Whenever I feel stuck and frustrated, no matter what the issue is, it’s usually because I’m caught up in my own head. I tend to use overthinking as a form of procrastination, and so far this year I’ve been especially guilty of it. But I’m lucky that I’ve discovered the power of talking things through with someone else to make sense of how to approach whatever it is I’m facing.
I think we often underestimate how quickly we can make progress in so many areas of life when we confide in someone we trust. Now, when I feel myself resisting collaboration or hesitating to open up about an area where I need help, it’s my cue to do just that.
This January, I started offering consulting calls, mostly in the realm of designing a home but also on topics like pursuing a creative career and building the foundation of your social media presence. While I’ve covered a range of topics, every single call has shared one common thread: The person on the other end has a general sense of what they want to do—they just need some help determining the exact direction they want to go next. This is where I come in.
Today I’m shedding some light on three of the specific ways consulting calls can help with any interior design project.
If you’re curious about interior design consulting but want more information before scheduling a call, read on!
1. Someone who is feeling overwhelmed and stuck making choices for a design project.
Making decisions in any design project can feel overwhelming. I find that this is especially true if you’re practicing slow design—making gradual updates over time rather than all at once. When you’re stitching the design of a room together bit by bit, you may find yourself unsure how to make choices that will feel cohesive (and that you’ll love!) once the project is complete. This is where design consulting can be a very helpful tool to get a project moving forward.
During one of my consulting calls, I spoke with someone who lived in a home that leaned midcentury modern in style but was built in the ‘80s. She and her husband were trying to determine how to create a cohesive overall style throughout their home. They were looking to bring in a few new design elements that worked well with what they already loved about their home and remove a few things that didn’t fit with the overall scheme.
When you’re stitching the design of a room together bit by bit, you may find yourself unsure how to make choices that will feel cohesive (and that you’ll love!) once the project is complete. This is where design consulting can be a very helpful tool to get a project moving forward.
On our call, she asked questions about what kind of flooring would complement the existing tile flooring they had in one area of their home. Once we determined which flooring would make the most sense, it became much easier to determine the style of other design elements like curtains. We also discussed tweaking the design of a fireplace so it would feel more reminiscent of the midcentury modern style of the home and less reminiscent of the ‘80s. Talking through each of these elements as a duo made it so much easier to determine the overall design intention for their home.
2. Someone who needs help figuring out the layout of a room (or rooms).
Determining the layout of a room (or an entire home) is another common area where people tend to feel stuck in the design process. If the layout and the resulting traffic flow of your space aren’t working, talking through solutions with a consultant can be illuminating.
On a recent consulting call, I spoke with a person who lived in a traditional home with a closed-concept floor plan and a lot of limiting architectural features. To determine how they could tweak the layout, we discussed whether there were any furniture pieces they could remove from each room and ways they could rearrange the furniture to better work for them. Talking through these points and others helped bring to light layout options they hadn’t considered before.
3. Someone who needs help with product sourcing.
Almost all of the design consulting calls I’ve done have required a discussion about product sourcing to some extent. On each of these calls, we discussed the specific kinds of items the person was seeking and I sourced products live during our meeting. The most common product requests were fabric, furniture, and wallpaper selections. I tried to narrow my choices down to a few specific options that would work really well for each space. This kind of conversation can be so helpful for anyone who is seeking specific products to fit into the existing design scheme of their home.
For more information on consulting calls, read our consulting FAQ page. If you’re ready to book a call, you can do so on Calendly. There are a few openings currently available in April and we’ll be opening up May dates soon—stay tuned!
Kate is currently learning to play the Ukulele, much to the despair of her husband, kids, and dogs. Follow her on Instagram at @witanddelight_.
