Myth Buster Series Part 2: My Designer Will Get Rid Of All My Stuff.

I hope you have subscribed to our blog to be notified of new posts in this Myth Buster Series that seeks to debunk many of the misconceptions and untruths we hear as designers in the marketplace.

If you missed part 1, you can find it HERE.

Living area in Houston TX mid century modern home

Colorful Mid Century Modern Inspired Living Area

This one is a pretty common one.

I think people who have never worked with an interior designer probably have this preconceived notion that interior designers will demand that they get rid of everything they own and start over.

I have to say that might be true in some cases, so that didn't just come from nowhere. There really is a certain breed of luxury interior designers out there who operate this way.

However, our firm is very proud of the fact that we often start with what clients own first. We believe in "storied interiors", which simply means that your home should tell your story from things you have collected over time. This feels much more authentic and comfortable, and it is usually something that transcends trends; that you will love for years to come.

A part of the "getting to know you" process, includes getting to know your stuff. What are the stories behind the pieces you already own? How did you acquire the pieces? Are they important to you?

Most of our clients have owned many other homes before, and of course they have accumulated a treasure trove of furnishings over time as they move from home to home.

Some are special mementos and heirlooms that they have inherited, or collections that they have amassed, and we try very hard to respect these items.

Funny enough that we even get clients who will share that a certain piece is a family heirloom, but we don't have to use it. They themselves will sometimes down-play the pieces because they cannot imagine them in the new space.

We always try to find a way to make them work, as long as they are correctly scaled for the room. Sometimes they need to be repurposed and refreshed, and we will have that conversation with clients about the potential costs involved.

For example, a client may have a below-average quality chair that they bought several years ago, and the upholstery is a bit worn, but they love the silhouette of the chair and want to keep it in the new design. We would never say no straight up, as long as the scale and proportions work in the space. But we will be very honest with our client about what that means to the budget.

It is often not inexpensive to reupholster a chair - between labor and a great quality fabric, it may end up costing more than just purchasing a much higher quality chair.

However, if the chair is of a very high quality in terms of craftsmanship, we would likely encourage our client to keep the chair and reupholster it.

Colorful mid century dining room Houston Texas with Moooi chandelier

Mid Century Modern Dining Room - Houston Texas

A lot of times, clients move into new home and they immediately go out and purchase several brand new pieces for the space. Typically they don't have a plan and the pieces may or may not work. We will assess these pieces to make sure they can be worked into the new design. Again, unless the scale and proportions are wrong for the room, we can most often use these pieces.

One of the many things we excel at here at Casa Vilora, is using certain design tricks to make a piece that we probably would not have chosen to begin with, look more intentional in the space. Sometimes, we can down-play them in the space so they take a background/support role, or we play them up so they take the lead role, all while balancing out with everything else we will add to the space.

It seems easy, but it really takes skill, expertise and confidence to pull this off. This is actually a favorite part of the process for me, so when a client states that they already own a few pieces, it is a welcomed challenge.

AFTER - Katy Texas Dining Room.

In this Katy TX dining room above, our client owned most of the pieces int he room and still loved them and wanted to keep them.

They already owned the rug, dining room table and wooden chairs.

Here is what it looked like before.

BEFORE - Katy TX Dining Room

In designing the rest of this main living area, we chose a blue and green color scheme because client already owned the green ottomans in living room below. This dining room is pretty open to the other areas, so we wanted to address the blues and greens, but had to keep them in the same tonal family as the rug - more subdued versions of blues and greens.

Here's the adjoining living room for context. All of the upholstered pieces here were purchased by client before they brought us on.

traditional style living room in blues and greens with accents of red

Katy TX Traditional Living Room

In the dining room, we started with a blue textured wallpaper to unify the entire space. The color of the grasscloth wallpaper makes it a part of the overall color scheme, and the texture adds depth and makes the dining room its own unique space at the same time. That delicate balance that we try to achieve in every space.

If you look closely, the dining room rug does not necessarily "go" with the rest of the color scheme. You can see that it is mostly browns and grays, with a slight hint of blue. So we "played-up" the blue, and with careful layering of colors and textures, the space feels cohesive and unified.

The head chairs help to add a bit of a focal point with just a simple color block design. That helped to also pull the browns in the rug up to the mid section of the room to help unify.

This project is a prime example of how we can make our clients' existing furniture work as long the scale and proportions work.

Just bringing in accent furniture pieces, wallpaper, lighting, pillows, art, accessories and window treatments make a huge difference

Katy TX Dining Room

Katy TX Living Room

Just look at the dining room sideboard and this console table in the living room! They help to really complete the spaces and feel like they have always been a part of it.

So now you know, that your designer is not trying to get rid of all your stuff. We are actually trying to incorporate them so they don't stick out like a sore thumb.

Just don't count on the college dorm futon or the oversized, overstuffed modular sectional to work. They never do! Haha