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The key to creating your dream space is to clearly define your dream. Here are some tools that we have found useful:
The Critique Start with a blank piece of paper. Divide it in two lengthwise, and write down a list of all the things you like about your current space in one half of the page, and all the things you dislike about your current space in the other half. In the ‘what I like’ half, don’t forget to include small items, like cabinet hardware, or the feeling of a certain view, or corner chair. The ‘what I dislike’ side of the page might seem easier to compile, but don’t be too quick to complete it. If our goal is to design a functional room that meets your needs, you must know exactly what needs are not being presently met in the current space. Wish, Wants, and Needs Give yourself the freedom to imagine and dream in this step. Ignore practical considerations for the moment, and create three lists on a new sheet of paper. The first list is the ‘I Wish’ list, for those items that you’ve drooled over in a magazine, or relegated to the ‘if I won the lottery, I would get this’ file. The second list is the ‘I want’ list – for those items you really want, but don’t necessarily need. Don’t include any item whose omission from the final design would be devastating; this type of item belongs in the third category – ‘I need’. The ‘I need’ list are those items that you could not live without, and are the first source that we turn to during the design of the project. Make these lists comprehensive. Don’t leave out anything, no matter how small or inconsequential it may seem. The Dream Book Get a scrap book where you can gather the following: Pictures from magazines that show a design, feature, appliance or other item you would like in your new room with notes in the margin detailing exactly what you like in each photo. - Specifications for your project – a listing of how many sinks you want, what type of refrigerator you want, items you need to store in each room, etc.
- Paint chips and swatches of carpeting ,wall coverings, floors etc
- Your critique
- Your list of wishes, wants, and needs
- Article clippings and thoughts about design ideas you would like to incorporate.
- Questions for your contractor
- Samples and literature from manufacturers
Lifestyle Check This is perhaps the most important part of the process. You need to analyze how all your family members live in your home and their particular needs – from the youngest to the oldest. Consider how every member of your family uses the room(s) in question. What activities will take place in this space? How many people will be using it? We will be most successful if we match the design to the way you actually live.
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