Christmas In July ~ A Gift of Timely Interior Design Tips, Coming Your Way!

 

(Mister Sand Man isn’t the only one who needs to get his castle in order for the holidays!) 

Christmas in July??!!!!  Don’t worry about sending the cold compresses, my way.  I haven’t had a heat stroke!  It’s more of the realization, that as of this post, the sands of time are slipping away past the half-year mark.  The good news?  There is still plenty of time to start updating the greeting cards’ list, to sort through the attic or garage to clean out old decorations, and most important of all, to give your interiors a good long look to see if those decorations have become a bit shopworn, too. 

(My upcoming blog series, will open the door for putting your best foot forward.)

It’s easy to say, “I’ll get started after the summer has ended.”  (Perhaps after the Labor Day weekend?)  While those twelve weeks, between the last hurrah of summer and Thanksgiving sound like a lot of time, if custom work is being done, it’s much better to allow some extra wiggle room for materials and manufacturing.  Less stress is best, being my mantra!

In order to give everyone a seasonal head start, I’m sharing a little gift with you, in my upcoming blog series, “One Room At A Time”.  I decided to wait until July to begin sharing these posts, as I thought they would be a timely source of inspiration.  I’ll answer these common questions, and then some:

• Where to start the process? ~ It’s all about establishing priorities and preferences. 
• What choices to make? ~ I’ll discuss pointers regarding who will be using the space, in relation to the various stages of life. 
• How to allocate for costs? ~ I’ll cover creating realistic expectations with your dollars. 

I’ll also give you a better viewpoint of the interior design process.  Ultimately, it’s about creating a special, personal experience, within your home.

Okay . . . I know it’s still summer, so take a little more time to enjoy the sea breezes.  Just not too long . . .

Experience the best about design! ~ Wanda

Interior Design ‘Intention’ Deficit

Many individuals, couples, and families have found themselves battling the syndrome, ‘Interior Design Intention Deficit’, also known as ‘IDID’.  This syndrome is not uncommon and it can create great obstacles for the completion of a rewarding interior design project.  Without defining the intent, establishing priorities, or creating a plan, the project can quickly derail. Take a look at the following questions for a quick, self-test.

 Have you . . .

. . . ever begun thinking about projects, for one area of your home, then totally switched gears to another space?  

. . . fallen in love with every changing color and design style because you thought it was more important to be “trendy” rather than to honor your actual lifestyle and design preferences? 

. . . waffled on decisions because you listened to everyone else’s “expert” opinion of how your home should be designed and lacked the confidence to say “No, that’s not for me”? 

. . . suffered from “analysis paralysis”, by over-thinking every minutia of detail and ended up not moving forward?

. . . ignored important details which ended up costing you more, in the long run?

. . . stopped the process, before completion, because no project plan was in place, and a realistic expectation of your investment in time and finances had not been established? 

(Analysis paralysis is one of the identifiable symptoms of IDID.)

If you answered “yes” to any one of the previous questions, you could be heading down the path for “IDID”. 

I’m sure, by now, you realize this post is somewhat in jest.  Clinical psychologists haven’t officially named this series of behaviors as a true syndrome, but as an interior designer, (who happens to have her minor in psychology), I believe there deserves to be a “cure”.  A bit of extra focus, (tunnel vision), and some professional help to administer some “tough love”, can go a long way in breaking the cycle of ‘IDID’.

Watch for the solution, coming in my June blog posts:  “One Room At A Time”.

Experience the best about design!  - Wanda