When I tell people what I do for a living many comments I get back are "Wow, I would love that job!" or "Oh my gosh, that must be so fun!". "It is. I love it!" is what I usually say in return because that's the truth.
I always wonder, what do these people ACTUALLY think I do?! Do they think I go around picking out pillows and furniture all day? Do they think I meet my clients at the tile stores and flooring stores and guide them to products like you see on HGTV? Do they think I sit at the computer all day to come up with floor plans and models?
The truth is, as a designer I do a lot of different things. Some days are spent with clients all day at their home (or business) or making selections in showrooms/retail stores. Some days are spent creating plans from scratch of an existing home the client is looking to remodel. Some days are spent doing more administrative tasks such as sending proposals, contracts and invoices or following up on items on order. Some days I get phone call after phone call from tradesmen or cabinet makers with questions or details they want to review about a particular job. Other days are spend doing visits to job sites checking to see if things are progressing as planned and there are no conflicts with light switches and doors or cabinetry and mechanical items. Sometimes I spend hours trying to find my client the perfect piece whether it be a light fixture, artwork or furniture item. Some days, I spend the entire day running from store to store purchasing accessories to fill a clients home for the final staging portion of the project. Some days, I'm meeting my photographer at a job to take the final completion photos for use on my website and social media. I deal with surprises and problems that arise in the fly during the construction process and am a problem solver. I wear many hats and love that my days aren't mundane and always predictable. I really do love my job.
You know what else I do? I read the subconscious clues my clients give me. When the husband and wife aren't on the same page, I help find compromise so everyone is happy with the outcome. I sense the energy in and of the home and can work with that. When there's a spot where energy stagnates I can sense it and help to propose ways to remedy this.
So tell me, did this enlighten you today? Did you know this is what I actually do for work? Would love to have your comments below .
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