Recent E Design Process

One of our latest projects was an "E Design" for a client who was moving out of our travel range for our full service design.  She asked for a consultation in the existing home she was moving from so we could advise her on which pieces we thought she should move to her new home.  There was very little she wanted to take to her new home, just some basics, which would help free up her budget for new purchases.  This is such an exciting time for homeowners and I love that she had us in on 'the ground floor' to develop a plan for her new house.

I went to consult with her and got a feel for how they live with their three children and three dogs; essential research for designing their new home. In addition to sendingher a questionnaire prior to my arrival, I asked her to start a Pinterest board and 'pin' things she likes.  I told her of our process and how we can create a virtual computerized room plan for each room, so she has a road map for future purchases, on her own time and budget, which was her desire, and to help avoid buying mistakes. The plan is essential to creating a well designed home.  She subscribed to six room plans and then we drove to her new home, which was the model in a beautiful rural neighborhood. 

The theme she wants is a contemporary coastal feel with aquas, beige, cream, blues and greens. All the rooms were painted to her liking and she didn't want to change the paint.

I made best use of my time and sketched the ideas as they came to me in each room, and measured her windows, etc. so I could give exact window treatment and room details as a shopping guide. She also wanted DIY suggestions.

First I created room layouts to help her in furniture placement.

Then I spent hours sourcing products online and dropping them into our design program to create completed rooms.  For the living room, I designed 2 looks; Cabana Casual (using a striped accent rug and dual facing sofas) and Sophisticated Coastal, with one sofa and 2 chairs and a more formal elegant look.

I created a detailed description of the finishes and accessories in each room and also a suggested shopping list of where to purchase the items on the plan.  Also window shade dimensions, drapery sizes and hardware choices were listed to aid her in making her own purchases.

As you can imagine you can get quite carried away with creating a fluid design throughout the home, so I added suggestions for the entry, and other rooms she did not sign on for.  Of course if this was a full service client, I would be doing the shopping and not bother her with these details, but this gal wanted to do it on her own over time. 

The boys room has a New England Patriots theme, so I gave her DIY instructions for painting the accent stripes on the walls and using a decal as a focal point.

She wanted to repurpose some nightstands and I helped her envision a 2 person study desk inside a long (unused) closet in the basement media area. 

Since she is new to the DIY scene, she wanted links and tutorials which were easy to pull from our blog and Pinterest.

This was really alot of fun and I was thrilled to mail the box of 6 plans this week, each in their own folio with

a floor plan, room designs, shopping list and detailed instructions. It arrived on her birthday!  I will follow up with a phone appointment in about a week, where we discuss each plan and make any necessary changes.  (We allow one edit with the fee.)  

[This "E Design" is actually an abbreviated version of our "Design Care Package" where we include paint, flooring and fabric swatches and greater details, including hand renderings.]

For those of you designers who may read this post, I love to share our process, since I learn so much from your great ideas shared through blogs, Instagram, High Point Market, area networking events, etc.  We all benefit!   If you are a client/homeowner hopefully this process shows how important the room design plan is as a starting point instead of trying the 'hit or miss' method of decorating.

I'm happy to answer any questions or discuss our process further, just email us at info@powellbrower.com.

Happy Memorial Day weekend!