One Room Challenge: Week 4

October 28, 2020 Nile Johnson

It's week 4 of the One Room Challenge!

…and I've got my swagger back. Seeing all of the new and beautiful products from the High Point Furniture Market was just what the doctor ordered.

Furniture Shopping is a Professional Sport

Last week I talked about how I prep to source furniture for my client projects. And while I think it's essential for everybody to hire a professional when redesigning their space, I understand that some want to go it alone. Therefore, I thought I'd start by sharing a few key things to keep in mind when shopping for new furniture.

Often, furniture showrooms are expansive in square footage and have much higher ceilings than the average office or residence. Retail Merchandisers include furniture and accessories in their floor-sets design that are the appropriate size/scale for the store's interior space and architecture. These beautifully curated displays are intended to serve as inspiration for the home. However, more times than not, that inspiration (without the proper guidance) can be misleading. It's crucial to select furniture pieces that will fit comfortably and show well in their intended space.

While the options are many and possibly even limitless, one thing I know for sure; money is not. Even Bill Gates & Oprah have budgets, and knowing what yours is from the start will only make things easier.
Everybody (and I mean everybody) loves a good deal. However, it's important to remember that a deal is only as good as the product. 50% off means nothing if the floor lamp only worked for five days. I believe in the high-low shopping strategy, and when done right, it can be very successful, functionally, and aesthetically. Furniture is an investment. One that with proper care and maintenance) should see you through the better part of a lifetime. After all, who better to invest in, if not yourself?
The design staff at your friendly neighborhood furniture store is more than capable of making your Interior Design Dreams come true. While they are most often well educated in design and decoration, they are limited (in the area of design solutions) to the items available and sold by their employer's shop, placing your design project below the priority of their employee sales goals. There should be one common goal when outfitting your space, and that's to find the best possible interior solutions while ticking all of your "must-have" boxes. Find that one friend or Interior designer who has your best interest in mind and isn't afraid to tell you the truth

Now, back to the market…& THE CHALLENGE

Inspiration was on deck, and my creative flow switch has been turned back to the on position. Take a look at some of this amazingness I'm considering for my space.

The concept for my moody shore escape is melding together beautifully with my space plan, and now I am ready to narrow down my High Point finds and identify specific items for the design. To do that, I'll use a lot of what I introduced in week 2. Preliminary design concepts for the space, basic drawings, color schemes, mood boards, key fabrics, furniture selections, and budget estimates will serve as my guide as I fine-tune the design and make final decisions.

Typically during this stage, only revisions to the design happen, and another round of presentations occur, for final approval, before moving to the next step (presentation and sign-off). However, in projects such as this, where the project scope is much smaller, more complex concepts are presented, and decision making happens at this meeting. The next stage is not required, which allows us to move right into the fun part, bringing the design home...literally.

In this step, it's all hands on deck as my team and I handle everything necessary to bring the design to life. From the creation of purchase orders to product tracking, lead time assessment, and the replacement of any back-orders or discontinued items that would otherwise delay the project, the level of detail at this stage of the process is no nicknack.

Stay with me. Next week we start the installation process. It’s going to be good!

In the meantime, if your space is challenged, let’s connect!

And for more design ideas, tips, and inspiration follow all the other featured ORC designers below. They’ve all got something absolutely beautiful to share!