I’ve been thinking a lot about “my process” lately–how I guide people through the mysterious world of designing a house. How do I do that? How do I start with no idea of who these people are sitting across from me–no idea what their style is, how they live, what they like, what they can’t stand, how they make decisions–to having them walking out the door with a smile and a sigh of relief? How??
I ask myself that a lot. How do I do it? How does it all work? What makes it work?
Here’s the thing. Every homeowner and builder is different. Every house is different. Even if it’s the same plan, it’s never the same! So how do I guide all these different people through all these different moving parts to the end result: a finished house?
Now I should explain that I am a just a cog in the gigantic, mysterious machine known as Building A House. I am a design/sales consultant who primarily works with builders and their homeowners to select the interior finishes of their home. The majority of my work is in new construction. More often than not I’m meeting with both the builder and the homeowner.
To get even more specific I help them with the selections of some or all of the following items:
- cabinets
- flooring (carpet, hardwood, tile, laminate, vinyl, etc.)
- countertops
- backsplashes
- doors
- trim
- hardware (cabinet and door)
- paint colors
- lighting
I think that’s everything…
Having a brief overview of what I do and focus on will hopefully help you see that while I cover a lot, I definitely don’t cover everything. But the process is pretty much the same with every person, regardless of what I am helping them choose.
So, what is my process? 
Well, I’m going to figure that out right along side you. I don’t really have a plan (which is very unlike me). I usually have a list, bullet points or something (like the one above you just skimmed through) and it’s all thought out, planned ahead, and prepared.
But if I’ve learned one thing from my job (and life generally) it’s this: things change. More specifically, people change their minds. And so, like my job day in and day out, I’m going to fly by the seat of my pants with this post…series of posts? Why not! Just thinking out loud here.
Stay tuned to find out what I found out, and we will both learn something together. Good design is out there people! That includes good design processes. Let’s find it.
Interior Design with Alexis 