By nature, I would say that I am a fairly decisive human. I pride myself in having the ability to, rather quickly, make a decision and stick with it. I am not purposely trying to rush my decision but rather I know what I like, and what I want and I have the guts to go with it. I pride myself in my theoretical “To-Do List” whittling away. 

For context purposes, I chose my wedding dress after about an hour of shopping,  and five years later (yes, I’ve been engaged for an eternity) I still love it as much as I did on day one!

I dread having to revisit a decision I have already “made”. Much to the frustration of my mother a gemini considering other possibilities after I have concluded my decision just seems taxing. To me, it just feels like that pesky little task that never gets checked off.

When it comes to designing a room, however, I work completely different. When working with clients I start with from a very broad perspective. My initial proposal usually includes a mood board. I always stress that these are only intended to give an overall mood of the space. Don’t fall in love or out of love with any one thing. Slowly but surely we walk through each decision together.  For me, the decision making process, especially when designing a multi layered space, should build that means one brick at a time. It is an organic process that cannot possibly be fully realized in one swoop.

I have always wondered when I see mood boards with each item selected - I’m talking table lamp, faux fern, bed linens, and area rug ALL proposed on day one! - how much room they have left themselves, or the client for the organic process of building and layering the design. 

The idea that a fully realized room can be conceptualized from the onset leaving no room for edits or reconsiderations or layering is unrealistic. We are currently working on our living room and are making so many decisions as we go. For our paint color choices we started in one direction high gloss lacquered ceiling and had to shift to accommodate a lag in this highly intensive treatment. We have now started with a matte coat on the ceiling. Not what was intended, but a solution that works within our budget and timeline and a decision that we equally are fond of. And let’s not even begin on where we are deciding on what the hearth will be brick, tile… maybe concrete? 

The truth is, THIS IS WHAT DESIGN LOOKS LIKE! I am not suggesting that you just go into designing a room without a plan although I may be guilty of pulling this on a few rooms but I would like to stress that being flexible in your decision making process is necessary. Enjoy the organic process of building the elements of the room one layer at a time. Being open to considering a different chair than what was originally intended will only allow you to feel confident with the end result. Similarly, if you do not know exactly what tile you’d like to choose for the hearth doesn’t mean you cannot start with the paint that you are sure about. And, consequently, seeing the room painted in its entirety will allow you to make your next decision more boldly and confidently. 

While mood boards serve their purpose well, we must realize that they are not the entire novel, they are the footnotes, the road map perhaps. Let us not forget about all the juicy details in between.

Exhale, let your hair down and give yourself some slack. The rooms that I am most proud of were built over time. Rome was not built in a day, even one room in Rome took more than a day! Design is art, in any form, art takes time, patience and an understanding that it is an organic process. Have fun and enjoy the journey!