So many times at Equilibrium Interior Design Inc we have clients who come to us for advice on how to make a house the home of their dreams. But, we know that making a house a home will mean different things for different people and each home will be as unique as their owners. For some, it is the moments in life and memories that they experience in the house. For others, it is accessorizing a house with their favorite things. For yet others, it is designing a house to fit the way they live or incorporating a great piece of artwork.
Even when we design a brand-new home for our clients, there always needs to be a connection between the client and the house; probably because they realize they are building their house for their family. The memories and magic moments begin in the designing stage and continue after they move into the house. One of the ways we ensure that our clients connect to the property right from the start is by having our events division, Equilibrium Events & DMC design a house warming party for our clients to which they are happy to invite friends, family, neighbors, and share the milestone moment of beginning another chapter of their life in the new home. Designing various events for our clients in their house, from housewarming parties to birthdays to special holidays to anniversaries, allows our clients to share the special moments with family and friends. That’s when a house becomes their home.
We spend a lot of time with clients at the very early stage of designing a home and we call it the “discovery stage” – it allows our team to hit the nail on the head and come up with ideas and designs our clients love from the start. As we learn more about our clients during the process, we incorporate more and more of who they are.
I recall designing a walk-in master closet for one of our clients who loved to shop and had an extensive collection of unique bags. We designed a closet that put all those items on display and we knew that she will fall in love with that idea – we incorporated the hallway leading to her closet and made it into a showcase of her bags, just like you’d see it in her favorite store.
As the design and building process continues, Equilibrium Interior Design takes note of our client’s reactions to the various things they see, experience, and even taste. Especially important for us is to recognize what they like and what they dislike. That allows us to hone our selections and designs to ensure they love them and take ownership of them. We are simply there to assist and allow their dreams and desires to get expressed through the space.
A great way for us to ensure that a client’s house becomes their home is to incorporate artwork into the space. Nothing brings life to a space and reflects a client’s personality as a great and colorful piece of art does. And most importantly, it only requires a hammer and a nail to install so it can be switched out as a client’s dreams grow. We opt for selecting oversized pieces for maximum impact. Equilibrium Interior Design works with various resources to find artworks that suit our clients’ personalities and their homes. This is a very important part of the design process that not only ties the room together, but also adds a unique glimpse into the homeowner’s soul.
Another way we assist clients in making the house their home is by using accessories and artifacts from their previous home and their travels. We once had a client walk into the new home once it was accessorized and scream out in overwhelming joy “I’m surrounded by the people and things I truly love.” Potential clients often don’t realize that at the first few meetings they are not only interviewing us for the job, but we are also interviewing them to learn as much about them as we can. We know that a successful project must have a client connected and committed to the process and the final goal. The best projects always have clients take ownership of the final result. Some designers may get upset when clients say “I did this,” or “I designed that,” but not us. Knowing that that the client is proud of their home is a reason to celebrate – it is a testament that we’ve done our job very well.
Images courtesy of Equilibrium Interior Design Inc.
