Today is a design day! I’ve designated the next two days to working on a couple of custom design projects. I’m going to TRY not to spend time on email and let myself get into a more sensory mode.
Thumbing through photos from my recent travels and pouring over the clippings and elevations that the designers have given me is where I’ll begin. I’m as curious as they are to see what designs emerge from my studio!
One project is a Moroccan themed spa area in a private residence in Florida, and the other is for a Northern California restaurant. I’ve worked with both of these designers previously so I already feel we are speaking the same language.
The visual dialogue between us so far has included elaborate story boards, architectural drawings, rough mock ups, snippets of other surfaces such as tile and even foliage. This is enormously helpful, and seeing the color palette also helps to set the tone even though I’m only working in black and white, positive and negative spaces, in this preliminary stage.
Verbal dialogue included! I wanted to hear more of the personal story from the restaurant’s owner so the interior designer kindly made that arrangement for me. Hearing one’s personal backstory brings that much more meaning into whatever I design. My hope is always to create a design that is personal to the customer, the project, and that completes their design story.
