Have Patience!

Is patience a virtue? It's definitely a great asset when decorating one's own home. Big mistakes can happen when we're too quick to choose, or too willing to compromise on, the right color, the best sale or the ideal fabric.

I recently purchased several yards of fabric that I'd been "stalking" for nine months. I had seen a sample at retail, and it was perfect for some upholstered sideboards I had been planning to make for my dining room. When I later went to purchase the fabric, the store where I had seen it no longer had it in stock due to manufacturing issues, and no other outlet had it at a good price. Alternatives always exist when making design choices, but nothing fit my needs and desires as completely as this fabric.

I finally tracked it down at The Fabric Place, a local store selling remainders at deeply reduced prices. They had the six yards of fabric I needed, and the sideboards that now grace my dining room are every bit as beautiful as they were in my imagination.

When working with clients I try to make sure that they absolutely love the choices they are making. The decision process can be time consuming. Nothing saddens me more when I hear someone say, "I never really liked these," while pointing to high-end, custom, window treatments she or he had ordered several years previously. As a designer, I would hate to hear that said about my work! But this is a likely outcome when a client hasn't been totally clear about his or her desires, or tries to rush the process. Patience is very important whether you're a do-it-yourselfer or are working with a designer.

To compromise on taste for the sake of expediency is to take the quick route to disappointment.
©2005 Linda Merrill, Chameleon Interiors

Developing a design plan

You don't have to know all about design to make your home pleasant and inviting. But as always, planning, preparation and patience are the keys to success.

Deciding how to reach the goal of creating a timeless classic involves doing your homework, figuring out how much you can afford, and knowing yourself.

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©2005 Linda Merrill, Chameleon Interiors

Decorating Tips

Any time one undertakes an interior design project, numerous details, from the mundane to the major, need to be considered. There are obvious considerations such as color scheme, fabric and furniture selection, and there are subtle, yet complicated details, such as electrical re-wiring to improve lighting. A professional designer knows what needs to be done, and when, during a project. Fabrics can be delivered in as little as two weeks if in stock, or from four to six weeks if special ordered; meanwhile, some furniture pieces could take as long as 16 weeks. If you're contemplating a complicated makeover and need a carpenter, electrician and painter, it could take months to get on these contractors' "dance cards" thanks to the popularity of home improvement these days. Logistical mistakes with any of these goods or services can become costly indeed.


Read the rest of this article as published on Respond.com
©2005 Linda Merrill, Chameleon Interiors