Hey George. Sounds like you had a less than ideal experience with a designer. And yes, it sounds like it was too small a job for them, which I completely understand. The designer and client fit is so important. I say this all the time to prospective clients. We may not gel. You may not have adequate budget. The project might be one that I feel I can’t really put my stamp on. A design project is a coming together of your wants as a client, what the home dictates it needs, but also the designer delivering something you could never achieve yourself. The last part is often something I ask myself when taking on a project, and sometimes it’s not a good fit because I am not in a position to be able to sprinkle my flavour on the home. Honestly is important here.

Also, phrases like “I see mood boards all the time and I wouldn’t have thought it would be too difficult to construct one along with a mud map” in all honesty ring alarm bells for me, because clients often really don’t understand the work it takes to get every colour and material just right, but also the size and scale of furniture too. If I had a potential client tell me all they wanted was a road map, I wouldn’t take the job either. I hope you appreciate the transparency here. Every designer is different, some will offer those basic services. But I’m always looking to go on more of a journey with a client, make a real impact, transform it from start to finish. Not just turn up once and give some advice.

Especially in these troubling Covid times, each designer wants to take on the best-fit projects for their individual businesses. And sometimes clients don’t have the budget. It sounds like you are one of those clients. Designers are a luxury, even the ones (like myself) who pride themselves on affordability. Appreciate you stopping by to share your thoughts.

In my case, all I wanted was a road map. Eg. paint your walls this colour, hang this type of curtain in front of shutters (or maybe dual track curtains – who knows), but some art here, a couch there, find yourself a linen bedhead in this type of fabric and pair it with some hardwood bed sides… you get the idea.

I see mood boards all the time and I wouldn’t have thought it would be too difficult to construct one along with a mud map. In my case I was dismissed and told that – fabrics change, suppliers change – and the reason I would pay a small fortune for such a service is because the smallest pigment, or texture detail can make or break the room. I do not subscribe to this view btw – I think there exists rules, which can be broken and in that space a buffer to be off by a hue, or shade, here and there.

Most of us have expensive tastes and need a few months (often years) to save up to buy the furniture we really want to fill out a room. But at the same time we want to make sure at the outset that when we do “invest” in the $5,000 couch, we’re not painting ourselves (pun not intended) into a corner and limiting our choices when it comes to getting the rug, paint, or maybe floor coverings when (gasp we can afford to pull up the tiles and have blackbutt timber put down).

Very welcome!

Thanks Denise, glad I could help you and a fellow designer! Hope the new place turns out fab.