Creating a home out of so many details

September 27, 2011

Dealing with the consequences of a wildfire burning down my house has exposed me to a language I never thought I would use. “I met with my interior designer today” is one sentence I never imagined I’d say.

The contractors who are re-building my house have graciously paid for the services of an interior designer to meet with all of their Slave Lake clients. This is a win-win for both the clients and the contractors. And, it allows many of us to enjoy a service that normally is out of reach.

Having their clients meet with the interior designer allows the contractors to get the information they need in a timely fashion. It takes the pressure off of them when it comes to the details of a new house. The contractors send the specs to the interior designer, who then meets with the clients and shows them the different options. These options are based on the insurance coverage each client has. Of course, anyone can upgrade to a higher quality.

The interior designer knows the prices and knows the quality of the necessities a house needs. She (or he) can give advice on whether to upgrade, and where to save money depending on where in the house the item is to be located. For example, which light fixtures work best in the bedrooms, which can be used for the laundry room, which light fixtures are to be the focus in the house, and where the most light is required. These details can be discussed with the interior designer, leaving the contractors to focus on what they do best: building a house.

It makes sense, then, that the contractors would want their clients to use the services of an interior designer. Especially when they have a number of houses to be built at the same time. As is the case in Slave Lake, where there are over 400 homes burned down by the wildfire.

As for me, as the client, it was enjoyable to meet with the interior designer. Jody Boras, of i.d.ah interiors, took the time to get to know me as a person. She focused on what I found interesting, and what I liked, not just in house furnishings and design, but also in my lifestyle choices. This helped tremendously when we went to look at plumbing and lighting choices. She was able to let the staff at those places know that I like “curves and archways.” The staff took me straight to the styles that reflected my love of smooth curves and soft designs.

Jody provided me with the information I needed to make the choices I had to make. I would never have thought that a house needed so many lights. Or that it’s best to have secondary bedroom lights flush to the ceiling. Especially if there is a possibility that those bedrooms will be used for children. Or that the best place for pot lights is in the kitchen, where you want a lot of lighting.

Jody and I have met twice. The first time we met at her home office where we went through samples. I chose the baseboards, paint for the walls, colour of stucco for the outside and for the fascia, kitchen cabinet designs and handles, door designs and handles. We even picked out tiling and stonework, although that was to be confirmed when we went to the brick and flooring stores.

The second time we met we went to the plumbing and lighting store and the brick and stonework store. Because Jody had spent the time with me in her home office, looking at many possibilities, she had my tastes narrowed down. She was able to show me designs within the limits of my insurance and that fit my taste of style. The time we needed to spend in the stores was minimal. Of course, I could have spent more time if I had wanted. But since I’m not much of a shopper, the time we spent was more than enough for me. I was able to make my choice based on the few options that were shown to me.

We meet one more time: in the flooring store. That is when I’ll finalize my choice of tiling and other flooring. On my own, I am to meet with the consultant at the kitchen cabinet store. And with the consultant at the window and door store. The shovel hasn’t even been put into the ground yet, and I already have almost my entire house designed. Not only designed, but reflective of the type of house I want to live in and within the limits of my insurance.

That’s the benefit of the services of an interior designer.

For information about Jody’s services, check out her website at: http://www.idahinteriors.com