I get a lot of design-related questions in passing. People often assume I can instantly come up with answers to their design dilemmas, but it’s not that simple.
Design is much more complicated that it appears. For every design decision, there can be dozens of questions to consider. Take, for example, the simple question: “What kind of hardware should I get for my bathroom cabinets?”
New hardware in a client’s master bath
Here are the follow-up questions I would ask:
What is the style of the cabinetry? (Traditional, Colonial, Shaker, French Country, etc.?)
What is the color of the stain or paint on the cabinetry?
Are you going to keep the cabinetry as-is, or are you going to have it painted or refaced? Or are you going to replace the existing cabinetry with new cabinetry?
Do you have any inspiration images of hardware that you do like?
Do you have any styles of hardware that you absolutely hate?
Are two holes already drilled in the cabinetry? If so, what is the exact measurement from middle of hole to middle of hole?
If holes are not already drilled, do you prefer the look of pulls or knobs? Or do you want a mix of each?
What are the other metallic finishes in the room? (Light fixtures, plumbing fixtures, etc.)
What is your preferred metal finish? (Nickel, iron, brass, oil rubbed bronze, etc.)
What is your preferred metal sheen? (Shiny or satin/matte)
How many cabinet doors do you have?
How many single- width drawers do you have?
How many double-width drawers do you have?
What is you total budget for cabinetry hardware?
…And the process repeats for pretty much every other design element in a space. The specific questions may vary, but the bottom line is that it’s almost impossible for me to offer design expertise on the fly because good design is a lot more complicated than people think. I need to be in your house to offer sound ANY design advice, which is why I offer
Need some advice? Contact me to chat!
