Eclectic Chic

My next-door neighbors went on a renovation process with the help of an interior designer. I like interior design, though I don't have much time dealing with it thoughtfully.

The neighbor told me that they re-planned the space and dressed it up again. “We used most of our existing furniture, just placing it in a different layout”, she said.

“Furniture”, she added, “should be placed in a way that enhances the energy and the airflow in the house. This is what the interior designer told us. And, given very little space to play with, we needed to be super creative when relocating what we already had”.

That day, I came home and moved my furniture around to enhance the energy. It felt refreshing.

The next day I saw the neighbors dragging a rolled rug across the staircase. “A rug plays a significant role in centralizing the other objects in the living room”, they explained in a scholarly way as I was locking my front door.

“Our designer Zwia recommended that we add it to the living room interior. By doing this, all of the house objects start to 'speak' the same color and style language” they added. Sounds so impressive!

After work, I stopped by the market and got home with a new rug which centralized my living room objects.

The week after, the neighbor knocked on my door. “I'm so excited!” She exclaimed. “We now have new lamps and the frames of our old paintings were turned from aluminum to gold!”

On my way back from work I bought some gold color and four new lamps. I deserve change, and gold framings sound so sophisticated. That weekend I painted all the frames gold. Some paint was left in the can, so I painted the chairs gold, too.

On Monday I met the neighbor at the grocery store. She was eager to share the new updates. “We have a new clock on the wall, a TV cabinet, and a drawer for extra storage! It's so beautiful now, you must come and see!”

I promised to stop by, but instead, I purchased a clock and a new drawer. I placed it all in the newly arranged living room and looked around. Each item appeared lovely by itself but something didn't seem to fit.

The next day I saw the neighbors' kids taking some kind of a wiring board out of the car. “It's for our new family corner”, they explained, “it will be hanging in the hallway, and we'll put our family pictures there”.

This is definitely a must-have for me. I bought a roll of wire in a construction materials store and hang it on the wall. It looked kind of weird and made no sense.

The following month, the neighbors invited me for a cup of coffee in their newly renovated living room. I stepped in and couldn't believe my eyes. They had the same items as I had in my apartment, but theirs looked so much more beautiful! Everything fit together and corresponded well. The colors were matching, the textures were in harmony, and the place looked peaceful and warm. 'Eclectic Chic,' they called it, and this what it was! Nothing to resemble my own home.

What was I doing wrong? I decided to go further. What was their interior designer's name? Zweta? Zlata? Zwia - it came to me, and I googled.

'Before we launch the working process, clients share their needs, wishes, and preferences regarding their future home. We then open a 'secret' Pinterest file where I ask them to put everything they see, like, or wish for their future home. I advise them to place their wildest home design fantasies within this file. We refer to it as if they had unlimited means in an infinite world, so this file becomes our source of inspiration.' I read on Zwia's website. I should have talked to her before painting chairs in gold.

'The very first step in the work of an interior designer is measuring. We measure the walls, the height, the furniture, the door width, the possible distances.' I kept on reading. Maybe this is what I was missing here? I didn't measure anything.

'The next step is then sketching. It is a schematic sketch of the house to make the first set and give a general impression of how everything looks. When everything is sketched, I start playing with it, moving things back and forth as if they were Lego bricks.' Well, I did the same, but without the sketching part. Seems quite important.

'When I pitch the plan to my client, I have it all in my mind and can already visualize the final design.' Looks like she knows what she's doing.

'I accompany the clients to the stores to search for a sofa, curtains, cupboards, or beds. We usually do it together when there are things that need to be felt and touched. The sofa needs to be seated on, the bed needs to feel comfortable for its future sleepers, or the cushions that need to feel soft.'

That's a pity I didn't feel the cushions. Zwia seems like a lovely company to shop with. But I don't have time for that, usually grabbing the first thing I see.

'When shopping together is not possible, because of time restrictions or simply because some clients don't like shopping, it is done online,' this was the answer I was looking for.

'We work with the color palette chosen beforehand, and I continually consult and advise them on possible items. The final design is stunning; everything seems to fit. Clients are satisfied, calm, and happy, and so am I.'

I wanted to be satisfied and calm, but I wasn't. I did things without thinking, planning, or sketching, relying on my gut feeling and the neighbor's recommendations, which were wholly disconnected from my house's needs. What worked for them didn't work for me.

I thought I could do this by myself, but I was wrong. I needed professional help

here, some insights from an experienced eye. Most of all I wanted my house to look as beautiful as the neighbors'. I gave Zwia a call.