The Gilded Goat

        I don’t expect baristas to know every single coffee bean ever cultivated, and I don’t expect the art store employee to know the best brand of watercolor for a certain project. But sometimes, what you don’t expect ends up being what you most appreciate.

        When I first started working in slab distribution, I knew absolutely nothing about stone. What I did know was customer service. Working at a coffee shop for nearly 3 years has taught me so much about the intricacies of pleasing the customer. Maybe my natural gift for customer service came from my innate people pleasing I’d had since I was a child. I loved seeing people’s days go from terrible to filled with light just from a coffee or a sandwich. People are, at the end of the day, social creatures. And being in a customer facing position, you have all the power to make someone’s day go from poor to amazing. That can be from good, old-fashioned spirit. Or it can be from helping someone make an informed decision.

        It’s not often someone will walk into a coffee shop and not know anything about what they want to order, but they may not be familiar with your particular shop. It’s empowering for both the customer and yourself to stay informed on your store’s wares. And I don’t just mean ingredients. Observation is an important and easy way to gain knowledge. Paying attention to what customers enjoy the most, what they gripe about, maybe even coffee strength. Anything could be a question, and the more prepared you are the more you both gain out of the experience at the register.

        Enough with the coffee motif though, I want to get into how this is important in interior design or interior decorating. I don’t know about you, but I personally love when everything has meaning. The purposeful inclusion of colors or decor just adds so much to the story being told in someone’s space.

        With interior design, there is so much to know and explore. One may ask, “how exactly does knowing help my customer/client?” And to that I say.. Sit a while with me and use that beautiful brain of yours.

Nobody is Born Informed!

        Every single element that makes a space has a story. From the textiles to the tiles. Everything was made to serve a purpose, whether it is function or form. These elements fit together on the canvas that is whatever space you are trying to elevate. Regardless of if you are an interior designer, decorator, or homeowner, we ALL benefit from learning. As humans we strive constantly for knowledge. There is nothing more rewarding than knowing. When we understand, it gives us context and challenges our minds on solving the puzzles before us. And yes, that puzzle may just be what is the best backsplash material for my kitchen or even a style of rug. History is designed to repeat itself in the intentions of an object. Sometimes we just appreciate the culture and uniqueness of an art, like Moroccan zellige tile.

        Clients often don’t know much about form and function, they just see something pretty in a magazine or on Pinterest and they want to replicate that. But we know their lifestyles, or alternatively, you know your own lifestyle if you are doing this solo. The marble that you might see on an Instagram reel is realistically not going to work for a high traffic, low maintenance kitchen. We know what appeals to our eye. But our eye can sometimes be.. A bit fantastical in standards. 

Working in slab distribution, there is always going to be an option for a customer that they’re going to love. A big problem is that the inspiration photos can sometimes blur the line between achievable and desirable. I get customers who show me beautiful kitchens they found on Pinterest. I want to help every person who comes through the door get the look they love. But.. When I hear the words “low maintenance” and “heavy cooking” while I’m looking at a kitchen with Calacatta Viola installed, I have to grit my teeth a little. That’s not the fault of the customer! Some of these pinterest listings are just pulled off of Instagram or maybe even Facebook, and the poster has no idea what it is. They just like the kitchen. Some photos will have them listed as “marble” or “porcelain” but these terms mean nothing to someone who is just starting renos or building. That’s why it’s so important for us to know about what we’re trying to convince these customers to put in their home. 

I’ve had many customers come in with designers that have no idea what they’re looking at. I hate to shame anyone. Nobody is born knowing anything about stone, that is my job. But.. I feel it is also the interior designer’s job to know about the qualities of stone. Not just stone, but anything they want to encourage a client to spend money on for their home. If you aren’t worried about the practicality and function of a product, then you really aren’t an interior designer. You’re just an interior decorator.. 

I know that sounds kind of mean! It feels mean, I hate to shame. 

Empower Yourself!

Besides a license and certification, what sets apart a designer and a decorator is the attention to practicality. By definition that is what sets them apart. By signing off on plans, you are putting your reputation on the line as a professional interior designer. Why wouldn’t you take the time to learn about these things? A customer could come back complaining that you didn’t explain the dangers of leaving wine spills on their marble countertop. 

Now, I can hear the mumbles. My fabricator should know that information, my contractor should inform us, the slab distributor should be upfront about that. From that, I implore you to look back on your own life.. How many times has relying on other people to relay information actually benefited you? You are the only one looking out for you most of the time. Yes, these people should be part of informing you if a sink installation isn’t possible without issues or seams won’t vein match. But part of you staying informed is that.. you are informed.

Think of knowledge as a cushion. You are the first layer of a good pillow someone lays their head on.

As a designer, or whatever you may be, you will use what knowledge you have to inform the customer of possible benefits and possible setbacks. Having that out in the air sets expectations. One of the most important aspects of customer service being seamless is always being upfront about expectations. Who knows? You mentioning something you aren’t completely informed about may prompt your customer to do some research themselves. All of this to ensure the customer already knows there might be some hurdles to jump in an already difficult process. 

Under your layer, there’s the builder or the contractor as more support. They (ideally) have a more hands-on experience that they can reference. Never take that for granted! It’s a learning opportunity any time a customer asks a question. 

Then, depending on the job, there is an extra EXTRA layer of support in the installer. Whether that be tile fabrication, stone fabrication, a wood working specialist. 

That knowledge can be from anywhere. Go to the library and read some books, watch some videos on Youtube! Some of the best places to look? Old Sears catalogues. Even Better Homes and Garden. If your client has a home built in a certain time period, catalogues from that time period can clue you in on what kind of wood treatments were popular at the time, reupholstery techniques that have affected their current living space. It’s such a great peek at why some of these older homes have damage we don’t quite understand. Maybe the homeowners fancied a carpeted bathroom, and that’s why the floorboards are so moldy and decrepit. Who really knows what you could find?

You can only benefit from empowering yourself to know as much as you can. Be the go-to for questions. It can really set you apart from others in your field. That could be great in itself because if you have a good relationship with other designers, perhaps they’ll have the confidence to send customers your way knowing you’re more well equipped.

History is Cool

Sometimes, it’s not even about what could go wrong. Like I said earlier, I think we just like to learn. Some people really do enjoy having some backstory to their home. Tiles such as the azulejos have become very popular, history rich in Portugal where they originate from. I’ve had customers come in that are doing a restoration project on historical homes, just trying to get it back to its former glory as close as possible. I can see a customer with the widest smile on their face, waiting for the perfect chance to show off and explain their intentional decisions in their home. 

Imagine a friend coming over to see your newly renovated kitchen, falling in love with the color, then frowning when their eyes fall on your backsplash. The square tile looks to be blue.. But it’s not all the same shade of blue. “This one tile is off from the rest..” They may comment, tilt their head. Then they examine the rest of the backsplash instinctively. You get to perk up, nod, and say, “I know! It’s zellige tile!” And with the knowledge you have, you can enlighten someone’s world.

I’ll throw you a small bone, though it’ll get its own blogpost.

Zellige tile is a Moroccan tradition that traces back LONG before any of us would initially think. It pops up in the tenth century, intending to mimic Roman mosaics seen across the northern regions of the continent. The unique trait here? The traditional Moroccan kiln does not distribute heat evenly. That can ring a bell in the head of anyone familiar with ceramics. Despite every tile using the same glaze, the uneven temperature of the kiln yields a different result for all of them. No two zellige tiles are the same shade.

That kind of knowledge can really surprise a homeowner, a friend even. It gives intent to a decision beyond aesthetic. Mid-century modern is built with nothing but historical relevance, materials reflective of an America struggling in wartimes. 

All That to Say..

        What’s the point of working a job you don’t like? Aside from the obvious factor of bills and livelihood, I have those too after all. I hate saying “I don’t know” in a space where I expect myself to, in fact, know. There’s no shame in only knowing what you need. But there’s a power in being able to answer a question someone may worry sounds silly, or a question someone may not find the answer just anywhere. And let’s face it– it feels good knowing more than other people sometimes. That is what sets us apart from each other. There is natural talent to lead, to problem solve, to create. But more valuable is the gumption to learn, to pursue in the face of adversity.

It says a lot to others, both employers and potential clients, that you care enough about your art to learn about its intricacies. Those skills and traits grant us reliability in the eyes that matter. The trust that you are the best in your craft to help someone on the outside looking in. Doesn’t that feel good? You never want to overinflate your ego, but it’s okay to recognize your impact in someone’s life because of your expertise. Interior design is the main focus of this blog, and that can greatly impact someone’s quality of life. You may see them glow so much more with the addition of more windows, all that natural light is proven to improve mood. And we should never forget the importance of accessibility. A couple may struggle with one half being disabled, optimizing their space for wheelchair access can benefit them both! 

I know that the kind of interior designer I want to be is a well informed designer. I think my clients should be able to rely on me, without any doubts about my abilities to answer their questions. In a society where we rely more and more on technology, we should really empower ourselves to keep looking for knowledge. We have to keep our minds sharp, and not allow our arts and careers to become oversaturated with mediocrity. The standard will keep lowering and lowering until it turns into a shell of its former glory. 

I can’t wait to share all the knowledge I have with all my readers.