Understanding Ourselves Better
Through Interior Design

By Juliette Reid

Before working with a client, I like to tell them what to expect from our relationship. I've found that it helps to eliminated misunderstandings and give them confidence about where we are going. The first thing I tell them to expect is that good interior design is a process - it takes time. I need to get to know them better in order to judge what will be appropriate and attractive for them. And even though I can design a beautiful room, if it doesn't reflect their unique personality, then I have failed.

A home should be a reflection of each client's interests, achievements and style. Yet I often find that they do not know how to translate these abstract ideas into an appropriate and appealing interior design scheme.

With time, we go through the process of identifying their personal preferences and then unifying them with good design sense. It may sound easy but, believe me, it's not. Nine times out of ten the style and color clients had in mind are not the ones they finally select. That change-of-mind is sometimes difficult for them, but it leads to a better understanding of themselves.

You might say that I take my clients on a journey of self-discovery. People today simply do not have the time or inclination to reflect on their own personal style. So it is not surprising that on most of my projects, clients have told me that they discovered something new about themselves they never knew, and I think that they are the better for it, because expressing oneself in nearly any creative way is deeply satisfying.