Who am I designing for?

This is a very important question for designers. As a designer, it is really important to know what your objective is. Is the home to be used as a sales tool for a builder to sell homes? Is it for a client to sell their existing home? Or, is it for a client who wants to imprint their personal style in their space?

A good designer will be able to give their input about how they feel the space could or should look (maybe with some ideas about furniture placement to maximize space or some tricks on how to emphasize high ceilings) but it is just as important to also take the client's ultimate objective into the main plan and blend the two together. Some designers make the mistake of creating a look that appeals to the wrong demographic or create a look that reflects their own personal style on that of the homeowner or the clientel.

It is very important to make sure you research the target market for the product and create your decor plan based on those results. For example, if you are designing a home located in the country, you want the decor look to reflect nature and a chalet chic style not a sleek, modern city style you might find in a downtown condo. Another important factor is the age of the potential purchaser and which stage they are at in their life - downsizing, just starting out or a young family - their needs and wants will all be different and they will all be looking for different elements. It is important to decorate and design to appeal to as many purchasers as possible.

How can you tell if a show home is a success with the public? Direct feedback is one way but there are some signs to watch for - are the guests sitting on the furniture? If they are that's a great sign, it means they feel comfortable and can visualize themselves in the space. Are they talking about how they would place their furniture pieces in the home? Again, another sign of them visualizing themselves in the space. If a client spends a lot of time in the show home, that means that they feel comfortable and want to be there. A show home or a staged home is a key sales tool so it is important that it is done right from the beginning. You only have one opportunity to make a first impression.