The first conversation with a designer sets the direction for everything that follows. You do not need drawings, a finished wish list or a firm budget to have a useful one. A little reflection beforehand, though, makes that hour far more valuable.
Ten questions to think about
- How do you want to feel in your home, in three words?
- Which rooms matter most to you, and when do you use them?
- What do you love about where you live now, and what frustrates you?
- How do you entertain: a few friends at the table, or a crowd by the pool?
- How much time do you spend outdoors, and doing what?
- Which views, trees or features of the site would you protect at all costs?
- Who lives with you now, and who might in ten years?
- What materials, places or hotels have made you feel at home?
- What timeline are you working towards?
- What range of investment feels comfortable for design and for construction?
Bring images, but explain them
Photographs you have saved are useful, but the reasons you saved them are more useful still. Is it the light, the colour, the sense of openness, the materials? Those reasons reveal the mood you are after, which is where my design process begins.
Understand what the designer delivers
Ask exactly what you will receive. At Moodhaus Labs we design and visualize; the result is a complete design package of drawings, photoreal renderings and planting and lighting plans that your chosen builder works from, with me on hand for design questions along the way.
Every project begins with a conversation. The better the questions, the better the home.
When you are ready, I would love to hear how you want to feel at home.
Planning a home in San Diego County?
Every project begins with a conversation about how you want to feel.
