Light up your Life

Finding the golden thread

Words by Dawn Sondergaard
Photography by Janis Nicolay @pineconecamp

Before figuring out the square footage, or the cost per square foot, it’s a good idea to understand the “why” and “what for” of your home-building project. Tackling these high-level questions first with your interior designer will enable you to make the right decisions, ultimately saving you time and money. 

According to HAVAN member Ami McKay, principal interior designer of Pure Design, “An interior designer’s job is to match who you are with the space you live in. So when you’re planning a major renovation or looking to build your dream home, it’s the designer’s job to find what lights you up!”

So, what is your goal? Is the purpose of your new kitchen to upgrade the value of your home, is it to improve the setting for intimate family gatherings, or is it to manage the kids’ constant need for food?  

Getting to know who you are and how you live will help the interior designer pull together the aesthetics of your home. From helping to define the use of space, to designing the lighting schematics, plus sourcing all material selections and finishings, the more information you share up-front with your interior designer, the better the outcome will be.  

Expect to have intimate and open discussions early in the building process. Your designer will want to know the ins and outs of how you and your family live. 

Ami says, “Don’t be shy; there is no judgment. We’ll need to know if you shower or prefer to lounge in a bath. Will you be cooking with children? Do you play sports and require aerated storage for your equipment? Laundry particulars? We’ll want to know that too! The more we understand your lifestyle, needs and schedules, including any future plans, the better we can design your home.”

She adds, “The best way to start is just by collecting images.”

Even if you think that all your styles are different, there is always, as Ami calls it, the “golden thread” that ties it all together. Designers look for and can easily find patterns.

Pinterest and Houzz are great platforms to keep you organized. There is no need to organize by room, although if this makes you happy, create multiple boards. Make notes on why a picture catches your attention. Is it a feature of the room, the lighting, the colour, the flooring, or a piece of artwork that caught your eye? Notes will help you share these details with your designer.

Now, if you can’t see this golden thread as you pin away, don’t worry. Only 20 per cent of the population sees visually, so the rest of us must rely on those who can—like interior designers! 

Love the home where you live, and find an interior designer right for your project at havan.ca. 

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室內設計師 滿足您對家的想像

每個人對家都有自己的想像，在計劃裝修或者建造夢幻家園之前，與其費盡心力計算出完成後的尺寸與花費，不如先問問自己其「動機」與「目的」何在？然後與您的室內設計師探討，確保做出最明智的判斷，從而節省時間和金錢。

HAVAN的會員，同時也是Pure Design首席室內設計師的Ami McKay指出，室內設計師的工作就是將您的住所與個人風格完美結合。所以，無論是裝修房屋，還是建造居所，室內設計師的職責便是滿足您對家的想像。

首先談談裝修的「目的」。您是希望翻新廚房提升房屋價值？還是方便節日期間招待衆多親朋好友？或者僅僅爲了滿足孩子在食物方面的需求？

瞭解主人的個人風格以及生活方式對室內設計師極爲重要。從如何善用空間，到照明的設計，以及飾面材料的選擇等，越多信息，越有助於室內設計師最終完成一個理想的家居。

在項目早期階段，與室內設計師開誠佈公極其關鍵。設計師需要瞭解您及家人每天的生活起居。Ami說，「不必害羞，我們需要瞭解您喜歡淋浴，還是喜歡享受泡澡的樂趣？您是否喜歡與孩子們一起烹飪？您是否熱衷體育運動，是否需要額外的空間儲存運動器材？另外，對洗衣間有什麼特殊要求嗎？這些我們都需要知道。對您的生活方式掌握越多，包括您的未來計劃，越有助於幫您完成一個理想家園。」

Ami建議說，「準備工作最好的方法是收集圖片。」即便你認爲自己的風格多麼地與衆不同，正如Ami所説，總是有所謂的『蛛絲馬跡』可循，幫助室內設計師順藤摸瓜，找到主人的思路所在。

手機應用程式濱趣 (Pinterest) 與網絡設計平臺 ( HOUZZ ) 是很好的應用工具。做出標記，註明爲何這張照片吸引到你？到底是屋內照明，顔色，地面，或是一件藝術品吸引到您的注意力？這些標記可以幫助您在細節層面上與設計師交流。

似乎有些複雜？不用擔心，因爲畢竟只有兩成的人有『視覺感』，其他人必須依賴於室內設計師。想要打造理想居所，為自己的裝修或房屋項目尋找合適的室內設計師，可以瀏覽網站havan.ca。