to remember I am already there in order to firmly plant myself in that accomplishment.

In my work, I am a matchmaker.  My mission is to discover my clients' needs and then to connect them with the things that are right for them.  It is my job to hear their story, understand their story, stay on top of their story as our history progresses and to stay on top of their needs as they change and remain constant at the same time.  So as we embark on this journey, their job is two fold:  One, they must LOVE every component part (nothing one does not LOVE belongs in a decorating scheme)  2. They must write the checks.  The rest is up to me.  I will make it beautiful, make sure it is right, that it fits, that it has quality of design and the integrity of longevity, that it is comfortable and functional and that it is appropriate.

So what is my advice for this journey, either in life or decorating?  Examine the details, make sure every detail is the right one and then follow the evolution.  In decorating, it should all look like it gently floated down from heaven and landed in the right spot.  But, as Katie Couric says, it takes a lot of effort to make it look effortless.  True enough.  But the journey should be as fun as it is focused, as flexible as it is steadfast and as solid as a foundation that remains in place to build on.   Work with someone you trust.   The help and direction of an experienced designer who "gets you" is invaluable.  But be a participant in the process just as you are a participant in your own life.