May 13, 2025 • 37 mins
On this episode of Boulevard Beat, co-hosts Krissa Rossbund and Meghan Blum dive deep into the real reasons why interior design matters—not just for style, but for wellness, energy, and quality of life. Meghan pulls back the curtain on what it truly means to be a designer, breaking the myth that it's all glamour and paint swatches. From the science of neuroaesthetics to the emotional importance of finishing a space, she shares how thoughtful design can transform your home and your nervous system.
We discuss everything from budget misconceptions to the hidden value of trade-only access, what to expect during a consultation, and why trying to DIY your dream home can lead to costly mistakes. Meghan also reveals her personal “rules” for working with clients and how she ensures a process that’s both creative and collaborative.
Plus, don’t miss the stories behind some of her favorite projects and a peek into the behind-the-scenes hustle that makes it all look effortlessly beautiful. Whether you're starting a whole-home renovation or just need a bit of guidance, this episode is packed with insights that prove design is more than decor—it’s a lifestyle.
Street style takeaways:
· Interior design impacts your well-being. Meghan explains how neuroaesthetics and thoughtful design can actually regulate your nervous system and enhance daily life—not just make things “pretty.”
· Hiring a designer saves money in the long run. Trying to DIY or hire piecemeal often leads to costly mistakes; designers bring access, strategy, and experience that protect your investment.
· The consultation is everything. Meghan shares what to expect during the initial meeting and how it sets the tone for the entire project—from communication to vision alignment.
· It’s not just about trends—it's about timelessness. Meghan emphasizes designing for longevity and emotional connection, not just what's popular on social media.
· Design is collaborative, not transactional. The best projects happen when there’s mutual respect and trust between client and designer. Meghan shares her criteria for ideal clients and how she creates a healthy creative process.
Save 15% site wide at www.houseofblum.com with promo code beat15! Or you can use this link- https://houseofblum.com/discount/beat15!
Connect with the Hosts https://www.instagram.com/boulevardbeatpodcast/
Connect with Meghan Blum Interiors https://www.instagram.com/meghanbluminteriors/
Connect with House of Blum https://www.instagram.com/shophouseofblum/
Connect with Krissa Rossbund. https://www.instagram.com/krissa_rossbund/
Connect with Liz Lidgett https://www.instagram.com/lizlidgett/
Episode Website https://www.blvdbeat.com/about
We discuss everything from budget misconceptions to the hidden value of trade-only access, what to expect during a consultation, and why trying to DIY your dream home can lead to costly mistakes. Meghan also reveals her personal “rules” for working with clients and how she ensures a process that’s both creative and collaborative.
Plus, don’t miss the stories behind some of her favorite projects and a peek into the behind-the-scenes hustle that makes it all look effortlessly beautiful. Whether you're starting a whole-home renovation or just need a bit of guidance, this episode is packed with insights that prove design is more than decor—it’s a lifestyle.
Street style takeaways:
· Interior design impacts your well-being. Meghan explains how neuroaesthetics and thoughtful design can actually regulate your nervous system and enhance daily life—not just make things “pretty.”
· Hiring a designer saves money in the long run. Trying to DIY or hire piecemeal often leads to costly mistakes; designers bring access, strategy, and experience that protect your investment.
· The consultation is everything. Meghan shares what to expect during the initial meeting and how it sets the tone for the entire project—from communication to vision alignment.
· It’s not just about trends—it's about timelessness. Meghan emphasizes designing for longevity and emotional connection, not just what's popular on social media.
· Design is collaborative, not transactional. The best projects happen when there’s mutual respect and trust between client and designer. Meghan shares her criteria for ideal clients and how she creates a healthy creative process.
Save 15% site wide at www.houseofblum.com with promo code beat15! Or you can use this link- https://houseofblum.com/discount/beat15!
Connect with the Hosts https://www.instagram.com/boulevardbeatpodcast/
Connect with Meghan Blum Interiors https://www.instagram.com/meghanbluminteriors/
Connect with House of Blum https://www.instagram.com/shophouseofblum/
Connect with Krissa Rossbund. https://www.instagram.com/krissa_rossbund/
Connect with Liz Lidgett https://www.instagram.com/lizlidgett/
Episode Website https://www.blvdbeat.com/about
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:08):
Welcome to Boulevard Beat, a podcast we're life and style intersect.
I'm designer Megan Bloom along with my co hosts, editor CHRISA.
Rossbund and gallery owner Liz Legit. This podcast focuses on
the daily highlights instead of the hustle, interviews with taste makers,
and personal conversations on how to highlight achievable style. You
control one street at a time. Boulevard Beat proves the
(00:30):
one you should take well.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Meghan, we have talked to so many guests since we've
been doing our podcast, and we've talked about some design
related topics, but we've never taken a deep dive into
what you do. And we know that some of our
listeners are likely designed afficionados, but some of them are
people who we know want that beautiful home and maybe
(00:58):
they've entertained the idea of hiring a designer that they
don't know all that that entails, or it can be
intimidating and scary to some people. So that's what we're
going to talk about today. And I have all sorts
of questions for you, So let's start off with the basics. Megan,
why does interior design matter?
Speaker 1 (01:18):
But I love to talk about this, and I like
too for several reasons, because I think designers so often
don't truly show the value we do for others. Many
people think interior design is just about picking furniture or
making things look pretty, but it's really much more than that.
Good design solves problems before they even arise. It improves
traffic flow, enhances mood, and even helps people perform better
(01:40):
in their daily tasks. People often try to save money
by doing it theirselves or cutting corners, but in the
end they end up with unfinished or disjointed spaces. A
professional designer is not going to let that happen. They'll
ensure everything works together in a cohesive and supportive environment.
I heard this one time, and it's always stuck with me.
(02:01):
For every one hundred questions we give to our clients,
we've answered fifteen hundred of them behind the scenes. It's
just amazing how many questions and things go into the
details of a construction project, remodel project, or just a
design and a core. And yes, clients maybe have done
this before, but they've maybe never done it to the scale,
and so it just really becomes overwhelming. And like I said,
(02:23):
our design expertise in the year's experience allows us to
know every answer that goes along with that well.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
And I love that you brought up you know, function
it helps a house work better, and that's so important
because I think we've all been rushing around in the mornings.
You certainly have with three children, and it's nice if
there's a place for everything and the house is organized,
and just not even from a you know, bin and
drawer perspective that too, but just from a flow perspective.
(02:53):
I think it's great when a house works and an
interior designer can help that. Functionality.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
Yeah, I think the functionality is such a huge component
because we really do allow ourselves to get to know
the people better and how they live, and that we
can have details in the home. Have the mud room
function as top performing as it is if it's a
young family with kids, or if they're coming home late
at night from practices, that the light setting is going
(03:19):
to work correctly for them. So that's definitely a huge
part of what we do. Another one I think that's
important is we help them avoid costly mistakes. We're going
to not have multiple purchases and mismatched styles, you know,
a designer's going to get it right the first time,
and I think that that's important.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Could you expand a little bit on the idea of
sort of health and wellness from a design perspective, because
I do think that interiors sort of used to be
fabrics and pillows and finishes, and people didn't really think
about interiors beyond the beauty. But there's been so much
(03:56):
science now that really hits on those notes about how
you're environment affects you and your mood. So can you
maybe talk about when you are signing on new clients
just sort of what that piece of it means to them,
or how your office looks at that.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
You know, that's a huge component of it. And it's
really is an exciting time in the industry because as designers,
we've been using neurosthetics in our work to achieve harmonious
spaces forever probably, but the science is finally there to
show that people are truly happier, more energized, they have
less cortisol and spaces that react well with their nervous system.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
You know.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
It's a human centric approach that acknowledges that our brains
are hardwired to respond to beauty and order science has
proven that well designed spaces contribute to better mental and
physical health. Like, who wouldn't want that? I mean, I
just I love that. And this is because design influences
how we interact with our spaces. How the lighting, the textures,
(04:56):
the spatial flow, and even color choices all send messages
to our brain. By understanding these principles, designers can create
environments that reduce stress, increase focus, and promote happiness. And
I think that is you know, as a design firm,
we aren't just having those general generic questions when we
are finding their lifestyle of well, how many people do
(05:17):
you want to sit in this room? What colors do
you like? We want to go more into the why
and the how. That way we can design those spaces
that are going to be more harmonious for them.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Well, those are all good things. And I think in
the end, when you have a house again that works
and functions and that delivers that beauty, it gives us
more time. And you know, we've talked about time so
much in this podcast and how it's a luxury and
how you can't ever manufacture more of it. And I
think when you can come home and sit down in
(05:49):
this beautiful environment, and maybe you've saved ten minutes because
there was a place to put all of your things,
or you knew exactly where something was that you're into.
Your designer has helped you create than who doesn't want
more time or who doesn't want to not be rushing around.
So that's all good things, Megan interior designer. Oh, it's
(06:11):
one of those jobs that everybody assumes, or many people
assume is all glamor I suppose anybody who's not actually
in the industry. But it's not all glamorous. Talk about
what your job entails as an interior designer and what
interior design is not.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
I think that's the magic of what we do is
we make things look flawless. That's why I think it's
a little bit of a business of smoke and mirrors
and having that glamour that the TV shows and Instagram
and our install days make it all look so fascinating.
But it's really a small percentage of a task. It's
a multifaceted job that combines creativity, technical knowledge, project management,
(06:53):
and a keen sense of understanding and the client's needs.
The business side is so much of what we do,
and and you wouldn't believe how much time we spend
at our computers in our desks and not just pulling
pretty fabrics, managing budgets, sourcing materials, dealing with vendors and
handling client communications. And then you throw project management in there,
(07:13):
and how do you coordinate with contractors, suppliers and other
professionals to bring that vision to life. It's also then
you throw in those unexpected challenges. You know, we can
get a phone call or a text message that there's
been a hurdle at a job site. Can we drop
what we're doing to handle it, or how do we
problems solve it?
Speaker 2 (07:31):
You know?
Speaker 1 (07:31):
And honestly too, you throw in that emotional side of
design and what we do and to your designers often
act as therapists or sorts for their clients, helping them
navigate the difficult decisions, the stress of a redesign, you know,
understanding the emotional connections of how people are using their spaces.
The husband wants one thing, the wife wants the one thing,
The kids also want to have an opinion sometimes and
(07:54):
just how do we then pull that all together and
give it to them so they all love it. That's
that's a whole nother challenge well, and I love.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
That you know, noted that it can be emotional because
this is somebody's home, so it's very invasive. I mean
you are in sort of the intimacy of the family
dynamics and you sort of see it all. So I think,
you know, people do within the family have different opinions.
That is all a challenge.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
And then you throw in, you know, construction projects that
take a long time and the frustration that spouses have
between that and one being more patient and one wanting
to spend money on things the other one isn't. And
again it's that balance of like trying to give it
to them all and helping them talk through it too.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
So you just said the magic word money. There's another
misconception that hiring an interior designer will be too costly.
Talk about how an interior designer impacts the budget for
the better.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
Money is difficult in all areas. You know, it's hard
in relationships, it's hard business, and it's definitely a cause
of concern when you have to talk about budget because
it's never easy for people to talk about it. And
our industry in general is a mystery industry. There's you
can't google what is a five million dollar house in
(09:15):
this minisquare foot cost? It just there's no answer on
there where. That's not like any other industry. You can
look up every car price online and know what you're
going in for, but when you reach out to a designer,
it's all across the board and you don't know. Designers
can help for the better at the budget. And I
think that's that's one of the good things back I
mentioned earlier. We help avoid costly mistakes, you know, whether
(09:38):
it's buying the wrong size furniture, choosing the wrong materials,
making poor design decisions. Value in longevity is super important.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
You know.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
We are skilled that selecting timeless, durable items that not
only are going to look great but will last a
long time. That means you won't be replacing things off
and which does save you money over time. And you
know with that too, we're smartt sourcing things. We have
preferred vendors, we work well with those vendors and using
brands that are going to stand up and hold up.
(10:10):
You know. Even so for a chair, I can have
some go to brands and I'm never going to have
a client complaint and be like that sofa was uncomfortable.
That just doesn't happen. Because we have those smart sourcings,
our go to things that we like to go to.
We can save with the budget just from project management efficiency.
That's a huge one. You know, home owners can have
a hard time making decisions, which can put a construction
(10:34):
project on hold that creates all kinds of delays and
extra costs. And then we have our network of trusted
contractors and suppliers that ensure everything is completed on time.
Then you talk about value engineering, you know, we also
then can give clients that look. They want that million
dollar look, but how do we tone it down, or
how do we give the designer light fixture but scale
(10:56):
back some other parts so they kind of get their
wishlists on what they want. So there's definitely lots of
ways that we can help with that budget to make
sure that it's it can be a good thing too.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
On the note of the budget, how do you talk
clients through what things cost? Because I think sometimes probably
a lot of times I'll let you address this, there
is a lot of sticker shocks, So how do you
talk to them if they've not done this before about
fees and frankly, what things.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
Cost budget is one of the hardest parts of the job,
and I think partly is because as designers we went
to design school. We didn't go to necessarily business school
or have a business model. It's not like other industries
that there's this is how you do it, and so,
like I said, it is kind of a mystery job
and mystery for what the consumers see as well too.
(11:46):
And I think education is probably the biggest thing for budgets,
and that comes early on with conversations. I try and
have all those conversations early on that they have an
understanding of what life budget will look like in a
furniture budget, and then ind some of those finishing touches too,
so we can lay out kind of what the furniture
(12:07):
is going to look like in the space, not pick
out the exact pieces, but kind of give them a
rough ballpark of this is probably what you're looking at.
How do you feel about that? And that certainly helps
with the sticker shock. So I think the biggest thing
up front is just the importance of clear communication, talking
through budgeting early from the start of a project. That
way people aren't frustrated later on.
Speaker 2 (12:29):
Well, then all that transparency allows people to make better
decisions because it's like, oh no, I really do want
all of the trim on the pillows, but then we
have to save over here a little bit.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Right, it's their decision and we can kind of lay
it out and let them decide what what their priorities are,
because their priorities are what matters, and if they are
willing to spend that extra cost that that's important too.
You know. We also talked about value engineering is a
good one too, like we can help try and give
them that look with different aspects. Maybe you're not wallpapering
the whole room, and we add that paneled look into
(13:03):
the drapery treatments that have that neural feel in there,
and that can kind of help give you that look
rather than mirrowing the whole walls. Yes, it has a
different look, but it can kind of help give you
that look that you're after too. And I think the
big thing I always like to help people with as well,
is we really provide options at different price points. You
know that we have entry level up to the sky's
(13:24):
the limit, you know, so where they're comfortable is where
we can come in at as well, as long as
it's realistic too of what it's going to cost.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
I hear from a lot of designers that clients will
go shopping on the internet or start researching on the internet.
The only problem with that is, and let's take fabrics
as an example. They find a beautiful pattern that they
like and they say, oh, well, this could be beautiful
for draperies. I love this, Okay. The problem is it's
(13:53):
a tapestry. It's not meant for draperies and things like that.
So do you find that clients maybe aren't reading all
of the details. Because the Internet is great in theory,
I mean you see all sorts of things that you
are attracted to, but you do have to read the
fine print. And in the design world, not everything is
appropriate or intended for multiple purposes.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
That certainly is. I mean, faber content and what things
are made of, the construction of what they are are
huge parts of what we are using and why we
use certain brands because we don't want to sell things
that are piece of crack and are going to end
up in the dumkster in a couple of years either.
So I think that that's important as well, you know,
and I think more importantly Chris is we work so
(14:36):
hard in designing this beautiful home, and we've already thought
about how that dining room and the living room that
in that open floor plan all look together. We already
know what that looks like, and so it helps us
make the decisions on what type of wood we're using,
and things like that play a part. You know. Sometimes
you do get to furniture and they decide that they
(14:57):
want to save five hundred dollars and buy this coffee
table on a retail site. Well, it's not just that
coffee table. That coffee table had a beautiful burl design
and it was tying in the sconces on the fireplace
and a detail in the kitchen and how that texture
of that burl was moving throughout the room. And it
kind of goes back to that neuroesthetics as well. It's
(15:19):
how you feel in that room and what that coffee
table actually did and tied that together. And it's not
just the coffee table. Can the other components of their room.
But I think designers don't credit enough how much all
those layers of what they're doing place for that harmonious
design and what they're doing and that removing a couple
(15:40):
of those elements that you buy on your own. Yeah,
it might look good, but it can also in a
few years maybe not have quite the effect of what
the designer's actual intention was on the space, So that
five hundred dollars gets used because you have to rebuy
a coffee table in a few years.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
That's a great point. And looking again on the internet,
only looking at a piece, at a fabric, at a wallpaper,
at a coffee table, at a barstool individually, you're not
looking at it as that storytelling package that you're trying
to deliver, So I think that's important. It's really difficult,
I find for people to visualize whole spaces or visualize
(16:20):
what something is going to look like, and so that's
sort of what you do for them.
Speaker 1 (16:24):
Yeah, we definitely try and give them the visuals that
we can. It is hard, you know, with like a
living room, for an example, is you can get some
of the bigger basics, the fireplace, the built ins, and
the light fixture, but really every little detail of what's
the profile that share is is time consuming to render
every detail, So sometimes some of those are a little
more generic. But the visuals have come so long than
(16:46):
where they were even just five years ago, and that's
helped our consumers understand the space a lot better.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
Finally, on that note about what interior designers bring to
the table from a budget perspective, you I think are
thinking far in advance for the client, because I'm always
a believer that you need to live for right now,
and that's all find and good, But when you're talking
about design for home, and I think that people, especially
(17:12):
with small children, get into that trap of well, we're
in the kid phase right now, and so the spaces
need to work for that, when in fact, kids grow
up pretty quickly, and when you need a playroom right now,
when kids are maybe five with all of the toys,
three or four years from now, those toys turn into
(17:34):
a game boy and they don't really want all of
the toys anymore. And so I think that you're also
adding the value of sort of thinking ahead for your clients.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
I certainly are. I mean we're certainly mindful of the
age of life that they're in, and that stays a
huge role. Just like we said earlier about the fabrics
and what they are, and that they're washable and can
be wiped down from spills and things like that. In
our sunroom, We have a sofa that the kids that's
kind of where they watched her cartoons and different stuff,
and they have eaten snacks on there the entire time.
(18:05):
And I have a sofa that's twelve years old and
it still looks great. It's still beautiful. I've had it
cleaned several times, and it just goes to show that,
you know, rather than have bought in a new sofa
to other times like it stands the test of time.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
So, moving off of the topic of the budget, an
interior design project also requires a lot of time and
a lot of energy as well, and sometimes those run
out before the budget or they can. Why is it
important to keep that energy up to make sure that
the house is complete.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
It's so important to keep that energy high. It's crucial
because it's easy to have design fatigue. I think is
the biggest one that happens. You know, a project progresses,
homeowners make countless decisions from paint colors to furniture, to
grout colors and all of that in between. You know,
if energy wanes, they rush or settle. I hear that
(19:02):
a lot, like, oh, we didn't never finish that bathroom
because we just got sick of making decisions or I
picked the cheapest one because I was just tired at
the time. Back to kind of avoiding unfinished spaces, I
think this happens a lot. They lose steam, leaving rooms
partially completing or lacking finishing touches. I see this a
lot too, that they just get ninety five percent there
(19:23):
and the art and the accessories don't get finished. And
I truly feel like those last details, hey, they finish it,
so it just looks pretty. But it also goes back
to having it it feel more complete for you and
not just throwing a bunch of picture frames up that
you've had and just calling it good. It's having a
composition that works well. You know, when energy dips as well,
(19:46):
the cohesion sometimes can fall apart because again they kind
of lack decision making, mismatched elements can happen or just
join it aesthetic and as a designer, and that's we
never want that to happen, of people just getting lazy
and making that just decision. So we always want to
enshare quality execution. And I think that's a big part
in what interier designers do, is just overseeing all of
(20:07):
those details and keeping that energy excitement up. And I
think construction projects go through those phases too, because you
get really excited at the beginning you're making all the decisions,
and then it stalls. If you don't see anything go
back in that's pretty for a long time, and so
that's a really important time to just kind of keep
that energy.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
Yet, how do you combat that design fatigue for your
clients or when they fall into that trap, especially at
the end for accessories and artwork, do you say, you
know what, let's put that on pause, we have all
of the furniture installed, Let's maybe take a couple month
break and readdress that. How do you combat that when
you are starting to feel like they are running out
(20:44):
of that steam?
Speaker 1 (20:45):
You know, you usually have a good understanding of how
how they're feeling at that point in the project, because
have there have been a lot of things at the
end that haven't gone smoothly and they just want to
get in the house, or they're moving in a stressful
time around the holidays and let's pick it back up
in the new year of things like that too. And
I get it people get sick of spending money, so
it's an easy thing to be like, we'll come back
(21:06):
to that. But I think the hard part is a
lot of times that doesn't always happen, and then you know,
even if it's down the road for the designer to get,
you know, engaged back into that project, your mind's not
as thoughtful on some of those things as they are
when they is early on.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
So we've talked a lot now about complete house projects,
but there are smaller sorts of task that designers can
do as well. Some homeowners want to handle most of
the work themselves and need a little hand holding or
want you to assist with the shopping portion of the project.
How do you deal with those sort of smaller things
(21:43):
or do.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
You Yes, we do take those on, and to be honest,
I really enjoy them, and that's why I've never given
them up. I know there's designers around the country that
only do full house projects, but I really do enjoy
doing just a living room or a dining room.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
And I think it's.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
Because some of those construction projects, you know, they take years,
and it's fun to be able to have that quick
turnaround of a few months to six months and be
able to give people that different look. So we really
enjoy doing those projects as well. That's not something that
we turn away, and I think that's part of when
(22:19):
I first shared about the podcast.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
That's kind of.
Speaker 1 (22:21):
Why I wanted to do it, was to share what
we do with more people, because as a designer, you
can only touch so many lives. You can only especially
when you're doing large scale construction projects. So I love
being able to impact other people. And I part of
what I love in the job too is just the
personal touch of meeting people and get handed out to
know other people, and so I really enjoyed that aspect
(22:44):
of it, and I think that's also why I kind
of went into developing my house a Bloom brand as well,
being able to give other Decore products out there on
the market, just things that I love and be able
to share them with everybody.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
What about when people need help with smaller things like
styling a bookshelf, because bookshelves are always a problem. What
about those super super small like maybe a day sort
of project.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
No, we actually enjoy doing those as well. There's a
couple of girls in the office that are extremely talented
at it. They have a great eye, They enjoy you know,
they spend so much time at the computer working through
all those details of all those things. So to have
a day out in the office to refresh a living
room and do a bookcase. You can really transform a
space with simple touches to and we enjoy doing that
(23:31):
for people.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
Megan, what does an initial consultation look like and what
do those sort of initial meetings sound like when you
are first considering a project and meeting with the potential client.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
Our initial meetings are usually for our newer construction projects,
are typically just a meet and greet, and this is
usually prior to a contract being signed, where we kind
of just get to know each other. We talk scope
and style and lifestyle, but we really want to just
see that we're compatible, that we will work well together.
I kind a build it early on, share this analogy,
(24:09):
and that's always kind of stuck with me too. Of
just that it's like a marriage between your contractor the
homeowner and the designer. We need to get along really well,
we need to communicate really really well, and we also
need to have fun. I think that's the biggest thing
that I like to bring to my work is it's
not going to just be serious. We are going to
have some fun with this too, and you're going to
get a great outcome. So that first meeting is you're dating.
(24:33):
I guess you're just kind of making sure that your
good fits for each other. And then once we get
into things, we obviously go through more lifestyle questionnaires, really
getting to know what they're looking for, going through the blueprints,
talking about all the design aesthetics, and this often is
when they'll share all their images what they want their
house to look like, kind of just their concepts of
(24:55):
what that might look like. And then from there we
really take it and dive in deep with the design
and really are this process is the slow part where
the homeowners are super excited to see stuff, but need
to just give us the time to really develop the
design work through all of that, and we, particularly in
our design then kind of have like to have little
(25:16):
reveals them where you are going to see the majority
of your house. That way you can see the cohesiveness
of it. You see you've got unique materials in all
the different spaces, and it's really kind of a working
progress from there of just dialing in all those design details,
some take a little bit more work than others, and
kind of going from there and then kind of the
(25:38):
phase two, after you get through all the construction details,
and obviously through that phase there are countless meetings on
site and different things as well, where you're meeting with
the electricians and the contractors and things like that too,
but those are just like high level design. And then
we get into more of the furniture. And while as
designers we've probably been thinking about that the whole time,
(25:59):
we kind of already know a lot of the pieces
and how those are working, it becomes too overwhelming for
the clients to see the furniture when they're also looking
at eight bathrooms, you know, So we kind of do
that as a phase two a little bit further down
the line, and then go into our accessories, artwork and
all of that stuff. And then through that is just
project management all the other things that we discussed, and
(26:20):
then the big reveal the install which is the best
part of just being able to share it all and
have the homeowners start living it and loving it.
Speaker 2 (26:30):
How can homeowners prepare for that initial meeting and consultation?
Should they bring tear sheets, pinterest boards, What do you
like that they bring or do you like that they
bring nothing? Or I assume it's somewhere in the middle.
Speaker 1 (26:43):
Yeah, it's definitely somewhere in the middle. I think some
images are always really useful because it allows me to
get into their brain a little bit more rather than
if they just say, well, I want to beige house
is what does that look like?
Speaker 2 (26:54):
You know?
Speaker 1 (26:55):
This is the house I really love. I really do
like images. I think that they're helpful to you know
you're going down the right track and knowing. Really also
when you can push the boundaries of like, oh they
have some edge to them, we can do that too,
you know. And you also mentioned or bring nothing, and
that does happen occasionally, and that kind of comes with
good and bad. The good is usually when that happens
(27:16):
when they are like, I don't have anything to show,
you just have at it. They trust you, they've seen
your work, they love your work, and they just do
want you to give them something that looks similar to
your portfolio and that they know that they will love
it and don't want to micromanage how it all comes together.
But on the flip side, sometimes when they become saying
(27:36):
they don't have anything, it's because they really don't know
and or they really like a lot of different things
and can't even pinpoint what they like. They don't articulate it,
or they have difficult making decisions, and so they can't
commit to yes, that's what I want. And those obviously
come with it their own set of challenges too.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
The carte blanche is both a blessing and a curse sometimes, yes,
it definitely. I know that every designer has her own
rules for working with the client. What are some of yours,
because sometimes these relationships can feel a little more casual
than professional, and I think again, there are all sorts
(28:17):
of horror stories out there about client calls at nine
thirty at night, So what are some of your hard
and fast rules about working with clients to sort of
set those boundaries.
Speaker 1 (28:27):
I don't necessarily have any hard and fast rules, like
I won't take text messages or we only do emails.
But I think the biggest thing is setting boundaries early
on those expectations and boundaries so they know when you're
going to hear from They know what the timeline is
going to look like with budgets and decision making process,
so that it's essential to that smooth collaboration. And I
(28:49):
think that transparency and good communications help those misunderstandings. But
for the most part, people are pretty respectful of those boundaries,
and I think you kind of learn early on when
someone's not going to be or just going to text
you NonStop, and then that's kind of when you put
in a new boundary and you go through that too.
(29:09):
So and kind of back to what we were saying
earlier too, is just having them trust the process, giving
us time to create those ideas to evolve into something.
You know, it's easy to get attracted to a specific idea,
but sometimes the best results come after a little more exploration.
So just trusting that process to let us do our
work too.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
Especially when you're talking about fabrics and wallpapers and colors
and lighting. Okay, I guess all the design components and
they're trying to say when you show those wow elements,
Oftentimes that can come in a very sculptural chandelier, or
it could come from a statement pattern that is either
for a wallpaper or a textile. I think then you
(29:52):
may show the go whips right, like a simple little weave,
and it's like those are the things that I think
are really difficult to image because it's like, well, why
is this solid not super special? And it's like, well,
because you have to have some visual relief. And so
I think that you know, when we talk about trusting
the process, it's like a designer knows when that visual
(30:14):
relief is necessary. A designer knows to have that wonderful balance,
we have to have some quieter moments over here to
juxtapose the big statements over here. And I think those
sorts of things can be difficult for people to understand.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
Yeah, And I think a simple way I kind of
say frequently is everything can't be the star of the show.
It just they can't all be a look at me,
look at me. You need those wider moments. Maybe you
need a more neutral rug and let all the fabrics
on the polstery or the drag breeds shine, or our
collection or things like that too. So it's a very
fine balance in that.
Speaker 2 (30:47):
Let's talk a little bit about access to product, because
it's not just about the Internet. This is a trade
only industry, and it's not even always just about having
that tax ID number that says you're a designer. There
are criteria that have to be met for many of
the manufacturers before you can even get an account and
(31:10):
that sort of thing. So talk a little bit about first,
how a designer knows about all the product that's not
necessarily all the Internet. Because you travel some you have
appointments with reps, So tell the audience a little bit
about that.
Speaker 1 (31:25):
I'm in the Midwest, so I don't have access to
some of the showrooms like other cities do, so we
do get a lot of reps that come through make
appointments and are showing us product fabrics, wallpaper, new collections,
you know, educating us on their line and all the
bells and whistles that go along with that. So that's
just one thing that happens locally. Then we typically go
(31:49):
to high point markets yearly and get to see all
of the things that exist, all the showrooms that are
there that have different furniture, lighting, fabric, rugs. The market
is just overwhelming, and if the consumer knew what all
it existed out there, I can't imagine how overwhelmed they
would be, because you think how overwhelmed they can be
(32:10):
just by thinking there's so much out there on the Internet,
and that's just a very small portion of what exists.
And then you throw in some of the more international,
your European markets that have beautiful textiles that they have
never seen before. And I think that's just a hard
way of educating the consumer of what's out there, and
(32:31):
that really is our job as a designer is to
kind of wean through all of that and kind of
try and figure that all out too, and quality control.
We're working with vendors and showrooms that we have vetted
and that we know are going to stand behind the
product and stand behind us as designers too. And I
think just the uniqueness and exclusivity that designers have it
(32:55):
allows them to really really use their brains and come
up with these beautiful designs because they know all the
other products out there, or they know how to source
these beautiful antiques, and just that exclusivity allows designers to create,
customize the spokenteriors for clients, you know, ensuring that those
spaces don't look like others.
Speaker 2 (33:16):
Well. I like that you use the word bespoke, because
we all go to high point, which sort of the
anchor showrooms tend to be the high end retail showrooms.
But there's that whole other next level of completely bespoke furniture,
and not even all designers have access to that. So
(33:37):
certainly the general consumer does not have access to that,
and those sorts of things aren't online, and all of
the antiques one of a kind, small batch sorts of vendors.
You can't see all of that online necessarily, so you
do really have an inside track to seeing those super
special things. It's easy to look for sofas online. That
(33:58):
little fun object you're not going to necessarily see online,
that little quirky thing that really makes the room. That's
what you're spotting when you're out and about.
Speaker 1 (34:07):
And you also then throw in our one of the
kind workrooms of you know, the places that we go
to have something actually built truly from our designs, our
inspiration and to the scale and specifications of that homeowner's
lower level bookcase or whatever that might be. And those
are the fun ones.
Speaker 2 (34:24):
Okay, so here we are at the final question. I
know design projects are a little like children. It's impossible
to play favorite or pick a favorite. But you must
have a couple of projects over the years that were
sort of near and dear to you. Can you tell
us about a couple.
Speaker 1 (34:40):
I think the ones that stand out for me probably
stand out for a couple of reasons, and I think
a the most logicals that they're fabulous designs. It's a
client that has good taste and allowed you some creative
liberty there. I think the ones that have really good
collaboration where they trusted you and just allowed you to
do your design and real push the envelope, you know,
(35:01):
whether it's a beautiful, intricate tile design or the millwork
that gets used. I've had an opportunity to upholster some
doors with beautiful nail heads that just were unique and
just another layer of detail and luxury in the space.
And so I think it's those projects that allow you
to do some of these unique things that really stand
(35:23):
out in my mind.
Speaker 2 (35:24):
That's a great way to finish this up, and just
to say that when we're trying to promote the design
world and support the design world and educate those people
who may be thinking about hiring an interior designer. An
interior designer above making your home a beautiful space that
your family is going to enjoy. It really is a
(35:45):
cost saver in the end, because mistakes in the home
are very costly. If I go buy a pair of
genes or address in an hour that don't fit me
and I can't return them or they're not flattering on
my body, I can literally take a picture and sell
them later this afternoon and maybe somebody buys it. I
can have it in the mail tomorrow. You can't do
that with things in your home.
Speaker 1 (36:07):
No, Unfortunately, it just loses its value so quickly. Yes,
after it's been used for a little bit. There's not
great secondhand markets for that too.
Speaker 2 (36:14):
So or if it's a permanent part of the house,
it's just permanent. If it's a countertop or yes, yeah,
like you don't want to be ripping up tyle now. Well,
thank you, Megan. I think that this will be super
helpful for people who are entertaining the idea of hiring
a designer and maybe don't know a lot about it.
So it was really fun today to listen to all
(36:34):
the ins and outs of your business and what you do.
Speaker 1 (36:37):
Well, thank you. Yeah, it really is a wonderful field,
and I just absolutely love what I'm able to give
to clients and homeowners and help them live more beautifully
and efficiently in their spaces. Thank you for listening to
this week's episode of Boulevard Beat. If you enjoyed this episode,
if please follow along and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,
(37:00):
or wherever you listen so you never missed an episode,
and of course, follow your hosts on Instagram at Megan
bloom Interiors, at CHRISA. Rossbund, and at Liz Legit. We'll
be back next week as we take a stroll down
another boulevard
Welcome to Boulevard Beat, a podcast we're life and style intersect.
I'm designer Megan Bloom along with my co hosts, editor CHRISA.
Rossbund and gallery owner Liz Legit. This podcast focuses on
the daily highlights instead of the hustle, interviews with taste makers,
and personal conversations on how to highlight achievable style. You
control one street at a time. Boulevard Beat proves the
(00:30):
one you should take well.
Speaker 2 (00:36):
Meghan, we have talked to so many guests since we've
been doing our podcast, and we've talked about some design
related topics, but we've never taken a deep dive into
what you do. And we know that some of our
listeners are likely designed afficionados, but some of them are
people who we know want that beautiful home and maybe
(00:58):
they've entertained the idea of hiring a designer that they
don't know all that that entails, or it can be
intimidating and scary to some people. So that's what we're
going to talk about today. And I have all sorts
of questions for you, So let's start off with the basics. Megan,
why does interior design matter?
Speaker 1 (01:18):
But I love to talk about this, and I like
too for several reasons, because I think designers so often
don't truly show the value we do for others. Many
people think interior design is just about picking furniture or
making things look pretty, but it's really much more than that.
Good design solves problems before they even arise. It improves
traffic flow, enhances mood, and even helps people perform better
(01:40):
in their daily tasks. People often try to save money
by doing it theirselves or cutting corners, but in the
end they end up with unfinished or disjointed spaces. A
professional designer is not going to let that happen. They'll
ensure everything works together in a cohesive and supportive environment.
I heard this one time, and it's always stuck with me.
(02:01):
For every one hundred questions we give to our clients,
we've answered fifteen hundred of them behind the scenes. It's
just amazing how many questions and things go into the
details of a construction project, remodel project, or just a
design and a core. And yes, clients maybe have done
this before, but they've maybe never done it to the scale,
and so it just really becomes overwhelming. And like I said,
(02:23):
our design expertise in the year's experience allows us to
know every answer that goes along with that well.
Speaker 2 (02:29):
And I love that you brought up you know, function
it helps a house work better, and that's so important
because I think we've all been rushing around in the mornings.
You certainly have with three children, and it's nice if
there's a place for everything and the house is organized,
and just not even from a you know, bin and
drawer perspective that too, but just from a flow perspective.
(02:53):
I think it's great when a house works and an
interior designer can help that. Functionality.
Speaker 1 (02:58):
Yeah, I think the functionality is such a huge component
because we really do allow ourselves to get to know
the people better and how they live, and that we
can have details in the home. Have the mud room
function as top performing as it is if it's a
young family with kids, or if they're coming home late
at night from practices, that the light setting is going
(03:19):
to work correctly for them. So that's definitely a huge
part of what we do. Another one I think that's
important is we help them avoid costly mistakes. We're going
to not have multiple purchases and mismatched styles, you know,
a designer's going to get it right the first time,
and I think that that's important.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
Could you expand a little bit on the idea of
sort of health and wellness from a design perspective, because
I do think that interiors sort of used to be
fabrics and pillows and finishes, and people didn't really think
about interiors beyond the beauty. But there's been so much
(03:56):
science now that really hits on those notes about how
you're environment affects you and your mood. So can you
maybe talk about when you are signing on new clients
just sort of what that piece of it means to them,
or how your office looks at that.
Speaker 1 (04:14):
You know, that's a huge component of it. And it's
really is an exciting time in the industry because as designers,
we've been using neurosthetics in our work to achieve harmonious
spaces forever probably, but the science is finally there to
show that people are truly happier, more energized, they have
less cortisol and spaces that react well with their nervous system.
Speaker 2 (04:35):
You know.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
It's a human centric approach that acknowledges that our brains
are hardwired to respond to beauty and order science has
proven that well designed spaces contribute to better mental and
physical health. Like, who wouldn't want that? I mean, I
just I love that. And this is because design influences
how we interact with our spaces. How the lighting, the textures,
(04:56):
the spatial flow, and even color choices all send messages
to our brain. By understanding these principles, designers can create
environments that reduce stress, increase focus, and promote happiness. And
I think that is you know, as a design firm,
we aren't just having those general generic questions when we
are finding their lifestyle of well, how many people do
(05:17):
you want to sit in this room? What colors do
you like? We want to go more into the why
and the how. That way we can design those spaces
that are going to be more harmonious for them.
Speaker 2 (05:27):
Well, those are all good things. And I think in
the end, when you have a house again that works
and functions and that delivers that beauty, it gives us
more time. And you know, we've talked about time so
much in this podcast and how it's a luxury and
how you can't ever manufacture more of it. And I
think when you can come home and sit down in
(05:49):
this beautiful environment, and maybe you've saved ten minutes because
there was a place to put all of your things,
or you knew exactly where something was that you're into.
Your designer has helped you create than who doesn't want
more time or who doesn't want to not be rushing around.
So that's all good things, Megan interior designer. Oh, it's
(06:11):
one of those jobs that everybody assumes, or many people
assume is all glamor I suppose anybody who's not actually
in the industry. But it's not all glamorous. Talk about
what your job entails as an interior designer and what
interior design is not.
Speaker 1 (06:30):
I think that's the magic of what we do is
we make things look flawless. That's why I think it's
a little bit of a business of smoke and mirrors
and having that glamour that the TV shows and Instagram
and our install days make it all look so fascinating.
But it's really a small percentage of a task. It's
a multifaceted job that combines creativity, technical knowledge, project management,
(06:53):
and a keen sense of understanding and the client's needs.
The business side is so much of what we do,
and and you wouldn't believe how much time we spend
at our computers in our desks and not just pulling
pretty fabrics, managing budgets, sourcing materials, dealing with vendors and
handling client communications. And then you throw project management in there,
(07:13):
and how do you coordinate with contractors, suppliers and other
professionals to bring that vision to life. It's also then
you throw in those unexpected challenges. You know, we can
get a phone call or a text message that there's
been a hurdle at a job site. Can we drop
what we're doing to handle it, or how do we
problems solve it?
Speaker 2 (07:31):
You know?
Speaker 1 (07:31):
And honestly too, you throw in that emotional side of
design and what we do and to your designers often
act as therapists or sorts for their clients, helping them
navigate the difficult decisions, the stress of a redesign, you know,
understanding the emotional connections of how people are using their spaces.
The husband wants one thing, the wife wants the one thing,
The kids also want to have an opinion sometimes and
(07:54):
just how do we then pull that all together and
give it to them so they all love it. That's
that's a whole nother challenge well, and I love.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
That you know, noted that it can be emotional because
this is somebody's home, so it's very invasive. I mean
you are in sort of the intimacy of the family
dynamics and you sort of see it all. So I think,
you know, people do within the family have different opinions.
That is all a challenge.
Speaker 1 (08:22):
And then you throw in, you know, construction projects that
take a long time and the frustration that spouses have
between that and one being more patient and one wanting
to spend money on things the other one isn't. And
again it's that balance of like trying to give it
to them all and helping them talk through it too.
Speaker 2 (08:39):
So you just said the magic word money. There's another
misconception that hiring an interior designer will be too costly.
Talk about how an interior designer impacts the budget for
the better.
Speaker 1 (08:55):
Money is difficult in all areas. You know, it's hard
in relationships, it's hard business, and it's definitely a cause
of concern when you have to talk about budget because
it's never easy for people to talk about it. And
our industry in general is a mystery industry. There's you
can't google what is a five million dollar house in
(09:15):
this minisquare foot cost? It just there's no answer on
there where. That's not like any other industry. You can
look up every car price online and know what you're
going in for, but when you reach out to a designer,
it's all across the board and you don't know. Designers
can help for the better at the budget. And I
think that's that's one of the good things back I
mentioned earlier. We help avoid costly mistakes, you know, whether
(09:38):
it's buying the wrong size furniture, choosing the wrong materials,
making poor design decisions. Value in longevity is super important.
Speaker 2 (09:46):
You know.
Speaker 1 (09:47):
We are skilled that selecting timeless, durable items that not
only are going to look great but will last a
long time. That means you won't be replacing things off
and which does save you money over time. And you
know with that too, we're smartt sourcing things. We have
preferred vendors, we work well with those vendors and using
brands that are going to stand up and hold up.
(10:10):
You know. Even so for a chair, I can have
some go to brands and I'm never going to have
a client complaint and be like that sofa was uncomfortable.
That just doesn't happen. Because we have those smart sourcings,
our go to things that we like to go to.
We can save with the budget just from project management efficiency.
That's a huge one. You know, home owners can have
a hard time making decisions, which can put a construction
(10:34):
project on hold that creates all kinds of delays and
extra costs. And then we have our network of trusted
contractors and suppliers that ensure everything is completed on time.
Then you talk about value engineering, you know, we also
then can give clients that look. They want that million
dollar look, but how do we tone it down, or
how do we give the designer light fixture but scale
(10:56):
back some other parts so they kind of get their
wishlists on what they want. So there's definitely lots of
ways that we can help with that budget to make
sure that it's it can be a good thing too.
Speaker 2 (11:06):
On the note of the budget, how do you talk
clients through what things cost? Because I think sometimes probably
a lot of times I'll let you address this, there
is a lot of sticker shocks, So how do you
talk to them if they've not done this before about
fees and frankly, what things.
Speaker 1 (11:25):
Cost budget is one of the hardest parts of the job,
and I think partly is because as designers we went
to design school. We didn't go to necessarily business school
or have a business model. It's not like other industries
that there's this is how you do it, and so,
like I said, it is kind of a mystery job
and mystery for what the consumers see as well too.
(11:46):
And I think education is probably the biggest thing for budgets,
and that comes early on with conversations. I try and
have all those conversations early on that they have an
understanding of what life budget will look like in a
furniture budget, and then ind some of those finishing touches too,
so we can lay out kind of what the furniture
(12:07):
is going to look like in the space, not pick
out the exact pieces, but kind of give them a
rough ballpark of this is probably what you're looking at.
How do you feel about that? And that certainly helps
with the sticker shock. So I think the biggest thing
up front is just the importance of clear communication, talking
through budgeting early from the start of a project. That
way people aren't frustrated later on.
Speaker 2 (12:29):
Well, then all that transparency allows people to make better
decisions because it's like, oh no, I really do want
all of the trim on the pillows, but then we
have to save over here a little bit.
Speaker 1 (12:40):
Right, it's their decision and we can kind of lay
it out and let them decide what what their priorities are,
because their priorities are what matters, and if they are
willing to spend that extra cost that that's important too.
You know. We also talked about value engineering is a
good one too, like we can help try and give
them that look with different aspects. Maybe you're not wallpapering
the whole room, and we add that paneled look into
(13:03):
the drapery treatments that have that neural feel in there,
and that can kind of help give you that look
rather than mirrowing the whole walls. Yes, it has a
different look, but it can kind of help give you
that look that you're after too. And I think the
big thing I always like to help people with as well,
is we really provide options at different price points. You
know that we have entry level up to the sky's
(13:24):
the limit, you know, so where they're comfortable is where
we can come in at as well, as long as
it's realistic too of what it's going to cost.
Speaker 2 (13:32):
I hear from a lot of designers that clients will
go shopping on the internet or start researching on the internet.
The only problem with that is, and let's take fabrics
as an example. They find a beautiful pattern that they
like and they say, oh, well, this could be beautiful
for draperies. I love this, Okay. The problem is it's
(13:53):
a tapestry. It's not meant for draperies and things like that.
So do you find that clients maybe aren't reading all
of the details. Because the Internet is great in theory,
I mean you see all sorts of things that you
are attracted to, but you do have to read the
fine print. And in the design world, not everything is
appropriate or intended for multiple purposes.
Speaker 1 (14:15):
That certainly is. I mean, faber content and what things
are made of, the construction of what they are are
huge parts of what we are using and why we
use certain brands because we don't want to sell things
that are piece of crack and are going to end
up in the dumkster in a couple of years either.
So I think that that's important as well, you know,
and I think more importantly Chris is we work so
(14:36):
hard in designing this beautiful home, and we've already thought
about how that dining room and the living room that
in that open floor plan all look together. We already
know what that looks like, and so it helps us
make the decisions on what type of wood we're using,
and things like that play a part. You know. Sometimes
you do get to furniture and they decide that they
(14:57):
want to save five hundred dollars and buy this coffee
table on a retail site. Well, it's not just that
coffee table. That coffee table had a beautiful burl design
and it was tying in the sconces on the fireplace
and a detail in the kitchen and how that texture
of that burl was moving throughout the room. And it
kind of goes back to that neuroesthetics as well. It's
(15:19):
how you feel in that room and what that coffee
table actually did and tied that together. And it's not
just the coffee table. Can the other components of their room.
But I think designers don't credit enough how much all
those layers of what they're doing place for that harmonious
design and what they're doing and that removing a couple
(15:40):
of those elements that you buy on your own. Yeah,
it might look good, but it can also in a
few years maybe not have quite the effect of what
the designer's actual intention was on the space, So that
five hundred dollars gets used because you have to rebuy
a coffee table in a few years.
Speaker 2 (15:55):
That's a great point. And looking again on the internet,
only looking at a piece, at a fabric, at a wallpaper,
at a coffee table, at a barstool individually, you're not
looking at it as that storytelling package that you're trying
to deliver, So I think that's important. It's really difficult,
I find for people to visualize whole spaces or visualize
(16:20):
what something is going to look like, and so that's
sort of what you do for them.
Speaker 1 (16:24):
Yeah, we definitely try and give them the visuals that
we can. It is hard, you know, with like a
living room, for an example, is you can get some
of the bigger basics, the fireplace, the built ins, and
the light fixture, but really every little detail of what's
the profile that share is is time consuming to render
every detail, So sometimes some of those are a little
more generic. But the visuals have come so long than
(16:46):
where they were even just five years ago, and that's
helped our consumers understand the space a lot better.
Speaker 2 (16:52):
Finally, on that note about what interior designers bring to
the table from a budget perspective, you I think are
thinking far in advance for the client, because I'm always
a believer that you need to live for right now,
and that's all find and good, But when you're talking
about design for home, and I think that people, especially
(17:12):
with small children, get into that trap of well, we're
in the kid phase right now, and so the spaces
need to work for that, when in fact, kids grow
up pretty quickly, and when you need a playroom right now,
when kids are maybe five with all of the toys,
three or four years from now, those toys turn into
(17:34):
a game boy and they don't really want all of
the toys anymore. And so I think that you're also
adding the value of sort of thinking ahead for your clients.
Speaker 1 (17:44):
I certainly are. I mean we're certainly mindful of the
age of life that they're in, and that stays a
huge role. Just like we said earlier about the fabrics
and what they are, and that they're washable and can
be wiped down from spills and things like that. In
our sunroom, We have a sofa that the kids that's
kind of where they watched her cartoons and different stuff,
and they have eaten snacks on there the entire time.
(18:05):
And I have a sofa that's twelve years old and
it still looks great. It's still beautiful. I've had it
cleaned several times, and it just goes to show that,
you know, rather than have bought in a new sofa
to other times like it stands the test of time.
Speaker 2 (18:20):
So, moving off of the topic of the budget, an
interior design project also requires a lot of time and
a lot of energy as well, and sometimes those run
out before the budget or they can. Why is it
important to keep that energy up to make sure that
the house is complete.
Speaker 1 (18:41):
It's so important to keep that energy high. It's crucial
because it's easy to have design fatigue. I think is
the biggest one that happens. You know, a project progresses,
homeowners make countless decisions from paint colors to furniture, to
grout colors and all of that in between. You know,
if energy wanes, they rush or settle. I hear that
(19:02):
a lot, like, oh, we didn't never finish that bathroom
because we just got sick of making decisions or I
picked the cheapest one because I was just tired at
the time. Back to kind of avoiding unfinished spaces, I
think this happens a lot. They lose steam, leaving rooms
partially completing or lacking finishing touches. I see this a
lot too, that they just get ninety five percent there
(19:23):
and the art and the accessories don't get finished. And
I truly feel like those last details, hey, they finish it,
so it just looks pretty. But it also goes back
to having it it feel more complete for you and
not just throwing a bunch of picture frames up that
you've had and just calling it good. It's having a
composition that works well. You know, when energy dips as well,
(19:46):
the cohesion sometimes can fall apart because again they kind
of lack decision making, mismatched elements can happen or just
join it aesthetic and as a designer, and that's we
never want that to happen, of people just getting lazy
and making that just decision. So we always want to
enshare quality execution. And I think that's a big part
in what interier designers do, is just overseeing all of
(20:07):
those details and keeping that energy excitement up. And I
think construction projects go through those phases too, because you
get really excited at the beginning you're making all the decisions,
and then it stalls. If you don't see anything go
back in that's pretty for a long time, and so
that's a really important time to just kind of keep
that energy.
Speaker 2 (20:24):
Yet, how do you combat that design fatigue for your
clients or when they fall into that trap, especially at
the end for accessories and artwork, do you say, you
know what, let's put that on pause, we have all
of the furniture installed, Let's maybe take a couple month
break and readdress that. How do you combat that when
you are starting to feel like they are running out
(20:44):
of that steam?
Speaker 1 (20:45):
You know, you usually have a good understanding of how
how they're feeling at that point in the project, because
have there have been a lot of things at the
end that haven't gone smoothly and they just want to
get in the house, or they're moving in a stressful
time around the holidays and let's pick it back up
in the new year of things like that too. And
I get it people get sick of spending money, so
it's an easy thing to be like, we'll come back
(21:06):
to that. But I think the hard part is a
lot of times that doesn't always happen, and then you know,
even if it's down the road for the designer to get,
you know, engaged back into that project, your mind's not
as thoughtful on some of those things as they are
when they is early on.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
So we've talked a lot now about complete house projects,
but there are smaller sorts of task that designers can
do as well. Some homeowners want to handle most of
the work themselves and need a little hand holding or
want you to assist with the shopping portion of the project.
How do you deal with those sort of smaller things
(21:43):
or do.
Speaker 1 (21:43):
You Yes, we do take those on, and to be honest,
I really enjoy them, and that's why I've never given
them up. I know there's designers around the country that
only do full house projects, but I really do enjoy
doing just a living room or a dining room.
Speaker 2 (21:57):
And I think it's.
Speaker 1 (21:58):
Because some of those construction projects, you know, they take years,
and it's fun to be able to have that quick
turnaround of a few months to six months and be
able to give people that different look. So we really
enjoy doing those projects as well. That's not something that
we turn away, and I think that's part of when
(22:19):
I first shared about the podcast.
Speaker 2 (22:21):
That's kind of.
Speaker 1 (22:21):
Why I wanted to do it, was to share what
we do with more people, because as a designer, you
can only touch so many lives. You can only especially
when you're doing large scale construction projects. So I love
being able to impact other people. And I part of
what I love in the job too is just the
personal touch of meeting people and get handed out to
know other people, and so I really enjoyed that aspect
(22:44):
of it, and I think that's also why I kind
of went into developing my house a Bloom brand as well,
being able to give other Decore products out there on
the market, just things that I love and be able
to share them with everybody.
Speaker 2 (22:56):
What about when people need help with smaller things like
styling a bookshelf, because bookshelves are always a problem. What
about those super super small like maybe a day sort
of project.
Speaker 1 (23:09):
No, we actually enjoy doing those as well. There's a
couple of girls in the office that are extremely talented
at it. They have a great eye, They enjoy you know,
they spend so much time at the computer working through
all those details of all those things. So to have
a day out in the office to refresh a living
room and do a bookcase. You can really transform a
space with simple touches to and we enjoy doing that
(23:31):
for people.
Speaker 2 (23:32):
Megan, what does an initial consultation look like and what
do those sort of initial meetings sound like when you
are first considering a project and meeting with the potential client.
Speaker 1 (23:45):
Our initial meetings are usually for our newer construction projects,
are typically just a meet and greet, and this is
usually prior to a contract being signed, where we kind
of just get to know each other. We talk scope
and style and lifestyle, but we really want to just
see that we're compatible, that we will work well together.
I kind a build it early on, share this analogy,
(24:09):
and that's always kind of stuck with me too. Of
just that it's like a marriage between your contractor the
homeowner and the designer. We need to get along really well,
we need to communicate really really well, and we also
need to have fun. I think that's the biggest thing
that I like to bring to my work is it's
not going to just be serious. We are going to
have some fun with this too, and you're going to
get a great outcome. So that first meeting is you're dating.
(24:33):
I guess you're just kind of making sure that your
good fits for each other. And then once we get
into things, we obviously go through more lifestyle questionnaires, really
getting to know what they're looking for, going through the blueprints,
talking about all the design aesthetics, and this often is
when they'll share all their images what they want their
house to look like, kind of just their concepts of
(24:55):
what that might look like. And then from there we
really take it and dive in deep with the design
and really are this process is the slow part where
the homeowners are super excited to see stuff, but need
to just give us the time to really develop the
design work through all of that, and we, particularly in
our design then kind of have like to have little
(25:16):
reveals them where you are going to see the majority
of your house. That way you can see the cohesiveness
of it. You see you've got unique materials in all
the different spaces, and it's really kind of a working
progress from there of just dialing in all those design details,
some take a little bit more work than others, and
kind of going from there and then kind of the
(25:38):
phase two, after you get through all the construction details,
and obviously through that phase there are countless meetings on
site and different things as well, where you're meeting with
the electricians and the contractors and things like that too,
but those are just like high level design. And then
we get into more of the furniture. And while as
designers we've probably been thinking about that the whole time,
(25:59):
we kind of already know a lot of the pieces
and how those are working, it becomes too overwhelming for
the clients to see the furniture when they're also looking
at eight bathrooms, you know, So we kind of do
that as a phase two a little bit further down
the line, and then go into our accessories, artwork and
all of that stuff. And then through that is just
project management all the other things that we discussed, and
(26:20):
then the big reveal the install which is the best
part of just being able to share it all and
have the homeowners start living it and loving it.
Speaker 2 (26:30):
How can homeowners prepare for that initial meeting and consultation?
Should they bring tear sheets, pinterest boards, What do you
like that they bring or do you like that they
bring nothing? Or I assume it's somewhere in the middle.
Speaker 1 (26:43):
Yeah, it's definitely somewhere in the middle. I think some
images are always really useful because it allows me to
get into their brain a little bit more rather than
if they just say, well, I want to beige house
is what does that look like?
Speaker 2 (26:54):
You know?
Speaker 1 (26:55):
This is the house I really love. I really do
like images. I think that they're helpful to you know
you're going down the right track and knowing. Really also
when you can push the boundaries of like, oh they
have some edge to them, we can do that too,
you know. And you also mentioned or bring nothing, and
that does happen occasionally, and that kind of comes with
good and bad. The good is usually when that happens
(27:16):
when they are like, I don't have anything to show,
you just have at it. They trust you, they've seen
your work, they love your work, and they just do
want you to give them something that looks similar to
your portfolio and that they know that they will love
it and don't want to micromanage how it all comes together.
But on the flip side, sometimes when they become saying
(27:36):
they don't have anything, it's because they really don't know
and or they really like a lot of different things
and can't even pinpoint what they like. They don't articulate it,
or they have difficult making decisions, and so they can't
commit to yes, that's what I want. And those obviously
come with it their own set of challenges too.
Speaker 2 (27:55):
The carte blanche is both a blessing and a curse sometimes, yes,
it definitely. I know that every designer has her own
rules for working with the client. What are some of yours,
because sometimes these relationships can feel a little more casual
than professional, and I think again, there are all sorts
(28:17):
of horror stories out there about client calls at nine
thirty at night, So what are some of your hard
and fast rules about working with clients to sort of
set those boundaries.
Speaker 1 (28:27):
I don't necessarily have any hard and fast rules, like
I won't take text messages or we only do emails.
But I think the biggest thing is setting boundaries early
on those expectations and boundaries so they know when you're
going to hear from They know what the timeline is
going to look like with budgets and decision making process,
so that it's essential to that smooth collaboration. And I
(28:49):
think that transparency and good communications help those misunderstandings. But
for the most part, people are pretty respectful of those boundaries,
and I think you kind of learn early on when
someone's not going to be or just going to text
you NonStop, and then that's kind of when you put
in a new boundary and you go through that too.
(29:09):
So and kind of back to what we were saying
earlier too, is just having them trust the process, giving
us time to create those ideas to evolve into something.
You know, it's easy to get attracted to a specific idea,
but sometimes the best results come after a little more exploration.
So just trusting that process to let us do our
work too.
Speaker 2 (29:28):
Especially when you're talking about fabrics and wallpapers and colors
and lighting. Okay, I guess all the design components and
they're trying to say when you show those wow elements,
Oftentimes that can come in a very sculptural chandelier, or
it could come from a statement pattern that is either
for a wallpaper or a textile. I think then you
(29:52):
may show the go whips right, like a simple little weave,
and it's like those are the things that I think
are really difficult to image because it's like, well, why
is this solid not super special? And it's like, well,
because you have to have some visual relief. And so
I think that you know, when we talk about trusting
the process, it's like a designer knows when that visual
(30:14):
relief is necessary. A designer knows to have that wonderful balance,
we have to have some quieter moments over here to
juxtapose the big statements over here. And I think those
sorts of things can be difficult for people to understand.
Speaker 1 (30:28):
Yeah, And I think a simple way I kind of
say frequently is everything can't be the star of the show.
It just they can't all be a look at me,
look at me. You need those wider moments. Maybe you
need a more neutral rug and let all the fabrics
on the polstery or the drag breeds shine, or our
collection or things like that too. So it's a very
fine balance in that.
Speaker 2 (30:47):
Let's talk a little bit about access to product, because
it's not just about the Internet. This is a trade
only industry, and it's not even always just about having
that tax ID number that says you're a designer. There
are criteria that have to be met for many of
the manufacturers before you can even get an account and
(31:10):
that sort of thing. So talk a little bit about first,
how a designer knows about all the product that's not
necessarily all the Internet. Because you travel some you have
appointments with reps, So tell the audience a little bit
about that.
Speaker 1 (31:25):
I'm in the Midwest, so I don't have access to
some of the showrooms like other cities do, so we
do get a lot of reps that come through make
appointments and are showing us product fabrics, wallpaper, new collections,
you know, educating us on their line and all the
bells and whistles that go along with that. So that's
just one thing that happens locally. Then we typically go
(31:49):
to high point markets yearly and get to see all
of the things that exist, all the showrooms that are
there that have different furniture, lighting, fabric, rugs. The market
is just overwhelming, and if the consumer knew what all
it existed out there, I can't imagine how overwhelmed they
would be, because you think how overwhelmed they can be
(32:10):
just by thinking there's so much out there on the Internet,
and that's just a very small portion of what exists.
And then you throw in some of the more international,
your European markets that have beautiful textiles that they have
never seen before. And I think that's just a hard
way of educating the consumer of what's out there, and
(32:31):
that really is our job as a designer is to
kind of wean through all of that and kind of
try and figure that all out too, and quality control.
We're working with vendors and showrooms that we have vetted
and that we know are going to stand behind the
product and stand behind us as designers too. And I
think just the uniqueness and exclusivity that designers have it
(32:55):
allows them to really really use their brains and come
up with these beautiful designs because they know all the
other products out there, or they know how to source
these beautiful antiques, and just that exclusivity allows designers to create,
customize the spokenteriors for clients, you know, ensuring that those
spaces don't look like others.
Speaker 2 (33:16):
Well. I like that you use the word bespoke, because
we all go to high point, which sort of the
anchor showrooms tend to be the high end retail showrooms.
But there's that whole other next level of completely bespoke furniture,
and not even all designers have access to that. So
(33:37):
certainly the general consumer does not have access to that,
and those sorts of things aren't online, and all of
the antiques one of a kind, small batch sorts of vendors.
You can't see all of that online necessarily, so you
do really have an inside track to seeing those super
special things. It's easy to look for sofas online. That
(33:58):
little fun object you're not going to necessarily see online,
that little quirky thing that really makes the room. That's
what you're spotting when you're out and about.
Speaker 1 (34:07):
And you also then throw in our one of the
kind workrooms of you know, the places that we go
to have something actually built truly from our designs, our
inspiration and to the scale and specifications of that homeowner's
lower level bookcase or whatever that might be. And those
are the fun ones.
Speaker 2 (34:24):
Okay, so here we are at the final question. I
know design projects are a little like children. It's impossible
to play favorite or pick a favorite. But you must
have a couple of projects over the years that were
sort of near and dear to you. Can you tell
us about a couple.
Speaker 1 (34:40):
I think the ones that stand out for me probably
stand out for a couple of reasons, and I think
a the most logicals that they're fabulous designs. It's a
client that has good taste and allowed you some creative
liberty there. I think the ones that have really good
collaboration where they trusted you and just allowed you to
do your design and real push the envelope, you know,
(35:01):
whether it's a beautiful, intricate tile design or the millwork
that gets used. I've had an opportunity to upholster some
doors with beautiful nail heads that just were unique and
just another layer of detail and luxury in the space.
And so I think it's those projects that allow you
to do some of these unique things that really stand
(35:23):
out in my mind.
Speaker 2 (35:24):
That's a great way to finish this up, and just
to say that when we're trying to promote the design
world and support the design world and educate those people
who may be thinking about hiring an interior designer. An
interior designer above making your home a beautiful space that
your family is going to enjoy. It really is a
(35:45):
cost saver in the end, because mistakes in the home
are very costly. If I go buy a pair of
genes or address in an hour that don't fit me
and I can't return them or they're not flattering on
my body, I can literally take a picture and sell
them later this afternoon and maybe somebody buys it. I
can have it in the mail tomorrow. You can't do
that with things in your home.
Speaker 1 (36:07):
No, Unfortunately, it just loses its value so quickly. Yes,
after it's been used for a little bit. There's not
great secondhand markets for that too.
Speaker 2 (36:14):
So or if it's a permanent part of the house,
it's just permanent. If it's a countertop or yes, yeah,
like you don't want to be ripping up tyle now. Well,
thank you, Megan. I think that this will be super
helpful for people who are entertaining the idea of hiring
a designer and maybe don't know a lot about it.
So it was really fun today to listen to all
(36:34):
the ins and outs of your business and what you do.
Speaker 1 (36:37):
Well, thank you. Yeah, it really is a wonderful field,
and I just absolutely love what I'm able to give
to clients and homeowners and help them live more beautifully
and efficiently in their spaces. Thank you for listening to
this week's episode of Boulevard Beat. If you enjoyed this episode,
if please follow along and leave a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify,
(37:00):
or wherever you listen so you never missed an episode,
and of course, follow your hosts on Instagram at Megan
bloom Interiors, at CHRISA. Rossbund, and at Liz Legit. We'll
be back next week as we take a stroll down
another boulevard
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