How does an interior designer figure out your style?
Design: Time & Place Interiors / Photo: Gloria Kilbourne
There are some people who know their exact design style.
But more often, homeowners have an idea of what they’re looking for, but lack the design vocabulary to describe it.
And that’s perfectly OK.
It’s the designer’s job to tease out your individual aesthetic. And then, to elevate it to a level of sophistication that you wouldn’t be able to achieve on your own.
So, how does a designer like me determine what you’ll like and show you the right products?
When you’re my client, I take you through a multi-step Conceptual Design phase at the beginning of the project. I learn about your needs and preferences, and allow you room to explore new possibilities as well. With each progressive step, we narrow down the design plan that will serve you best.
I ask all the right questions from the start, I show you strategic visuals, and I listen very closely to the clues you give me.
By the end of Conceptual Design, I have a clear vision of the aesthetic and function we’re working toward. Then I take all my data points and present one concrete design scheme (the sofa, the lamp, the rug, etc.) that’s highly curated and personalized to you.
Because I put in the time to learn everything I need to know up front, we won’t need unlimited rounds of revisions. In fact, there’s usually very little to revise because I’ve been strategic.
Read on to see how I do this and why my clients repeatedly say that I’ve “nailed it” when I present their design scheme — almost always on the first try.
- Ksenya, founder of Time & Place Interiors
A detailed intake discussion
Design: Time & Place Interiors / Photo: Gloria Kilbourne
Onboarding my full service design clients begins with a thorough intake. Not a pesky questionnaire, but a real-time conversation where I learn about you.
I ask about preferences for colors, patterns, textures, forms. How you like to sit, where and how you eat, who will use which room and in what way.
We’ll talk through the feeling you want the space to evoke, whether it’s soothing, energizing, or inspiring.
Your home should feel meaningful, so I cover aesthetic influences: where you grew up, travel destinations you love, art you admire, your fashion style.
I want to know if you collect anything that needs to be displayed, what storage space needs to hold, if you enjoy plants.
None of these questions are directly posed as “What’s your design style?” But, together, they start building the story for your new home.
2. Proposing an aesthetic concept
Design: Time & Place Interiors / Photo: Gloria Kilbourne
After the intake interview, I start translating your inputs into visuals. I prepare a curated compilation of inspirational interiors that reflect your home’s architecture, your aesthetics, or both.
When we review the inspiration rooms together, I listen carefully to your reactions. I’m looking for your thoughts on the overall vibe, but we also zero in on details: What do you think of that Italian mod floor lamp? This antique desk? That moody, dark wall paint?
I take copious notes, which I will refer back to when I’m sourcing.
My clients find these presentations both fun and informative. Often they’ll realize they love (or hate) something they didn’t know they carried strong emotions about.
Or they become intrigued about new possibilities — maybe slightly outside of their comfort zone — that they want to explore having in their new home.
All of these insights further narrow down the design direction and the ideas I’m gathering before I prepare your design.
3. The “V.I.P.” showrooms day
Design: Time & Place Interiors / Photo: Gloria Kilbourne
And finally - the REALLY fun part. I organize a full-day luxury guided excursion, introducing you to my favorite NYC-based design galleries and furniture showrooms.
Based on what I’ve learned from you so far through the intake and inspiration images, I line up venues that would appeal to your style, while expanding your horizons to new design opportunities.
Many of the galleries we visit aren’t open to the public, or they’re private lofts not commonly known to those outside of interior design circles. We’re hosted by showroom reps who are available to answer questions and discuss customization.
You’ll get to feel fabrics, see material finishes, and learn more about what you do and don’t like… you might surprise yourself!
Meanwhile, I’m paying close attention to what catches your eye, noting ideas to incorporate into your design plan.
By now, I have a solid direction for your design. I know what you’re looking for and how to translate that into a thoughtfully curated space. In combination with an approved floor plan, I’m ready to move forward to my detailed design scheme, tapping into my network of contemporary and vintage sources that will make your space feel unique.
Luxury interior design is not unlimited revisions.
It’s a personalized strategy that delivers the right outcome.
Time & Place Interiors offers residential interior design services for discerning New Yorkers who seek a beautiful space executed through an effortless experience. Through her signature mix of vintage + modern, founder Ksenya Malina designs spaces that are curated, thoughtful, and highly personalized. Use the link below to explore design opportunities for your own turnkey home project:
