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Bold Browns & Best Practices
Initially, I wasn’t sure if this week’s post felt cohesive. But then I took a beat, and realized, it’s just a reflection of interior design itself. Designers wear a lot of hats and shift gears pretty drastically. A single day can include selecting materials, site visits, drawing floorplans in Autocad, and fleshing out schedules and budgets in Excel. So if you’re wondering what it’s like to be an interior designer, read on — and don’t get whiplash ; )
Interiors |
The Color Brown:
The current color of the moment and why we love it.
This week I mentioned on Instagram that I often have to search our Huntley & Co. photos to post an interior that ISN’T brown-centric. As you can see from the H&Co. photos here, I wasn’t kidding. It’s a wonderfully mercurial hue: it can look dramatic, classic, earthy, or modern. It makes white pop and always enriches a room. Consider incorporating this hue if you are on the fence. The three products below will help you take the leap.
All interiors above are by Huntley & Co.
L to R: “Horus” modern tile; striped wallcovering by LEMON; Los Objetos Decorativos fashionable brown-on-brown lamp
Behind the Biz |
The 3 P’s:
Things a design principal should know.
Could I list all the things you need to know to manage a design firm? I’m not sure. Some insights you bring to the table, some lessons you learn along the way, and some you throw out because you need to adapt with the times. For me “the 3 P’s” are the foundation of a well-run design firm. If you keep these in focus, the rest will fall in place.
1. Principles
The most impactful job experience I had before starting Huntley & Co. was working for a firm where integrity was fundamental. Clients, vendors, and employees were all treated with respect; one plus one always equaled two; and the owners put in long hours just like we did. It became the blueprint for how I run my own firm (although perhaps with a touch more sass).
2. Planning
When you have big jobs and discerning clients, mistakes are not an option. It pays to be prepared, not only to assuage the fear of failure, but as a roadpath to knowledge. Knowing your projects inside and out gives you the oversight to avert problems and deliver your designs masterfully.
3. Process
Processes brings peace and order to a business. It’s really just the implementation of triggers and levers — When this happens, you do that. And when the next thing happens, you do this. Until you have done all the things, all is in order, and you are delivering this incredible end result – successfully.
* see also: 5 Things You Should Know as Owner of a Design Firm
TH Tip |
Tabletop Styling:
Striking a balance with your “stuff”
You may have heard of the design aesthetic categories, ‘minimalist’ and ‘maximalist’ – their intentions being self-explanatory. There is also a third category that I call the ‘Goldilocks’ group. We love things, but hate clutter. To have both requires purposeful editing and an eye for the greater good.
Watch the video below to learn one of my methods for creating harmonious rooms by balancing less with more on tabletops.
* Bonus Tip: Take all of the accessories out of your room first. A clean slate will be less confusing and will open your mind to new arrangements.
postscript|| The color swatches at the top of this post are some of my favorites browns from recent and past projects. Give them a try … but always test swatches first!
upcoming webinar
“From Chaos to Clarity”
Learn how to create your own customizable budget and how to use it to outline costs, track orders, and stay on top of all those details! Fill out the form and type #systemsaresexy in your Message to receive updates and an invitation to sign-up.
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The Essential Tool Every Interior Designer Needs
This may seem like a less than romantic choice for Valentine’s Day, but this subject is near and dear to my heart. I’m talking about SPREADSHEETS. Yes, I am an interior designer who looooves spreadsheets. As an equal part Type-A/Type-B personality, I revel in creating designs, and managing and implementing them. My secret to staying on top of hundreds of details and enjoying myself along the way? The humble spreadsheet.
Budgets
This budget is the cornerstone of every Huntley & Co. project. It’s where we can view all items – comprehensively and in detail, calculate pricing, and track purchasing. I developed a very specific procurement color-coding* system for our budgets, as seen here.
* Color-coding is a love language all its own. If you get it, you get it ; )
Schedules
A renovation or construction project is only as good as its schedules. There are the basics like the plumbing schedule and the paint & finish schedule. But we have also generated bulb schedules, switch/plate schedules, and decorative hardware schedules – like this one. Each is unique. The objective is to transform an “information assault” into easy-to-read, easy-to-implement data.
Timelines
If a client requests a firm deadline, we generate a production schedule (aka reverse timeline) for the project. We plug in key dates — presentation, approval, payments, etc. and correlate that with realistic leadtimes and construction to calculate the installation day. Showing a client the ‘why’ of how long a project will take helps mitigate the sting of unrealistic expectations.
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Are you are interested in learning how to implement spreadsheets into your own interior design business? I will be hosting a free webinar this spring …
I will teach you how to create your own customizable budget and how to use it to outline costs, track orders, and stay on top of all those details!
Fill out the form below and include #spreadsheetsuccess in your Message to receive updates and an invitation to sign-up.
Happy Valentine’s Day. Today is about celebrating love in all forms, not just spreadsheets!
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The Elegance of Etiquette
The topic of manners came up this week. It related to job site etiquette, but it’s worth revisiting as a general modus operandi. I find guidelines and rules delightful in most cases. Having a framework in place makes life easier and frees me up to “do” instead of think. I’m also a contrarian, so don’t assume I’m going to follow your rules if they irritate, offend, or don’t make sense. My 4th-grade, Catholic school teacher said this was an attitude problem; I think it’s emotional intelligence. I’m a major champion of procedures and systems (see below), but I think a healthy dose of common sense and scrutiny makes the world a better place.
Job Site Etiquette
There isn’t a one-size-fits-all answer to “What is proper job site etiquette?”. The size, scope, contractor, and cost are all determining factors. I share my thoughts on the subject in the following video and responded directly to the questioner, Kate, with the answer below.
Send in your questions! I answer reader’s questions weekly via our Instagram ‘Asked and Answered’ feature.
Since job sites are my happy place, it’s worth sharing how magically they transform (as seen here). It’s one of the best parts of my job – gathering with the team, talking shop with talented craftspeople, walking through the skeletons of future rooms, and of course, seeing my designs develop from plans and elevations into actual livable structures.
above (counterclockwise): The lifecycle of a Huntley & Co. job site from start to finish.
My Favorite Forms of Etiquette
How I love a code of conduct (aka, etiquette). Any situation can benefit from it. Here are three that I recommend.
Grammar
The use of proper grammar says something about the speaker. You value quality over convenience. You want your thoughts conveyed with clarity. You appreciate the beauty and nuances of y/our language. I believe there is glamour in grammar … as evidenced by my copy of Roy Peter Clark’s book.
Table Setting
Setting a table according to a particular framework isn’t about being fussy, it’s about creating order. When everything is in its place, the beauty of the meal shines through and you create a consistent experience for your guests.
Driving
This will seem like a controversial stance to those who have driven with me. Do I have a reputation for cussing while in the car, yes. Is this ladylike behavior, no. In my defense, my anger is born from my enthusiasm for rules, and I find the lack of vehicular awareness and consideration of those written and unwritten absolutely maddening. Left lane drivers, I despise you.
Stay in the right lane, pass on the left. Watch for the light to turn. Keep an eye out for your exit. And for all that is good and sensible, get off your phones!
A Rule that Pays Off
As mentioned above, I’m a champion of systems. And there is one rule, that if you implement it, you will thank yourself for down the road. Systemize your files. It may not seem critical, but trust me, it’s worthwhile. Whether it’s an exterior trim paint color from a client’s vacation home, a photo from a site visit in March of 2018, or an antique I saw in Palm Beach on a trip 10 years ago, We Can Find It. I’ve had clients call and ask the most obscure things and 9 times out of 10, I have the answer in 5 minutes. Why? Because our internal files are organized according to a standardized system from which we do not deviate. Knowing how to find anything in 18 years of data saves time, avoids stress, and makes us look like miracle workers to boot!
Here’s our secret sauce for labeling H&Co. site visit files.
Sequence:
- Site Visit (aka subject)
- Year-
- Month-
- Day
- Underscore
- Room or Leading Topic
- Underscore
- Additional details to make info easier to find
I really let my type-A shine this week!
Hey Insiders – I love hearing from you, so share your comments below!
TRICIA HUNTLEY | HUNTLEY & CO.
“The glamorous space where tradition and modernity collide.”
THE MUSINGS OF DESIGNER TRICIA HUNTLEY
