FINDING YOUR STYLE AND
PREPARING FOR A DESIGN CONSULTATION

   The thought of decorating or renovating a room or entire
house often brings a blend of excitement and stressful
anticipation.   These feelings are common, but with the
right professional, you can have a wonderful experience. 
An experienced designer will take you calmly through the
whole process.  We offer several tips for you to consider,
prior to your consultation, that will make the entire experience
even better. 

CHOOSE THE RIGHT DESIGNER FOR YOU 
All good designers will ask a lot of questions and listen
closely.  Choose someone that listens and with whom you
feel comfortable.  

SET YOUR BUDGET 
Sometimes you need a consultation to get a good idea of
what you can expect to spend, but it is important to set a
budget range.  Setting this limit before your consultation
will help when making design decisions that affect your
total costs.

SPACE FUNCTIONS
Spend a few minutes thinking about how you use the room.  
Do you entertain often?  Need more seating?  More storage?
A quiet place to read?  Room for kids to play on the floor?  With
a clear idea of how you want to use the room, we can ensure 
the room works for you and your lifestyle.  

SHOULD IT STAY OR SHOULD IT GO? 
If you have some things you really love, make sure to point
those out to your designer, along with the things that you
can't wait to be rid of.  This is also important if you have
pieces that you need to keep, say something inherited from
a grandparent, that are not necessarily your favorite style.  
Usually your designer can find a great way to incorporate
these things into the room or another area of your house.

IS THIS YOUR FOREVER HOME? 
Consider how long you plan to stay in the home.  If you plan
to move with a year or two, the designer will make different
material recommendations than if you are planning to stay forever.  

FIND YOUR STYLE   
Most people know what they like, but don't know what to call it
or how to create it in their home.  A good designer will be able
to help you find your style by asking about your life and the
day-to-day happenings in your home.


TIPS & LINKS

With the fun tips below, you can start figuring out what you really like
and what it is called even before meeting with your designer. 

Start with pictures:  Head to the local hardware, book, or grocery
store magazine shelves.  Flip though a few and buy a couple that look
interesting.  Cut out the rooms that most appeal to you and keep them 
together to share with your designer.  It doesn't matter if the picture is
of a kitchen and your are redoing the master bedroom, designers just
want to get a sense of what feels good to you.  Your designer will
make it work from there.  

Take a quiz:  Some companies now offer online style quizzes.  Try the
HGTV's web site quiz.  If the link below doesn't work, go to
www.hgtv.com and use the search term "quiz." Try this or one of
the others listed below.  Have fun and remember to print the results
to share with your designer.

HGTV Style quiz 
http://www.hgtv.com/hgtv/pac_ctnt_988/text/0,,HGTV_22056_33320,00.html

Fine Living Magazine Style Quiz
http://www.fineliving.com/fine/our_specials/article/0,1663,FINE_5916_2426168,00.html

Builders style quiz - great if you want to remodel
http://www.ryland.com/personalize-your-home/my-style-quiz.html

Kitchen Cabinet Style Quiz
http://www.merillat.com/style/quiz/index.aspx