Allow me to do a little retrospection in this post.
We all know that coming up with one’s dream house design is a long, arduous journey. In this blog, I want to take you on one that’s personal and full of relatable moments.
The beginnings of my design odyssey
I remember back when I was not yet in the design business, and I had just left my stable, managerial position at the leading publishing network in my country.
I’d just given birth to my first child, took on a remote position as a content writer for a home and design website based abroad. I definitely was in nesting mode, as I wanted to turn our fairly new townhouse into my own design playground.
Scattered and directionless design plan
Did I follow a design process then, the way I do now? Not really. In the early days of my design journey, my approach to creating dream house designs was scattered and lacked clear direction.
I saved all the most beautiful pins on Pinterest.
I wrote my ideas in notebooks.
I looked through dozens upon dozens of paint chips to choose colors for each room.
I spent hours at home depots and furniture boutiques, losing sleep over pieces we should get for our home.
I drew so many layouts in my sketchbooks of the furniture, had various iterations that my husband and I argued over, not really getting to any decision about how our rooms should be arranged.
Ongoing dilemma: Design decisions and debates
After everything I’d done, our home still wasn’t the way I wanted it to look. Indecision plagued me.
I didn’t know if the sofa we were sending a downpayment to would be the right size (we ended up buying it, and while it’s been used to the point of abuse for almost a decade, my husband has never warmed up to it).
As soon as the green wall paint was put up in our kitchen, our entryway, and my office, I regretted it instantly. It was the wrong shade.
In our downstairs dining, I noticed that the white lights I picked were somehow making our walls look more pink. I realized later on that the walls were an off-white with a very pink undertone.
It was one wrong decision after another. It was costing us money, getting me and my husband into senseless arguments.
The worst part? We were forced to live with our wrong decisions for years until we could remodel again.
The missing piece: A plan for personal design
Looking back, I discovered that things had turned out that way because I didn’t have a plan. I went into redecorating our home in full gung-ho mode, without even setting out a strategy.
A plan would have made our lives so much easier.
A plan would have prevented us from going over our allotted budget.
A plan would have averted all those home-related fights between me and my husband.
But because I was inexperienced, I kept making design mistakes based on uninformed decisions. I thought then that just by looking at my hundreds of saved pins on Pinterest, I could get by.
The turning point: Investing in design knowledge
So what did I do? Being the Moon Virgo that I am, I went back to school.
I spent thousands of dollars to get my certificate in interior design. I learned everything I needed to know so that I wouldn’t have to second-guess my design choices, ever again.
I also enrolled in TONS of programs that ensured my design knowledge was updated, and that I could present this knowledge in a clear and systematic manner to my design clients.
Then I created a process so that I could strategically design interiors on repeat—whenever I needed to, whether in my own home, or for my clients. Every project I work on, I follow the same system that lets me create a design plan that anyone could execute themselves.
All they need to do is simply follow the plan.
They use the paint colors we’ve identified for their spaces.
They choose from the selection of furniture that we’ve vetted for them, that are sure to coincide with the design style they want, and that will fit perfectly in their room.
They don’t have to second-guess, because we’ve already made the design for them, and they feel more confident in carrying it out.
A system for success: Designing with confidence
Oh, if only Gal at Home had existed for me back then! 🤪Joking aside, I feel like now, everything has come together design-wise.
Because now, not only do I have a repeatable design process that I can use to continually refresh my dream house design. But I’m also able to do the same for others too.
My team and I are on a mission to help others create homes that are deeply personal and enjoyable to our clients. Thanks to this design process, we’re able to help them embrace the uniqueness of their space and feel at peace with their surroundings.
How about you? What needs to happen for you to feel that everything has come together, and you can live with calm and confidence in your space? Share your thoughts and stories with me in the comments section below.
Meanwhile, let Gal at Home help you create your dream house design with confidence.