How to Strike a Balance Between Outsourcing and Making Your Home Your Own

Sometimes when clients come to me, I find that one of their main concerns is that by hiring an interior decorator, they will lose that personal touch on their home and end up with a very ‘styled’ looking home. However, a good interior decorator will listen to their clients, and gain an understanding of the look that they are wanting to achieve. Working with an interior decorator should be a highly collaborative process. 

The starting point for this process is a lengthy meeting between decorator and client, where in which the decorator will view the space/s, and ask a lot of in depth questions about the client’s style, what pieces they are wanting to purchase and which ones they will keep, or are they wanting to start completely from scratch?  

Sometimes clients are a blank canvas and very open to new ideas and some come to me with specific thoughts on the look they want to achieve.  

It is my job to integrate the old with the new, or to create a whole new look, and to curate a style which is unique to my client. This will be achieved in a variety of ways. Often, I will ask my clients to provide me with images, whether they are from magazines, or on Pinterest or platforms such as House, to give an idea of the look that they are hoping for their homes. From there, we gain an understanding of colour palettes, styles, and pieces that suit their taste. We can then work together to find a look that is suitable for the client to create their dream space using inspiration and infusing it with unique pieces.  

It is not our job to completely take over and inflict styles and pieces that you don’t want on you! All decorators, of course, have a particular style that they love to use. However, good decorators will be able to adapt to the style and taste of the client and apply their skills to achieve a look their client will love for their home. They will however suggest what they think will and won’t work within the parameters of what the client is after in order to achieve the best outcome.  

The goal for any good decorator is to provide a cohesive look that their client will love, but that is unique to them, and that feels personal, and makes them feel elated when they walk through the door. There really is no need to feel concerned, if you want to hire a decorator, that you will retain that feeling of your home being your own and having a very personal and unique feel.  

Teamwork really is dreamwork.

Happy styling! 

 

Amanda x