Phase
III Furnishing your Interior
Establish interior decor concept
At this stage in the interior design process, your background materials
have been selected and your project is underway. Your interior designer
and general contractor are working together to implement the details and
plans for the design of your interior. Your interior is already in development
and your designer has a clear vision for the artistic direction. The interior
style has likely been influenced by the architecture of the home and by
your personal taste. Now it is time to develop the décor and determine
your furnishings. Your designer will guide you through this process by
making recommendations that meet your needs and requirements, sharing
valuable sources, offering creative direction and professional advice
on products and materials.
Develop preliminary furniture plan
The first step is to create a preliminary furniture plan. Your designer
will work with you to establish your needs and desires and develop a plan
appropriate for your lifestyle. Space planning is a critical step in the
design process because it determines the size, scale, quantity of furnishings,
and how the home will function. There may be areas where there are options
for furniture placement. Designers utilize a computer program referred
to as Computers Aided Design (CAD) that enables us to illustrate and communicate
space planning concepts accurately and true-to-scale. Once the designer
and client have agreed upon a furniture plan, the designer is able to
create an inventory and size requirements for the furnishings needed.
Select and procure furnishings
When determining the furnishing for your home, there are many requirements
that affect the selection process. Quality, style, size, scale, finish,
budget, and time are all factors. Not only does your designer need to
find furnishings that will function and look beautiful in your home, they
also must be available in the allotted time and work within your budget.
In order to obtain unique products that will be appropriate for your interior,
your designer will likely want to custom order your furnishings. Custom
furniture allows you to select your own finish and fabric. This obviously
takes time and in most cases there is a deadline. In order to stay on
schedule, it is important to follow the process your professional has
outlined. Custom furniture and fixtures have a six-to-twelve week lead-time
so if there is a deadline, it is important to make selections as soon
as possible.
Designers source furnishings through catalogs and work directly with manufacturers
and distributors in order to obtain customized furnishings. This process
is very different from selecting furniture from a retail store. Industry
partners such as International Design Source provide these quality products
and services to the trade. They represent over 200 manufacturers and assist
designers through the process of obtaining samples, placing orders and
tracking them until they arrive. “We pride ourselves not only on
our vast selection, but for our to-the-trade concierge service. We provide
the ideas and resources needed to make the way designers work and live
easier,” states Emilio Sadez, owner of International Design Source.
It takes talent and experience to successfully manage this stage of the
interior design process. Once you have approved your furniture selections,
it is up to your designer to facilitate the process so that you can relax
and enjoy the results. As I have always said, my clients can afford to
go anywhere in the world, but when they choose to stay home, I know I
have succeeded.
Until next month, keep your creativity outside the box and Inside Design.
Kira Krümm is an award-winning interior designer and COO of Kira
Krümm Interior Design, located at 6062 Taylor Road, Suite 801, in
Naples. She may be contacted by phone at (239) 593-4413, by email at Insidedesign@kirakrumm.com
or by visiting www.kirakrumm.com.
Kira Krümm Interior Designer License # ID 4752 ASID, IIDA, IFDA,
Associate AIA, NCIDQ Cert. # 018631
Photos courtesy of Kira Krümm Interior Design
Photography by Randall Perry
