Design in a New Decade

Design changes very quickly, but the beginning of a new decade gives me pause and a reason to believe.

I am the positive one. The one that sees stars in the night, fun puddles on a rainy day, beautiful flakes during a snow storm, and independent strong children from sassiness and disrespect. Design is all about being positive and delivering a message with a positive attitude and the creativity of a positive life. I have always chosen to communicate through color, texture, balance and always being a bit left of center. This keeps the design muse in me alive through it all. And life is really what we are talking here.

As the last decade came to a close, there were so many negative references to war, terrorism, poverty, and decline. Instead, I want to share with you my perspective on the last decade and my favorite subject. Design.

The last decade was so much fun, I hardly know where to begin. We saw the end of endless pastel color schemes, stylized interiors for the sake of stylizing, and matchey matchey friendliness. We started to see clients open up beyond retail displays and stretch thier wings to see that YOUR life deserves to be expressed. We are not cut out of a mould of corporate design catalogs, but created from the inspiration of our past, present and future dreams. The most fun of any project in residential is the part where we visualize what will be. When I see it, speak it and visualize it some more, most clients come along to a point. They join in, and add small touches and their lives fitting in. Then we are on a never ending quest to create it with them in it, living, growing, breathing and evolving.

Another thing that design let go of was following a trendy designer down a road of ruin living their life, not ours. I just saw a silly video clip about a woman that followed all of Oprahs advice in the last year and had very iffey results. If you allow a television persona to dress you, make purchasing decisions, and alos lead your sex life, then I guess this was the experiment for you.

One of my grandest compliments from a client lately was when they said "You get us!"
Wow. That was worth waiting a decade for. Not that I have not heard equally lovely comments about design choices, but that one kind of hit home for me. When that happens, I have not only done my job, but executed it, delivered it, and finished within time frame and budget. That is a big deal to us over achiever types. And to us over achiever design types. The icing on the cake just landed at the beginning of an exciting decade of triumph, joy and sheer excitement.