Decorating
Architecture
Interior Design
How to Describe Your Style to a Renovation Professional
Use these checklists and ideas to help your designer understand the looks you love
When you’re preparing to work with a professional on a home project – whether it’s an architect, landscape designer, interior designer, decorator or another professional – communicating your preferences in a clear way can help them understand exactly what you’re looking for and deliver results you love. By gathering inspiration and assessing your likes and dislikes, you will be better armed to have those crucial conversations with your designer. Get the details on this (fun) homework assignment below.
Get visual
Designers’ work is highly visual, so it makes sense that the best way to communicate your likes and dislikes is through images. This keeps things clear. For instance, if you think of ‘desert style’ as having lots of natural wood and colourful textiles, but your designer is envisioning more of a Palm Springs mid-century desert look, conflict is inevitable.
But when you can point to a photo and say, “I love this,” or “I really don’t like this look,” you and your designer can quickly get on the same page.
Tip: Head to your Houzz profile page and create two new Ideabooks: one for your love list and one for your not-for-me list.
Looking for a design professional for your next project? Find decorators and designers near you on Houzz, browse images of their work and read reviews from previous clients
Designers’ work is highly visual, so it makes sense that the best way to communicate your likes and dislikes is through images. This keeps things clear. For instance, if you think of ‘desert style’ as having lots of natural wood and colourful textiles, but your designer is envisioning more of a Palm Springs mid-century desert look, conflict is inevitable.
But when you can point to a photo and say, “I love this,” or “I really don’t like this look,” you and your designer can quickly get on the same page.
Tip: Head to your Houzz profile page and create two new Ideabooks: one for your love list and one for your not-for-me list.
Looking for a design professional for your next project? Find decorators and designers near you on Houzz, browse images of their work and read reviews from previous clients
Include images that directly relate to your project…
A good place to start collecting images for your likes and dislikes lists is with examples of the specific type of project you’re planning. If you’ll be working with a landscape designer or landscape architect, for instance, search for images of landscapes. Hiring an architect for a home renovation or new build? Seek out images of exteriors and architectural designs. If you’re redesigning your kitchen, search for kitchen photos. And so on.
A good place to start collecting images for your likes and dislikes lists is with examples of the specific type of project you’re planning. If you’ll be working with a landscape designer or landscape architect, for instance, search for images of landscapes. Hiring an architect for a home renovation or new build? Seek out images of exteriors and architectural designs. If you’re redesigning your kitchen, search for kitchen photos. And so on.
…But include some less on-topic images too
Don’t be afraid to include a few images that don’t directly relate to the type of project, but are nevertheless a good example of a specific style you love – or hate, as the case may be. Lifestyle, food and garden images can be wonderful examples of colour palettes and can give your designer a better understanding of your overall style than project photos alone.
Don’t be afraid to include a few images that don’t directly relate to the type of project, but are nevertheless a good example of a specific style you love – or hate, as the case may be. Lifestyle, food and garden images can be wonderful examples of colour palettes and can give your designer a better understanding of your overall style than project photos alone.
Practice being picky
When you first start filling those Ideabooks with images, allow yourself free rein to choose as many photos as you want. Have fun with it! But when you’re ready to go back in for a second look, it’s time to get picky. Aim to winnow down each list to the top 10 to 20 best examples.
Not only will this give your design professional a more manageable number of images to examine, it will also give you practice making design-related choices. The more you flex that design muscle, the easier it will be to talk about your likes and dislikes.
When you first start filling those Ideabooks with images, allow yourself free rein to choose as many photos as you want. Have fun with it! But when you’re ready to go back in for a second look, it’s time to get picky. Aim to winnow down each list to the top 10 to 20 best examples.
Not only will this give your design professional a more manageable number of images to examine, it will also give you practice making design-related choices. The more you flex that design muscle, the easier it will be to talk about your likes and dislikes.
Get specific
Once you have your two curated Ideabooks – one of looks you love, and one of looks that are not for you – it’s time to make those lists even more useful. Being able to point to an image you like or dislike is helpful, but confusion and miscommunications can still arise if you don’t specify exactly what it is about the space that you like or don’t like.
You might be thinking about the colour palette, but your designer might focus on the furniture style – and they won’t know if you don’t tell them.
Tip: Add a note beneath each photo in your Ideabook that explains exactly what it is about the space that made you include it. We’ll look at some specific examples of language to include next.
So Your Style Is: Industrial
Once you have your two curated Ideabooks – one of looks you love, and one of looks that are not for you – it’s time to make those lists even more useful. Being able to point to an image you like or dislike is helpful, but confusion and miscommunications can still arise if you don’t specify exactly what it is about the space that you like or don’t like.
You might be thinking about the colour palette, but your designer might focus on the furniture style – and they won’t know if you don’t tell them.
Tip: Add a note beneath each photo in your Ideabook that explains exactly what it is about the space that made you include it. We’ll look at some specific examples of language to include next.
So Your Style Is: Industrial
Use the following checklists as a guide, and see how many you can include in your own lists.
‘Love list’ checklist:
‘Love list’ checklist:
- Favourite colour or colours.
- Colour palette or combination of colours that appeals to you.
- Furniture you love.
- A room where you love the mood or general vibe.
- If you’re looking at architecture, a house or overall space that appeals to you.
- If you’re looking at landscapes, a complete yard that captures the general feeling you’re after.
- Specific features you want to include.
‘Not-for-me list’ checklist:
- Specific colours or shades of colours that you have a strong aversion to.
- Motifs or finishes that are not your cup of tea.
- Pet peeves.
- Colour combinations that you do not enjoy together.
- A room where you do not like the overall mood or vibe.
Play name-that-style
Take one more look over your love list and see if you notice a theme. Is there one clear style taking the lead? There’s no right or wrong answer here, but if you notice a trend emerging, that could be a good starting place for your initial conversations with your designer.
Tip: Click on the first photo in your love list Ideabook. Check the image information and note which style is listed. Go through each photo in your Ideabook and repeat this process. Do you see a theme in terms of style?
So Your Style Is: Scandinavian
Take one more look over your love list and see if you notice a theme. Is there one clear style taking the lead? There’s no right or wrong answer here, but if you notice a trend emerging, that could be a good starting place for your initial conversations with your designer.
Tip: Click on the first photo in your love list Ideabook. Check the image information and note which style is listed. Go through each photo in your Ideabook and repeat this process. Do you see a theme in terms of style?
So Your Style Is: Scandinavian
Still stumped?
If you’ve gotten this far, you deserve a huge pat on the back. It’s not easy to pin down your style – and remember, you don’t have to completely nail it. Your designer is there to walk you through this process. But the more thought you have put in at the beginning, the easier it will be for you and your designer to have a fruitful working relationship.
To that end, if you’ve gone through these exercises and are still having trouble figuring out your style, you might want to think laterally: are there any restaurants, brands or shops that exemplify your likes and dislikes? As long as the places you’ve chosen are ones your designer is familiar with (or can easily find images of), this can be a helpful addition to your style information.
If you’ve gotten this far, you deserve a huge pat on the back. It’s not easy to pin down your style – and remember, you don’t have to completely nail it. Your designer is there to walk you through this process. But the more thought you have put in at the beginning, the easier it will be for you and your designer to have a fruitful working relationship.
To that end, if you’ve gone through these exercises and are still having trouble figuring out your style, you might want to think laterally: are there any restaurants, brands or shops that exemplify your likes and dislikes? As long as the places you’ve chosen are ones your designer is familiar with (or can easily find images of), this can be a helpful addition to your style information.
Trust your designer
Finally, remember that although it is important to be able to communicate your preferences to your designer, it’s equally important once you’ve made your initial thoughts and feelings clear to step back and trust your designer to come up with some creative ideas that you would never have thought of on your own.
Will they all be ideas or elements you love? Perhaps not, and you can always work to find a solution you love. But then again, you might just surprise yourself by loving something you never thought you would, thanks to your designer’s vision.
Your turn
Have you worked with a design professional you loved? Share what made the experience work well for you in the Comments below, like this story, save the images to an Ideabook, and join the conversation.
More
Do you know What Makes an Ideal Client? Architects Tell All
Finally, remember that although it is important to be able to communicate your preferences to your designer, it’s equally important once you’ve made your initial thoughts and feelings clear to step back and trust your designer to come up with some creative ideas that you would never have thought of on your own.
Will they all be ideas or elements you love? Perhaps not, and you can always work to find a solution you love. But then again, you might just surprise yourself by loving something you never thought you would, thanks to your designer’s vision.
Your turn
Have you worked with a design professional you loved? Share what made the experience work well for you in the Comments below, like this story, save the images to an Ideabook, and join the conversation.
More
Do you know What Makes an Ideal Client? Architects Tell All
You may have already heard that it’s a good idea to gather images and ideas of things you love when you’re preparing to meet with a designer – and we will examine that in more detail next. But have you considered making a list of the things you don’t like? Perhaps surprisingly, those dislikes can be just as important.
Seattle, USA-based decorator Maggie Stephens of Maggie Stephens Interiors says, “I wish I could read minds – but I don’t. The best designs come from open communication about likes, dislikes and full understanding of a client’s needs”.