Melissa English | Closet Factory

MY ADVICE:

Work on basics first. What are your needs? How do you use your space? How can your space better service you? The answers to these questions create the foundation for an aesthetically beautiful design to be built upon.

When you’re ready to attack aesthetics, refer to the rule of 60/30/10. When mixing colors, about 60% should be your main color, 30% should be your secondary color, and 10% should be your accent color.

I’ve translated this rule as the rule of big, medium, and small. Mix big patterns with medium and small patterns to achieve a well-coordinated look. This can be applied to textures as well; hard, soft, smooth, and rough textures should be juxtaposed against each other in the same large, medium, and small quantity ratio. Decor can be mixed together and displayed around a space with the same thought process applied to size.

MY FAQ’s:

 “How do you first approach a space? In other words, what’s the first thing you think about when you first see a client’s closet space/storage problem?”

Customizing solutions and design begin with understanding the needs and lifestyles of people using it. Getting to know my clients’ storage concerns, needs, likes, dislikes, traffic patterns, and daily habits is essential to creating designs that function for them.

 “What is the biggest design obstacle you’ve overcome? i.e. awkwardly angled walls, electrical sockets in bizarre places, big collections in small spaces.”

The biggest design obstacle I faced was in a house on Sanibel Island. The His and Hers Master Closet was not only small, but was sectioned in half with a deeply angled ceiling. After discussing my clients needs for the space, we came up with the most user-friendly design that optimized storage real estate within the space.

 “Since collaboration is such an integral part of the design process, how do you like to engage or connect with clients in order to help them realize their vision for a space?”

It is of utmost importance when designing a customized space that communication between designer and client remains fluid throughout the design process. Allot of information that I need about my clients can be gathered through simple conversation and either/or questions. Client’s inspiration photos are a great conversation starter. Dissecting images to find that it is exactly that is most appealing is a fantastic way to get to know my clients goals for their space.

If I find that someone is unsure of how to begin to describe what they want in any way, I like to ask, “What don’t you like?” A lot of the time, people are very familiar with what they don’t want and can easily rattle off a quick list. This conversation is just as helpful as going over inspiration photos.

 “How are you inspired by a home’s existing décor? Is there anything specific that you look for during an in-home consultation?”

In a home with existing decor, there is not one specific thing I look for. Rather, I look for visual tells about my clients. I can easily get to know their preferred decor style, lifestyle needs, and storage needs during a quick walk through.

As for design aesthetics, it is always easier to create well-balanced design for clients when there are existing finishes that I can work with.

 “What are some ways a custom designed home office can improve productivity? In other words, how does the right type of home office help people do business?”

Customized designs change the functionality of a space from one that its users have to work with to one that works for its users. A properly functioning office essentially works as a personal assistant and second pair of hands. Ease of access and comfort streamline office spaces to increase productivity.

 “What are some modern organizational trends, or what’s a trend you’re looking for?”

Modern organizational trends that make a space stand-out are integrated lighting designs and organizational accessories.

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