Siobhan Mooney and my personal challenges in building/decorating a house

Heya, lovelies!!

As you know, I am moved in the new house, but the house is not finished yet, the interior is almost finished, but the exterior has so much work to be done still!! We have been building this house for 6 years now and dindn't have a contractor, hubby supervised the construction. With no training in construction for him or interior design for me, I must tell you, it is hard!! For the kitchen, for example, we had to change the layout for the power outlets, a thing hubby did not like at all!!

That got me thinking about the process of  designing a room, from the begining to the very end, when the last piece of art is hung and in place. I have learned so much during this process, but  still I have a huge way to go, so here is what Siobhan Mooney, one of Britain foremost interior designers has to say about the process of creating a room, in an interview on Gallery Blinds:

"What is your process for designing a room? Is it set or does your method vary from one project to another?

For me every project is different, it is as different as people are different! My common thread is the quality level I work to. On each project, I source and supply premium products. A lot of the furniture and materials will be bespoke.

I will meet a client and hopefully be able to visit their existing home. Then I ask them in their own environment what they like about their home and if there are any items they would like to bring into the project. This tends to be the starting point, because most of the skill of interior designer is understanding people.

I recently met a couple who had pitched me against another couple of designers. They asked each designer to come up with ideas for two areas of their house.

I had met them very briefly for a chat and came back at a later date with a presentation. At the end of the meeting, the client said ‘That was amazing, you only met us for 15 minutes’. They liked everything I showed them, but that was because I understood who they were, so I got the job. This is a skill that I have developed over time, by continually putting myself in my clients’ shoes.

At a basic level, every job in every style must have a room laid out on plan, with all the functions it will need to accommodate in mind. To begin your project, you need to start thinking of potential furniture layouts, which will dictate things like electrical power points and radiator positions – you always need to keep these practical points in mind."

Remember my post about those goregous Manuel Canovas fabrics? The designer brought them up  in her  interview:

"Which interior design trends have caught your eye in 2013?

Manuel Canovas is celebrating its 50th year and has brought out a very vibrant print range. It’s a bit too exuberant for the British market, but should do very well on the continent!

It’s interesting to see what works in different countries: a lot is cultural and a lot is to do with what works with the light the further south you go. Again, I’m interested to see so many overseas companies picking up on Art Deco."

If you are interested in Siobhan Mooney's interview, you can rean more here.

My house is a work in progress, and as we go we stumble upon different problems and challenges, but it is our own place and it's a lot bigger than the two-rooms apartment we've lived for 9 years, so we take one step at a time and hope for the best. I'll keep you updated as we get things done, so you can join us along. I was telling you in this post that I dream of having many, many plants, both inside and outside, so  here is a sneak peak of the entry hall with our newest pinkiest addition:

 

  

I simply love the pop of colour it adds to the entry hall, and I really like the iron flower stand I bought yesterday!! All we have to do now is say a little prayer for me NOT killing the plant, I tend to do that, even if I truly love them, and water them accordingly with their needs,  they seem to always die on me...:(

So, what say you? Like?? 

xoxo,

Ozana